LYTTELTON TUNNEL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 69, 28 April 1914, Page 2

LYTTELTON TUNNEL.

ELECTRIFICATION PROPOSAL. CITY COUNCIL'S ACTION. MINISTER TO BE APPRO ACHED. A telegram from the Minister of Railways (Hon W. H. Herries); stating that he would be in Christchureh on May 12, was read at last evening's meeting of the City Council. The Mayor said that he had brought the matter before the council, because he wanted to know if the council, wished to appoint a deputation to wait on the Minister to urge the electrification of the Lyttelton tunnel. A deputation had waited on the Prime Minister in March of last year, but' so far no reply had been received. • ' Councillor Sorensen thought that a deputation ought to wait on the Minister. It was an oft-repeated story, and had been the subject of many deputations-, but they were told that:water, by constant dropping, Would f make a hole through a stone. They could not make such a request too often.Cr Hayward seconded the (motion. He thought that the council should take an active part in any movement which aimed at doing away with the : present out-of-date system, and the improvement of communication between the city and the port. - ■ : , Cr Loasby said that the deputation should also ask the Minister to reduce the tunnel rate. The tunnel had been paid for three or four times already. Cr Hunter said that the Christchureh people were, very quiet indeed. He hoped that the new deputation would carry more weight than the previous one/ The tunnel had been made a milch cow for the general Government. Auckland would have kicked until the Government did something. It did not say much for their members of Parliament that they had not made themselves more active in the House 011 this matter. The charges used to _be 011 Measurement, for cargo from ships, but it was altered to charge by weight. That practically left them in the same position as before. Weighing machines were put in, but the cost of weighing and the machines made the reduction comparatively trifling. Apparently it satisfied the people of Christchureh. Cr Hayward said that the people of Christchureh were not satisfied. Cr Hunter: They don't kick enough. Cr Hayward added that the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Association had agitated on this matter for years, but they had got no result. The Mayor suggested that the council should act in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Association. Cr Sorensen amended his motion in the direction indicated by the Mayor, and the motion was carried. Cr Sorensen said that one of the explanations given in the past why no reduction had been made was that | their members fell over one another to 1 vote for the past Government.