RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17178, 4 June 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

AUCKLAND DEVIATION.

DEPARTMENT'S DIFFICULTIES.

LABOUR AND MATERIAL-

Speaking in. Wellington recently, the Minister for Railways, the Hon. W. E Herries, said the Railway Department's 1914 construction programme, for which £3.500,000 had been voted, would be pro. ceeded with as soon as labour and material were available. Questioned on the subject last evening, Mr. Herries said the programme would be carried out to its fullest extent, but the rate of the work would be determined by the supply of labour and material. This programme, as far as Auckland was concerned, included the deviation of the main line round Campbell's Point and through Panmure to the present trunk line, th« erection of a new railway station and goods sheds, and the laying out of the different yards. The reclamation work necessary had already been carried out, besides the erection of the locomotiva sheds. All the preliminary work had been completed, and tho Department was merely waiting for the labour and material. There would be no delay in making a start with the work if, through the Repatriation Board and other channels, men coula be found. In respect to the supply of material, the Minister stated that tho chief difficulty was that of shipping. Rails had been ordered from Australia, but so far they had not been able to secure shipping space because all available tonnage was being used for the transport of coal