East Coast Railway

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 235, 11 September 1924, Page 5

East Coast Railway

Deputation to Ministers ■ UNCOMPLETED LINES FIRST.” NON-COMMITTAL REPLIES. (Per Press Association) W elUngton, Sept. 11. A large deputation, representing the commercial and local interests in Wairoa, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay districts, waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister oi Public Works .today, with an appeal that the Government should speed up the construction of the Wairoa-Gisbome-Napier section of the East Coast railway, m accordance with promises said to have been previously made. Mr W. D. Lysnar, M.P., said it was definitely promised that after the Otira tunnei and the TTorth of Auckland railway, and other North Islahd construction work were attended 10, the Napier-Gisborne-Wairoa railway would be considered the most important work . That was said prior to the last election, and had been repeated since in the Railways Statement. The deputation did not wish to discuss the route, but only the principle of the work being commenced. The Hon. J. G. Coates said the request was quite a reasonable one, tat there was a question of finance. He was pleased that the route questuui had been submerged. To fhish the line to Wairoa would take six yeafs, and cost £250,000 a year. The department was anxious to draw up a pteg ram me of railway development sCnd e hoped to present that in Ms statement this session. Hw would not spy that other works should , take precedence. bat he believed, in the interests of the Dominion, that ottar uncompleted lines should be finished first. Work from the Napier end hfed been speeded up, and ne hoped To again allocate increased expenditure upon that work thia year. The ti&e would come when the? would be aftlu to make better progress. . Difficult country was being worked just now. Mr Massey said he rerogniaed the importance of the district from > producing point of view. However, various lines would be completed in order of Importance to the oounpy as a whole.