The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1918. THE OTIRA TUNNEL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9900, 20 February 1918, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1918. THE OTIRA TUNNEL

The Otira tunnel, mentioned during the Wellington North by-oloction, is the greatest engineering work in the Dominion, and ranks higher in point of mileage than anything in Australia or the Americas, coming next in importance to the great Alpine tunnels of Europe. Sentimentally—and sentiment is very valuable to a nation the work has a special appropriateness of its own, because the self-reliant spirit of Neiw Zealanders, which fifty-two years ago completed the Lyttelton* tunnel, then the. longest south of the Line, has now nearly completed this great work at the Otira. By the way, it should not be forgotten that the initiative in both oases came from the people of Canterbury—the first in the heyday of the Provincial system, the second about eight years after the abolition of the provinces. The spirit was shown in the first by tho majority of a population of about 8000, long before anyone was bold enough to devise the celebrated system of public works and immigration which, with all tho faults of its story, has justified itself splendidly by the great development it has given to tho resources of the Dominion. On that first occasion the inception of the groat work was preceded by a long and desperate political struggle, which made and unmade Provincial Governments and swayed tho elections of Superintendents, and but for the fortunate presence in New Zealand of the accomplished geologist, the late Sir Julius von Haast, would have failed to effect its abject. The political victory was followed by tho refusal of a great English contracting firm to undertake the work, their engineer having condemned it as too costly. At this critical moment young von Haast appeared on tho scene with a remarkable report on the resources and geology of the Province of Nelson. His services being enlisted, he discovered the true geological character of tho hill to. he pierced, and reported favourably. The construction verified his report, and tho tunnel justified itself in due course, its history giving valuable help to the proposers of the big public works policy which Parliament sanctioned some four years after its completion. Mindful of this success the people of Canterbury raised an agitation for tho construction of the railway to join the

counties on either side of the dividing range, of which the main feature was this tunnel of the Otira. The struggle this time extended all over the Dominion, swayed the fortunes of Ministries, and ended in victory. Thirty years have passed—a period far longer than was originally contemplated—and the tunnel is now within easy distance of completion. The great political battle was waged with opposing theories. One con ' demrod the project as wildly chimerical, as wicked, as certain never to pay for the grease of the wheels, and wont even so far as to declare the .work impossible, owing to the unstable character of the country. The other was founded on the basis of a traffic in minerals and timber, supported by elaborate and very hopeful estimates. The engineering difficulties were made light of, and tho supporters of the railway gambled on various projects with and without tunnels until sufficient expert support was obtained. After h desperate struggle Parliament sanctioned the committal of the project to private enterprise, and the Midland Railway Company took it in hand, supported by various concessions. It began operations on the West Coast, ultimately joining Reefton with the western system, and building the railway to tho Otira, or near it. It also, made headway with a line on the east of tho range, connecting with the Southern Trunk system. In tho construction of these lines, which, was solid and good, the company’s engineers solved all tho difficulties of the terrain, the modo of joining tho eastern and western ends being left for further consideration. On its aide the Government went on with the western railway system, connecting Greymoutb with Hokitika, and extending to Ross. After these operations had been going on some years, the company found the work beyond its power, and the Government, after considerable negotiations and a celebrated suit in arbitration, took it over. By that time it had become well understood that the levels selected by the Midland constructors would necessitate a tunnel of greater length than, originally contemplated—the consequence of the method of avoiding the difficulties of the terrain. Expert opinion was consulted, and the tunnel of five miles was decided' on, with a grade conforming to the easy grades adopted by the Midland constructors, and a Dominion firm undertook to put it through the hill; the Government contimling tho line construction on either side. Eventually the Government had to take over the tunnel construction also, and the tunnel is, as we have said, within easy distance of completion. . At this point the theories come in sight once more, opinions for and against being sharply divided still. Wo have, however, some data to guide us—a fortunate thing, for the Dominion, is committed to tho completion of the work.. Tho last Railway Statement supplies the data. These give the cost of tho opon lines of the western system —not including the Westport section, which, with its annual profit of £lO 8s 3d per cent., is the best paying section'of all the New Zealand railways—at £2,075,317, retiming a net profit, not including interest'payi ment, of £3 Is per cent., from a not revenue of £63,341. The cost of the unopened lines of the western system is given at £644,000; and we have to estimate what it will cost to finish those and the tunnel. If we place that at £356,000, we shall not, wo think, he far out. In that case there will he an additional million on which to pay interest. If the estimate is correct, the railway project after the connection through the tunnel is established between. the eastern and western systems, will have to justify itself. To do that it meed not be asked to do more than pay 3 per cent, on this new million, for that is what the western system pays. A net revenue of £30,000 a year would do that. Now, with a tunnel of level grade, and worked hy electricity, there will ho no addition to working expenses. That trouble is clearly eliminated —one of the gravest it was in the battle of theories. Now, is it reasonable to expect the mineral and timber traffic sure to he carried through tho tunnel to contribute this £30,000, less than half of the net revenue of the existing western systems? That it is eminently reasonable goes without saying. In the future there, is, the certainty of linking up with the Westport section, with its large power as a feeder, and there is the chance of tho growing earnings of the western system, which must be reflected in the eastern. It is plain, therefore, that i the piercing of the range by the tunnel, and the whole great railway project, so hardily contested in the middle ’eighties, is within measurable distance of ’ justification by results. Anyone who decries the completion of the Otira tunnel convicts himself of not having studied the question as it ought to he studied.