PREMIER ON RAILWAY GAP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 18 July 1924, Page 4

PREMIER ON RAILWAY GAP

TARANAKI-AUCKLAND LINE

REPLY TO DEPUTATION lUnitcd Press Association.) ( WELLINGTON, July 17 Every loca.l body in Taranaki was represented on a deputation to Mr Massey and Mr Coates to-day, which urged the completion of the Taranaki;Auckland railway,by..the.connection of the 34 mile gap between (Stratford and Okuhukura. Mr Coates, in reply, said £447,000 had been spent up to June last on the western end of the line and another £IQO,OOO would complete it to Aliura. After that the cost of completion would be a' million. There was very heavy tunnelling to be done. He could not say anything about expediting the work as that depended on other works in hand. However, the railway was necessary and must take its order of completion. It was one of tlie most important lines. Mr Massey said the country could nok afford to allow a gap of 34 miles in what was really a main trunk line, An important feature of the completion of the line was the linking up of two great provinces. He was not in a position; to make iuiy promises and neither was the Minister of Public Works, but the gap could not be allowed to remain. It was a matter of finance, and at present they had even more urgent purposes to finance in the way of construction.