STRATFORD MAIN TRUNK

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 70, 4 August 1927, Page 5

STRATFORD MAIN TRUNK

CALL FOR WORK TO BE EXPEDITED. QUARTER-MILLION VOTE TO BE A ski; I) FOR. VIEWS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Prior to the opening of the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last night members sat in conference with Mr 11. V. Kay, representing the Progress League.

The chairman of the Chamber (Mr J. 13. Richards) explained that it had been agreed that when anything was done in reference to the railway the League and Chamber should act together. As he had intended bringing up the question of the raliway at that night'g meeting he had rung up the League secretary (Mr A. J. Barr) asking that a member of the League should attend the meeting. As a consequence Mr (ivay had attended. Mr Richards went on to say that very soon the Estimates would be framed and the time was opportune for an expression of opinion as to how much money should he allocated for the work. He thought the question should be considered of urging the Government to proceed 'with construction from the other end at a greater rate. A sum of £IBO,OOO had been allocated last year. ;j !*. WORK ON EAST END.

Hitherto the Chamber had been most anxious that the work at the tunnels should be tackled in a more comprehensive and energetic manner. He thought the time had now arrived when they should ask the Government to take steps to speed up construction from the other end as well. As a result of the visit of members to the railway works last summer they pretty well knew the position. The inspection showed that the work was proceeding as expeditiously as may he. When members were out there work was proceeding on the first tunnel. This was now about half way through, and it was being worked from one end. Then there was a big gorge to get over, which would have to be filled up. In order to allow work to proceed on the second tunnel a firestlq bridge over the gorge, and work had been begun on both ends of the second funnel. It might almost be said that work on the third tunnel had been commenced, though what had been done was only approach work and not tunnelling. Work on the three tunnels was proceeding at a fairly rapid rate, but it was absolutely necessary that there should be no lack of funds to keep this work going at least as fast as had been The case in the past. He hoped (lie work would go on even faster, and that work would proceed at four tunnel faces.

A VOTE OF £250,000. There was another tunnel of about forty chainst and it looked as if the best way to get that completed was to approach it from the other end His own idea was that they s hould ask for a sum of £250,000 to be k put on the Estimates this year. His reason for this was that last year £330 000 was allocated for the Nap-ier-northward railway and £290,000 for the Gisborne-northward railway. He certainly thought that the East railway was of at least equal importance to those lines, and the amount of money already invested in it was a Very good reason why the Government should expedite completion. On the basis of last year's votes for those Hues he I bought £250,000 was not too much to ask. Last year £IBO,OOO was allotted for the East line, and perhaps the allocation was expended to tne full More money would be required this year. More progress would be made this year than last year for the same expenditure. There would not be the purchase of machinery this year, and the bulk of i the money would be available for I actual work. If the Public Works Department could economically spend £90,000 when they were working at practically only one face, they would need more money when they were working on four faces If £125,000 was required for this end, the same amount would be wanted at the other end.

THE FOURTH TUNNEL. Work should be gone on with, so that the whole could be linked up. One of the difficulties which would arise would be the difference of opinion over trie route, but the Chamber would not intrude into that question. What they were agitating for was to get the railway put through as expeditiously as possible. Mr P Thomson asked how far it was from the fourth tunnel to the end of the work on the other end. Mr W. L. Kennedy said it was about, fifteen miles. Mr Richards said if would be possible for the Department to adopt the same plan of work in connection with the fourth tunnel as had been done a t this end. From Tahora to the'Flat they had not, formed the railway so far. it would be possible to do a sort of partml formation which would come in later on and give access to this tunnel. Mr Thomson: Would it involve the construction of another township? Mr Richards: Yes: Mr Thomson: Then it would mean expenditure on further machinery. Mr Richards: Not to the same extent as for the present, work. Mr Thomson: Would they agree to this expenditure on the last tunnel? CHANGED PLAN NEEDED. Mr Richards said that if some change was not made then it could

be said that the tunnel would holu \ up Lie wnoie work. He believed it wag comparatively easy lonnaiion at the Oliuru enu. lie would move mat the Minister be urged to place a sum ot at least iiiuO.uuo on Hie iiiSuinaies wan a view to maintaining progress on the present unmet worii at, iungarakau and speeding up constructional wont from tne east end. They had maue similar representauons m the past, out particularly wanted to have, it on record at tne present time. Mr Kay seconded. He said that tile League had not recently discussed liie amount which should be placed on the Estimates tor the current year; but he thought lie could safely say that the League still neld tlie opinion it had expressed dast year—that the amount should lie considerably increased so that the work at each end could be pushed forward. He did not know jhat. the League had any particular sum in view, but he thought they would regard the sum mentioned in the resolution as the minimum. The railway was now at such a stage that it must be joined up to become economic. if too much attention was given to this end, when the time came for finishing up, the Department would find if had a lot of leeway to make up. Much work was needed on the rough country at this end, but there wa s no reason why the Department should not get along with the comparatively simple work at the other end. He felt sure the League would support a resolution on the lines of the one now moved. Perhaps, however, they might alter the amount. The motion was carried.