NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15578, 7 October 1912, Page 3

NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

WHY THE WORKS WERE STOPPED,

WASTEFUL EXPENDITURE.

(FliOil Ollt OWS COIIIIESI'OSUKNTS.J

WELIiINGTON, October 6.

A number of wild rumours arc in circulation in the llawke.'s Bay district regarding the stoppage of the earthworks on the Niipier-tiisliiiriio railway, and Oppositionists arc endeavouring to make political capital out of the incident. Pressure is also being bought to bear upon the powers chat bo, but the Minister of Public Works is quite firm in the matter, and is resolved to put a stop to the present wasteful expenditure. Jl would be the easiest- thing in the world for the Reform Government to give way ami gain kudos locally by continuing the lino in the wasteful maimer in which it was started under the old regime, but it is not built that way, and the dominion as a whole, and eventually, no doubt, Hawke's Bay itself, will seo that the right thing i> being done. Various reasons for the stoppage of the earthworks have been given, and in order to set all doubts at rest I have interviewed the Minister un the subject. Mr Fraser stated that the sole reason fov the stoppage of the work was because it was a wasteful expenditure of money making earthworks that could not lie need until the bridge across the inner harbour was finished. The site of the bridge has not yet been decided upon, .neither has the nature of the bridge—whether it should lw a railway bridge or a- railway and trallic bridge—been settled. There are three parties to be consulted in this matter—the department, the Harbour Board, and the County Council. The lastnamed is anxious to have a. combined traffic and railway bridge. That point is yet to be decided, and also the quota to be paid by the County Council. If such a bridge is built then there is the question of embankments. The embankments to be made in connection with the bridge could lw so devised as to help the formation of an inner harbour, in which case the Harbour Board will have to he consulted both in regard to construction and the share of the cost. The bridge will probably have to be one that will allow craft to pass in and out of the inner harbour.

Tim statement made that over 100 men have already been discharged is incorrect. There are only 80 men on the works. Thirty were discharged last week. 30 will lie discharged this week, and the balance next week when the fciicing-iu of the. earthworks is completed. "That the line will he proceeded with from Napier northwards there is," added Mr Fraser, " not the slightest doubt, and there never has been tho slightest intention of altering the route. The route selected is the one chosen by the engineers, and it will be adhered to. The railway will be made, but it will be built on economical and not on wasteful lines.''