LAST SPIKE DRIVEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23319, 1 October 1945, Page 4

LAST SPIKE DRIVEN

South Island Main Trunk Railway Completion Before Christmas (N.Z.P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 30. The ceremony of driving the last spike in the South Island main trunk railway was performed at Kaikoura yesterday by the Hon. R. Semple in the presence of a big crowd. The Minister, with Mr E. P. Meachen, M.P. for Marlborough, travelled from Picton in a special railcar. Before driving the spike Mr Semple said the people of Marlborough and Kaikoura had waited 40 years for tlite completion of the work, an historic event in New Zealand's progress. Like other great works commenced the trunk line had had to fight the opposition of pessimists —apostles of gloom who averred the line would never pay. Such sentiments did not help in the development of New Zealand. The present line, which was expected to be completed before the Christmas holidays, would open up huge stretches of country and would help drovers to get stock to markets without the risk of the long, dangerous journey by road. After 40 years the dreams of the people had come true. This was the fourth line that had been stopped by previous governments, and he had had the pleasure of driving the last spike in three of the lines and hoped to see the fourth completed. In the opening of the line Marlborough could look forward to a bright future. The work had been completed in the face of many difficulties. Slips had been expected but not to the extent that the heavy rains and snow and the worst winter for- 40 years had brought about. The work had been done during the period of the greatest war and the most severe snowstorms known to the majority. It was no easy engineering task to put tunnels through dangerous mountainous country, and the completion was a tribute to the ability of the engineers and the men who had given loval service. Mr Semple drove the spike and afterwards some of the men who had done the work manned the engine and drove it over the link that until Saturday had been missing in the main trunk line. Mr Meachen said that in the face of almost insurmountable difficulties a great work had been accomplished. Even when calls on the country for war had made a heavy drain on, manpower. the Minister had kept the workmoving. sometimes with only a skeleton staff. He congratulated the people on the completion of the work at a time when labour problems had presented many difficulties.