SOUTHERN RAILWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19252, 16 August 1924, Page 2

SOUTHERN RAILWAYS.

CONNECTING LINKS. GLENHOPE-INANGAHUA LINE. (From Ouu Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 14. A deputation of West Coast members of Parliament waited upon the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works today, and urged the more speedy prosecution of the Glcnhope-lnangahua railway, and the railway through 1 to 'Westport. Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P., said he was present mainly in the interests of those who wanted the extension to Murchison. There were about 27 miles to be done, of which five miles were almost formed. The last vote was £30,000, and there were now only about 100 men employed, which was playing with a big undertaking. Mr H. A. Atmoro, M.P., said that £50,000 would not make many miles of the line, if it would make even a mile. The original agitation for the construction of the line came from Nelson, and the line was part of the main line right through to Bluff. The Nelson people were also keen on the line through to Westport. Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., gave general support to the proposals made by the deputation. It was generally admitted, he said, that the South Island railway system would not be anything like complete until the gap was filled. He was there to speak more particularly in connection with the Westport-Inangahua Junction section. The people on the Coast appreciated very much what had already been done. The work was proceeding as far out as Cascade Creek, where a co-operative company was getting coal out. Farther on were the coal mines at Burleys, in the Buller Gorge, where there was a vast amount of coal. A seam of good household coal over 20ft thick was within sight. As soon as the line reached Cascade Creek it would be carrying coal which would pay well. Everyone realised that the lino had to be completed. It was part of the policy of the country. The only question was how soon the work should be done. The sooner it was completed the sooner the line would be earning interest on the money spent on it.

The Hons. W. W. Snodgrass and W. H. M ; -.ntyre and Mr J. O’Brien also spoke. The Hon. Mr Coates said the distance between Nelson and Murchison was 84 miles, and there were still about 25 miles of the line to be completed at an estimated cost of £450,000. There was no difficulty in the work as far as Murchison. ite pointed out that the line had not yet been authorised for the full distance, but only to the 75 mile peg. There was, however, plenty to go with. The proposal, however, was not attractive from a paying point of view. One could not get enthusiastic about the prospects. Mr Hudson: But it runs to a dead end now.

Mr Coates: It will still run to a don end. To go on to Inangahua will cost over £1,000,000 beyond the £450,000. At present, he continued, the Urovemment had gangs of surveyors locating both these lines. It was important to have proper surveys. The experience of the Department in one or two cases was that by going to an expense of £4OOO or £SOOO for a proper survey as much as £120,000 had been saved in the works. The Government’s heaviest expenditure on railways was now concentrated on filling the gaps, mostly in the North Island, and it would not pay the country to stop these works now as there was a big Joss on capital lying idle. He proposed to put a vote on the Estimates for both the works mentioned by the deputation. Mr Massey said it was almost a matter of form coming to him. He was glad to hear that although the progress had been slow, there had been progress' with these works. Personally he thought that both would have to be completed. There was no serious difficulty as far as Murchison, but after that he could not say that there was no difficulty. He was aware of the fact that there were enormous supplies of coal in the Buller Gorge, which it was necessary to tap as soon as possible. As a coal line that line might pay. He thought it would. It would solve the difficulty of providing sufficient coal for the dominion. There were deposits that would last for centuries. Ho could not promise the deputation anything definite at the moment, but votes would be placed on the Estimates for both works.