ADVERSE REPORT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 2 March 1934, Page 3

ADVERSE REPORT

ON CHRISTCHURCH SCHEMES. CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The Access to Sea Investigation Committee 'which was set up to investigate and report upon the rival schemes of a tunnel road through the hill to Lyttelton and a new port in the Sumner Estuary, sponsored by the Port Christchurch League, has completed its report. The committee urns set up as the outcome of a conference of representatives of local bodies' and other public organisations, called by the Mayor of Christchurch in August, 1933. The committee consisted of Professor Cull, Canterbury College School of Engineering: Messrs W. 11. Harris, engineer to the Waimakariri River Trust; J. W. Beanland, Christchurch City Council, representing local bodies; W. Machin, H. S. E. Turner and J. G.. Collins, repre ; senting business interests, and W. S. Newburgh, accountant. The committee was specially asked to consider whether either of the two enterprises would be justified as an outlet for unemployed labour. The committee states that it is unable to recommend either scheme, and does not find cither scheme justified on any grounds. It holds that the growth of the business of the port is insufficient to warrant the expenditure, and even assuming the work could be done by relief labour the saving in cost would not be great, as the labour cost in relation to the total cost would be smaller than the inexpert might suppose. — (P.A.)