MORNINGSIDE TUNNEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23109, 6 August 1938, Page 19

MORNINGSIDE TUNNEL

* INVESTIGATION URGED '"A NO REPLY FROM MINISTER Although the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, was 1 approached by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce nearly two years ago on the question of the prosecution of the Morningside tunnel scheme the chamber is still awaiting an indication from him of his intentions. The Minister is being pressed to notify the chamber of his decision. The deputation to Mr. Sullivan was made in conjunction with representatives of Auckland local bodies in September, 1936, and, as 110 reply was received as promised, several letters were addressed to him asking to he advised of the result of the -departmental investigation which the Minister had contemplated. It was not until the end of last month that a reply to the most recent of the letters,, was- received, from the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, acting 011 lpehalf of the Minister of Railways. In this it was stated that the Minister regretted that at present he was unable to give any definite indication as to when the report of the departmental committee was likely to be available. The department's principal technical officers had been closely engaged 011 other work which had been regarded as more urgent than the investigation of the suggested Morningside deviation, but the chamber could rest assured that the investigation would not be delayed any longer than was really necessary.

The chamber has this week again approached the Minister and in its letter has stated that., in view of the prosecution of railway improvement works in other parts of New Zealand, it is inconceivable that this matter should be hung up so long, as practically two years have' passed without a definite decision. The hope has been expressed that a reply might be received within a month.