ORAWIA RAILWAY.

Western Star, 3 February 1922, Page 2

ORAWIA RAILWAY.

Tho Public Works Statement is not cheerful reading to residents of the i Orawia , district bo far as their railway is concerned. The paragraph dealing with this work says, “ Formation i B in hand over a length of 6 miles. Culverts are now complete to' tho 5-1-mile peg, and 124 chains of fencing were erected. The- permanent survey liars, been completed for a distance of about 8 miles to and including Orawia Station. It is doubtful if it will be possible to continue work ch this line unless the need of finding work for unemployed continues.” With new sawmills being erected and the pushing on of work at Monowai in connection with the electric power, there should not be many unemployed about. In that case the railway construction work will cease. This section of the Wairaki line was commenced about two yeans before the outbreak of the war. During the war all work was suspended, but it was distinctly undierstood that "when the ■ war was over the line would be pushed on rapidly to completion. Now its completion depends upon the number of unemployed. In other words, it is to become a contingent relief works. Work was commenced on another line in Otago last year, and the survey of a new I ”line was carried out with a view we presume, to construction. If the Minister’s policy is concentration. of effort, aB he says it is, .then the hew ventures should be held in abovauce, and the promise with regard to the" Orawia line redeemed). The Orawia section of this line should have been completed and open foi traffic this year-three years after the termination of the Avar.