COLOSSAL ERROR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19337, 29 May 1937, Page 4

COLOSSAL ERROR

STOPPAGE OF RAILWAY COST OF REORGANISATION DELAY IN COMPLETION "AN INCALCULABLE LOSS" \n incalculable loss suffered by Gisborne through the stoppage of the railway works in 1930'drew strong comment from the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semplc. in an interview to-day. These remarks supplemented reference which the Minister made to the railway question when he addressed a gathering in Te l'uia on Thursday night. He referred then to £B.COO.OCO Slaving been spent on eight railways which were m irogress when they were stopped and ,0' e3.C00.C00 having lieen paid in inter est. on that expenditure up to Marcll 31 last.

"No country in the world with the population the same size as New Zealand." Mr. Seniple said in the interview, "has had to face such a terrific I,ill. which represents one of the most, ■olossal blunders in history and for which our children and our children's •hildren will have to pay."

lie was incensed particularly over the •stoppage of the work on the Gisborne line, on which £3,500,000 had been spent already. The department was faced with a trcnendous additional cost, estimated at CICO.OOO, to put the work in the same condition as when it was stopped. Mater:al and plant had been sold, and a new irganisation had lo be prepared.

One instance of additional cost, was : n rails, which were sold from the works when the line was stopped at C 3 to £4 per ton. They cost ClB a ton to replace. "In addition to that." Mr! Seniple idded. "if the right thing bad been done, Gisborne would have had the service years ago. ami this Mast ('oast would have heen served by it years ago. This represents;! loss which no one can calculate."

Mr. S'cmple said he did not propose to visit the railway construction works hi his present tour, hut intended to return to the district a little later for that purpose.