AFTER THE WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 111, 15 May 1942, Page 3

AFTER THE WAR

RAILWAY PROJECTS AID TO REHABILITATION WORK AT BONNY GLEN Wellington, May 13. New railway works which might be undertaken after the war as well as resumption work, and which would nrovide employment for railwaymen now on active service and also lor other ex-servicemen, were outlined to the Rehabilitation Board recently by the General Manager of Railways (.Mr. E. Casey). According lb the estimates given some of the projects would provide work for up to live years. Approximately 6000 New Zealand railwaymen are serving in the armed forces/ On being released from normal duty they were given an assurance that their positions would be kept open for them, their superannuation contributions would be paid by the Government, and that, they would retain their relative order ol eniority, provided their progress had been satisfactory up to the time they went away. Such is the general position regarding the rehabilitation of ralwaymen on war servee, hut many problems of organisation and training are involved in their absorption after a long period of being out of touch with pre-war occupations. The question of new works has also to be considered with a view to providing employment for other ex-servicemen. Mr. Casey gave the Rehabilitation Board a comi’rehensive statement on these matters when he outlined the department’s plans and constructive programme, subject to the supply of material and equipment. Mr. Casey said the civil engineering branch of the department had sup-plied the following impressive list of works which might be taken in post-war conditions— Resumption Work. AucklandFrankton duplication, occupying 250 men and taking six months; Bonny Glen grade easement, 50 men, li years; Christchurch new station and yard, 150 'men, 5 years; StillwaterDobson curve improvements, 40 men, 1 year; Sawyer’s Bay—Sr. Leonard’s duplication, 50 men, 1 year; Palmerston North deviation, 200 men, 3 years. New Work. North Auckland line, tween Morningside and Helensville, duplications and grade easements be--250 men, 2 years; Auckland goods shed extensions, 100 men. K years; Frankton Junction - Hamilton improvements, yard rearrangement, duplication, level crossing elimination, 350 men, 3 years; Stratford yard rearrangements, 100 men, 2 years; Tawa Flat-Longburn duplication, 500 men, 5 years; Oamaru-Dunedin grade easements, 200 men, 3 years; Invercargill, new locomotive depot, 100 men, 2 years; grade easements, curve improvements in various areas, 300 men, 5 years. Various Projects.—Station yard extensions, 200 mon, 5 years; houses foi staff, various localities, 100 men, years; relaying main line tracks in various localities, 150 men, 5 years; general maintenance work, 400 men, 5 years. On these estimates the total workers employed would be 3560. New works which, if approved, would bo undertaken by the Public Works Department, are the Auck-land-Morningside tunnel, and the Rimutaka tunnel. New Locomotives Among the principal manufacturing works that must be undertaken as early as possible in the post-war period are 10 main line locomotives lor the North Island and 35 for the South Island; also approximately 75 secondary locomotives (tank engines), 30 modern carriages, and 2000 wagons. The work on locomotives would employ 220 men for four years and 175 for four years thereafter. It. is estimated that an additional 700 men will be required to complete works which have been stopped because of shortage of staff and materials and other proposed works to cope with increasing traffic. A general discussion of Mr. Casey's comprehensive report showed that board members were pleased with the Railway Department’s effort to carry on under difficult circum.dances, and the programme of rehabilitation and post-war reconstruction was on sound lines. WANGAEHU DEVIATION DISCUSSED BY PATEA M.P. Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. for Patea, loses no opportunity of urging the •completion of the Wangaehu railway deviation, and he again brought this to the notice of the Government in last week’s debate. At long last, said Mr. Dickie, the great white elephant, the South Island main trunk, had been stopped, probably through shortage of material. In the North Island, however, work on a deviation which would shorten the line by four miles had ceased owing to lack of sleepers and rails. Completion of the WangaehuOkoia deviation would enable larger loads to be carried without extra locomotives. At present, heavy loads for Taranaki had to be broken up at Marton and re-marshalled in ordef to enable the trains to negotiate the Wangaehu grade. If the rails which were shipped south for the “white elephant” had been utilised for completing the Wangaehu deviation, the rails and sleepers from four miles which would be cut could be used elsewhere. The Minister of Defence: Has the hon. member ever considered the de-