SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15168, 6 December 1912, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

CESSATION OF WORK. V AN ANSWER TO COMPLAINTS. i •' . ■ Pi [BT trlegbaph.— ASSOCIATION^] ' ■'; ' •, M ■ ■:''■'' , . ■-' '{■■■'■ i ' ' CHEIBTCHUBCH, Thuisday. i The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) passed through ChristchuTch "to-day to attend th*> function to be tendered to the Hon. James Allen at Law-reJiceJio-morrow evening. To a. Press representative ho referred.. to the dissatisfaction said to exist at Cheviot owing to the.cassation of. work at the southern <ud of the South Island Main Trunk line. Mr. Fraser said he had only given effect to hie statement in Parliament when the Public- Works Statement was under discussion. Work had oven been continued on the line for a longer period than originally stated. The cessation of work on several other lines in the Dominion was in pursuance of the Government's policy, that with the money available this financial year lees should bo spent on railway con- . $t£Bsiion_ jfg. der. that more should re spent on "roads and bridges. It was only 'a. temporary cessation for the present financial year. When he made the an- '. nouncement in the House members referred to the rich country between Parnassus and Kaikoura, and he had said that if the country were as rich as it was said to be. the Government ought to acquire it before the railway was made through it, and if it wero not, then there was no need for hurrying on with the construction of the

', Tho Minister was inclined to the belief that, a statement made in regard to the probable loss •on the work done on the South Island Main Trunk lino between Parnassus and Leader was simply made to induce the Government to spend additional money on the line this year. The portion, of the line referred to was put in hand' before tho present Government took office. Work' for some of the men formerly employed on this line: had been found on the Cas-s-Bcaley section of the Midland railway." Referring to the alleged hardships suffered by married men employed on the South Island Main Trunk line, who had sunk capital in building huts, Air. Eraser said he was afraid such hardships were inevitable, as permanent work could not be guaranteed on railway construction works. It was customary to slacken off in the summer months when there was plenty of country work available, and to provide work in winter when other work was not so-plentiful.