EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17881, 8 September 1921, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

MORE PROGRESS WANTED*

DISTRICT'S STRONG CLAIMS.

LINKING WITH MAIN SYSTEM fBT TELEGRAPH OWN COKBESPONDENT.]

TATTKANGA, Wednesday. The importance of the East Coast railway and the necessity for accelerating its construction were emphasised by a deputation that waited on Sir William Hemes last evening.

Colonel G. A. Ward asked Mr. Herries to use his services in pushing on the construction of the railway in the interests of the whole of the Bay of Plenty. They were still languishing in the bay for the want of communication. The Minister for Public Works had been asked to visit the district and see their disabilities for himself. The Minister had placed this railway third on the list of important lines. He maintained that it should be at the top of the list. The recent census had thrown a startling light on the progress of the Bay of Plenty. It revealed that during the last quinquennial period the population of the district had increased by 36 per cent., and no other part of the dominion had shown such an increase. The railway, therefore, should be at the top of the list. They asked Mr. Herries to assist in Parliament and in the Cabinet in the direction of urging the linking up at the earliest moment of the Bay of Plenty with the railway system of the Dominion. The bridge across the Tanranga harbour was essential, and the railway should be pushed on rapidly to Waihi.

The Waihi-Tanianga Section. Mr. J. S. Thompson, representing the Otumoetai branch of the Farmers' Union, said the Bay of Plenty was the most orogreasive part of New Zealand, and a. the same time wag the most isolated. He felt the Government could, and should, give more consideration to the Bay of Plenty. He ssked Sir William to do his utmost to relieve the present isolation of the district and to exert his energies in getting the railway pushed on from Opotiki to Tauranga and from Tauranga to Waihi.

Mr. H. A. Sharp said as citizens of Tauranga they wanted the railway bridge across the harbour completed. He asked Sir William Herries to look into the matter m Wellington and to urge that the work should be expedited. They wished to see the line pushed on to Waihi, and also to Opotiki. Until the line wa s connected up from Waihi to Tauranga it *™ Jd J?ot pay interest. The connection with Waihi was essential for the whole coast.

Sir William Herries said he was ex-! ceedingly pleased to hear Colonel Ward ! say that the matter must be looked at; as a Bay of Plenty proposition. He not! only looked upon the railway as a Bay of plenty line but looked to its continuance to (jisborne, and thence to NaDier In his administration of native lands he was continually endeavouring to buy native blocks wherever the East Coast railway traversed, and the reproach could not be laid at the doo r 0 f the present Government that it had constructed that railway and then had to buy native lands. Having been absent for some sir or seven months, he was not quite familiar with what had been taking place du:ng that time. He gathered, however, that Mr Dyson, officer in charge of public works at Tauranga, was most energetic, and seemed as far as possible to be pushing on the work. When he reached Welnrgi?n he asked the Master f °r Public Works the position regarding the railway and the bridge, and was informed that the ironwork for the bridge was being pushed on as fast as possible.

Utmost Support Promised. The Minister said he agreed that t&e completion of the earthworks to Waihi was most important, but there was another important matter from the colonial point of view that should not be overlooked by the Tauranga Railway Leagu", and that was the Paeroa-Pokeno lire. He regarded tfhat line as one of the key positions of the East Coast railway. He" would do his utmost to secure as large a vote as possible for the railway to Waihi and for the bridge, and would also strongly support the extension of the line beyond Taneatua. He did not know how far the expenditure of the amount voted had gone. He hoped the amount had been fully spent. " J On his return to Wellington be would inform Mr. Coates it was strongly desired that he should visit Tauranga as soon as possible.

Mr. F. N. Christiansen urged that the contract system should he adopted in con nection with the building of railways. He would like to see tenders called for the section of railway from Tauranga to Waihi. If such tenders were called they woulj have contractors from Canada, Australia and England.

Sir William Herries replied that the system urged would mean a reversal of the policy to which the country had adhered for many veal's. There would be no difficulty in getting tenders. If the mercantile people, the farmers' unions, and others advocated a reversal of the present policy the Government might test the feeling of the House on the subject. There would be difficulty under large con tracts in finding work for unemployed.