THE OTIRA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10689, 8 September 1920, Page 4

THE OTIRA

When the Prime Minister referred the, other day to the Otira tunnel as ono of tho certainly profitable things jn the public works policy of New Zealand, ho said a thing perfeotly true. Tho statement, in fact, was an act of justice due to the tunnel project and to the" men who, many years ago, gavo that turn to railway development which made tho construction of the tunnol a necessity. This is part, of course, of an .old controversy, the controversy which for years besot railway extension in Westland, and was eventually extended to the project of joining the East and West Coasts of the South Island by railway. To that controversy it is no longer necessary to refer now. It is more useful to point out that to-day the West Coast system, with its addition of the old Midland 'Railway, is one of the best interest-payers, of the railway system Before the was it paid considerably over 3 per cent, on the cost of construction, and to-day it pays over 4 pays, in fact, almost, if not quite, all its charges. This group is, in fact, a live railway before a' single ton has been railed between tho two coastc. Tho tunnel is, of course, a huge work and costly. But it will carry a huge traffic in minerals and timber. As railway profits are due principally to goods,' and in a 6mall degree, even in populous countries, to passengers, it is fairly aafe to conclude that the tunnel will before long pay its charges. Mr Massey was, therefore, quite right in his statement of the profitable certainty of ..the much-diacuesed tunnel. Its construction has been long delayed. The .delay will stand.always as proof of the high order of the engineering and constructive talent which has been .fostered by the public works policy of this Dominion. The usefulness of the work will bo fully recognised when tho trains begin to run. Foriurialely,-. the .running is now not far off.