EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14930, 1 March 1912, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

FIRST SOD AT WAIH'I END,

A DISCOURTEOUS MINISTER.

The fact that the construction of the East Coast railway from the Waihi end is to be formally inaugurated on March 11 was referred to in terms of gratification by the retiring president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Loo. M. Myers) in bis address at the annual meeting of the Chamber yesterday. Mr. G. L. Peacocke (chairman of the Auckland Railways League) also referred to the matter, and expressed a hope that as many people as possible will make a point of going to Waihi next Monday week to take, part in the ceremony of the turning'of the first sod.' A reply from the Public Works Department to the telegram sent to the Minister for Public Works on January 22 regarding the date of starting work at the Waihi end of the railway was received by the chairman of the Railways League (Mr. Peacocke) yesterday. ' When the telegram was sent over five weeks ago Mr. Peacocke received only a.bare acknowledgment of its receipt, without any reply to the inquiry. On February 15 Mr. Peacocke telegraphed to the Prime Minister on the subject, and although this telegram was (as already notified) then referred to the Minister, for Public Works, it was not till yesterday that Mr. McKenzie's reply came to hand, or several days after Mr. Poland, M.P., had informed the league that the first sod was to be turned on March 11. The reply from the Department, moreover, does not mention the date of the ceremony, but merely mentions " that arrangements are being made to commence tho work, which the Minister hopes to have put in hand within a fortnight from this date (February 27)." --:..'.,..'■■■■"'','.■, The characteristic lack of courtesy that the league has experienced at the hands of the present Minister for Public Works is resented by all .who have at heart the question of the pushing forward of the North Island railways, in which cause such yeoman service has been rendered by the Auckland Railways League. Tho officers of the Katikati Railway League, in a letter tp Mr. Peacocke on the subject, state,:— " We strongly deprecate the fact that your first telegram to the Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister for Public Works, met with such scant courtesy at his hands. We desire to express our indignation that the president of such an influential body as the Auckland Railways League should'be treated : with such apparent contempt by a.member of the Cabinet, when seeking information on a question of great public interest and importance."- ' " ;;v '' " * ' '