TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

Press, Volume L, Issue 14971, 19 May 1914, Page 10

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

Sir, —It is, I know,, a hopeless business to attempt to carry on an argument with the editor: of a newspaper, as he is always able to have the last words. Still, I venture to criticise some of the statements in an article in this morning's "Press" on the above subject. The estimated heavy cost of electrification is very largely made up, as I expected, by the cost of rolling :Stock. but surely it is as unreasonable to add this expenditure to. the cost of construction, as it would have been to have debited the original cost of the tunnel with the price of the locomotives, trucks, and carriages to be used for traffic after. the tunnel was completed.

Again, why should it be necessary to provide for the running of trains by electric power all the way from Lytteiton to Christchuroh? If one electric locomotive were continuously running through the tunnel,, it could haul eighty or ninety trains in the twentyfour hours. All that would he necessary would be that trains, whether passenger or freight, should be ready at either end for the passage through. All shunting and making-up of trains would of necessity be done as at present by steam power; the delay caused by change from steam to electric power would not entail any more delay than now takes place at either end. Possibly experts will place mc with a certain class of persons who "rush in where (electric) - angels fear to tread," but until I am shown thnt I am wrong I shall continue to hold the opinion that the electrification would be not only much more desirable, but much less expensive than duplicating the tunnel. I think that if tenders were now called for the latter work, they would very much exceed £80,000—Yours, etc., W.G.B.