THE EAST COAST GAP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18025, 25 February 1922, Page 8

THE EAST COAST GAP.

While disposed to do his best to relieve whatever unemployment may arise in Waihi, tho Minister for Public Works has repeated his refusal to concentrate on the WaihiTauranga section of the East Coast railway. The Minister presents a plausible case for this decision, but his whole argument rests on the assumption that the activities of the Public Works Department cannot be increased. Concentration is, as the Minister contends, sound, and no one can reasonably question concentration upon a railway which will traverse such fertile country as that between Matata and Taneatua. There is the further argument that the Taneatua section is so far advanced that it would'not now be economical to transfer the plant to the Waihi section. But the Minister entirely overlooks the possibility of increasing the staff and the plant of his department to permit it undertaking the Waihi-Tauranga section without a slackening of effort toward Taneatua. Ever since the armistice Ministers have tickled the ears of the electors with the promise of an adequate publio works programme that will overtake the arrears of the war period. When is that programme to materialise ? There have been difficulties with respect to labour, materials, and money, but they have either passed or are rapidly passing. There is now no dearth of labour, materials are averagely as cheap as they are likely to be, and the money market is becoming inviting. The time is opportune for a material expansion of the publio works programme, and on do section may the department more safely concentrate than on that between Waihi and Tauranga. This is the king-pin of the whole East Coanfc system. Till it is constructed the other East Coast lines will be merely detached and local railways. When the connection is made they will become a main system and part of *he national railways. If the Minister is appalled at the prospect of finding £400,000 to close this gap let him reflect that between Waihi and Taneatua he has spent more than double that sum, and it will not earn full dividends till he finishes the connecting link.