THE DEVIATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 194, 17 July 1937, Page 2

THE DEVIATION

CONFLICTING REPORTS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Enquiries were made by Mr J. Hodgens, M.P., when lie was in Wellington, yesterday, as to tho statement reported to have been made recently by the Minister of Railways (Hon. I). G. Sullivan), at Wniroa. that £IOO,OOO had been allocated “for the Palmerston North deviation.” In view of the visit to the city recently of the aetingMinister of labour (Hon. P. C. Webb) for the purpose of arranging for further means of employment, the question of the deviation had assumed added importance from that point of view.

“Although I was not able to see the Minister himself owing to his absence from Wellington, discussions T had with a highly placed member of the Minister’s personal staff make me wonder,” said Air llodgens to a “Standard” reporter this morning. ‘ deviation work would have to lie idgeted for and no provision has been made on the Estimates for it. It would have to be approved by Cabinet anyway. It is possible that the Minister’s statement •referred to the work being carried on at Kaknriki or at Turakina, where there are large deviations in hand to ease the grades." It will be recalled that when the Minister of Railways was on his way to Wairoa he was interviewed by the “Standard.” The Minister then stated that the departmental experts had been engaged on the compilation of exhaustive reports on the matter of accommodation for the railway, at either the present site or at Milson. “We now have the reports,” the Minister said on that occasion when asked if Cabinet was awaiting the return of the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) from England before reaching a decision on the matter. “1 want a full Cabinet meeting, and when the time comes the subject will he discussed.” When invited to give an indication of the possible date of consideration being given to the shifting of the railway to Milson or not. the Minister then said he could not do that. In his statement nt Wairoa the Minister gave an outline of the increase in business offering for the department, and the report of his-remarks stated: “These indications of improvement gave every encouragement to the Government in its railway development policy, said Air Sullivan, "and furnished a further reason for adopting the department’s £3.000.000 programme of new works, renewals and replacements for the current financial year. Included in this programme were the following major works required for necessary improvements: The Turakma-Okoia deviation. £18,000; the Wellington station buildings and yard. £139,000; the Palmerston North deviation, £IOO 000.”

It is thus seen that the Alinister included the Turakina deviation in the schedule but, on his previous statement, no decision would he arrived at in regard to the Alilson deviation until a full meeting of Cabinet had considered the subject. When speaking to-day, Air Hodgens said he had been keeping in very close touch with the Alinister over the deviation, and the Alinister’s attitude made him certain that if and when any decision was arrived at he would be the first person advised as the representative of the Government in the area concerned.