RAILWAY GAP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 80, 29 May 1946, Page 5

RAILWAY GAP

AGITATION RENEWED HIGHER PRIORITY URGED At the meeting of the Opotiki Chamber of Commerce held last week, mention was again made of the Government’s promise to close the railway gap between Taneatua and Motuhora. The secretary, Mr W. Hislop, said that he had noticed that Mr Semple had a 5 or 10-year plan and was collecting engineers to go on with the plan in Auckland. The chamber should keep on hammering for the railway. Mr J. D. Clark said that plaps had been put forward in various cities while the East Coast railway had been quietly shoved aside. He considered the excuse for the line not being started was very lame. On the motion of Mr C. Gordon it. was decided to write and send an urgent telegram to the minister asking when a start would be made on closing the gap. The following letter has since been forwarded by the secretary of the chamber to the Minister of Works, Wellington:—

“At the monthly meeting of my chamber I was instructed to again write to you urging that a start be made in the completion of this important link in the Dominion’s railway system. “Members appreciate the difficulties mentioned by you in your letter to the chamber on the 2nd ultimo, but assumed from your statement ‘the great demand for staff to undertake surveys of work assessed high in priority by the Minister of Works has meant that all available staff is fully occupied,’ that this important work has been placed gs a secondary undertaking. “I am directed to point out that the facts placed before you by the deputation which met you in September last, show that the completion of this gap in the railway system is of high national importance in primary production. “From newspaper reports it would appear that staffs are being assembled to proceed with the schemes set out to cope with traffic problems in Auckland and Wellington, but my chamber contends that the completion of the railway gap, which will give a great impetus to primary production, should have higher priority than such schemes. , “My chamber trusts accordingiy that the many promises to have this important work completed, will be honoured, and that an early start with the work will be made.”