MAIN TRUNK LINES.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1923, Page 5

MAIN TRUNK LINES.

THE STRATFORD RAILWAY. MINISTER EXPLAINS POLICY. •SIX TO EIGHT YEARS’ WORK. “No pressure or agitation will influence me in my recommendation for expenditure,” said the Minister of Public Works and Railways to interviewers during his recent tour of Taranaki; and at Wellington on Tuesday he made a pronouncement in regard to the Government's policy towards filling the gaps of construction in the Main Trunk systems in New Zealand. Th© Hon. J. G. Coates, questioned on Tuesday by a representative of The Dominion, made the following pronouncement concerning the -Stratford to Main Trunk railway construction link, which had been the subject of deputations during his tour of the Taranaki district, from which he returned at the week-end. “The first point I wish to make clear,” said the Minister, “is that we propose to discuss the question of railway construction between Strafford and Tahora in the Public Works Statement, in an endeavour to indicate when the people concerned can expect the line to be put in hand; secondly, assuming the work to be put in hand, say, within the next year or so, what extent of progress may be made.

“The time has arrived when we have to consider what new works have to be undertaken, for the reason that the gaps we are concentrating on for the moment are closing up. In the Tara-naki-Main Trunk project we will push on from. the Ohura end to the Haco Valley, and then construct from Tahora to the Tangarakau River, a very heavy project .which will take about- two years to complete. “I am discussing the work entirely from the view point of a layman, not with engineering advice, which has not. yet been obtained. At the Tangarakau River, it appears to me that we will have to put our plant for compressors, for distributing electricity and power for the expected construction of the three tunnels, which are to total about two and a half miles —a construction work which I suggest would take about four years. Jigways will be necessary here for haulage to the farthest point of the construction from the Tangarakau ■River. The engineering survey is not yet complete, and I propose to have it put in hand at a convenient date, so that we will know exactly what work we will have ahead of ns. “As to when the work will be started, I repeat that we cannot give an indication. The matter will be fully discussed in the Public Works Statement. The total construction I estimate will take from six to eight years.” The Minister’s attention was drawn to the? decision of the conference of local authorities held in Dargarville last week, and its decision to send a delegation to Wellington to urge the Government to proceed with the link from the Main Trunk line and the Kaihu line at Dargarville.

“The question of railway authorise tions for new lines will be duly considered,” he said.