RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13264, 19 April 1907, Page 5

RAILWAY EXTENSION.

GORE-WAIKAKA LINE. Per Press Association. GORE, April 18. The Acting-Premier, the Hon: W. HallJones, turned the'first socj of th\ Gore 1 - Waikaka railway to-day in t'he presence of a lai-ge gathering of district residents. The Minister, in the. course of a speech, stated that he had received intimation "that the £50,000 necessary . for the construction of the line had'been paid into the Public Works Fund the previous day, and as the men were available, the line would be pushed to completion without delay. The railway, which is being constructed on the same principle as the Paeroa-Waihi line, will run for a distance of 12 miles up the Waikaka valley, and' will junction with the main line, three miles above Gore. It is understood that a gang of 80 men, thrown idle by the stoppage of the Otago Central line at Clyde, will be put on the Waikaka, branch within a fortnight, and although, the Minister did not definitely promise, he suggested that it would be completed within 15 or 18 months. The Minister : was afterwards entertained at a. luncheon at which the district M.H.R.'s were .present. He left for Dunedin by special train, at 5 o'clock.