The Otira Tunnel.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16160, 14 March 1918, Page 6

The Otira Tunnel.

Tho Arthur's Pass Tunnel Leaguo is going about its business with far more deliberation than anybody expectod. We had hoped that by now tho League would have had its donutation in Wellington, but apparently tho Government will i}ot be approached until the Minister of Public Works conies to Christchurch to listen to -what the Leaguo has to 6ay, about the end of this month. Hasty and ill-considered action in this matter, as in any other matter, would do more harm than good, but Canterbury and , Westland, if they move after thirty years of deliberation and intermittent protest, can surely do so without fearing that they may bo, or may seom to be, displaying a dangerous rashness and precipitation. Perhaps tho League feels that if it goes very softly it will not bring Auckland roaring from its lair, threatening "frightfulness" in those fortissimo accents which, acquired in its days of adversity, it has not learned to modify in getting on in the world. If tho League hopes that it can by any means soften tho hostility of Auckland, it is making a sad error. Auckland's hostility to anything that is not directly for the advantage of Auckland is

always assured. One of tlio Auckland papers lately xtiade.this plain in article which professes to be based on "first- " hand knowledge that the line • will "not pay." We need hardly say that of tlio evidonce of this first-hand knowledge there is not a trace in the Auckland paper's article. At least, so it would appear to anyone outsido Auckland, though we can well believe that with Aucklanders an assurance, given on first-hand information, that tho Otira tunnel is not in the Auckland province is conclusive against all other facts. Auckland, we gather, is "watching" what is going on in Canterbury, and Auckland is shocked at the indecorous and unusual spectacle of a southern provinco actually holding meotings and forming a League with the object of putting its claims before the ment. Pondering upon this horrid and unprecedented conduct on the part of people south of the kauri lino, the Auckland paper can find no explanation for it except that the people of Canterbury and Westland, unhappy creatures, have been inspired to try their luck by the succoss of the earlyclosing agitation! As we have put it, it might appear that this is an Auckland jest, but the suggestion was made in all seriousness, for Auckland is incapable- of being otherwise than serious when money or aid for anothor provinco is being asked for. This northern surprise and indignation have their origin in the samo sort of tribal egoism that left Germany astounded and indignant when bombs fell on Mannheim, and, earlier, when Sir John French first used gas. Ono would suppose that Auckland had never formed a League, had never been guilty of a railway agitation, had never organisod with the watchword of Auckland contra munduni. One Auckland paper was agitating for tlio final and complete abandonment of the Otira tunnel long before Canterbury had begun to think of protesting against the injustice it has been suffering. Wo need not make any further reference to the Auckland newspaper's article other than to say that it claims preference for allVlie Auckland Jines, and threatens "counter-measures" if anyone dares to claim that the Midland Railway project shall receive more than the leavings from Auckland's table. In the meantime, tho Arthur's Pass

Tunnel League is, we hope, giving careful attention to the labour problem. It cannot be admitted that thero is any obligation upon the League, or unon tho public of Canterbury, to find the labour which the Minister says will be used if it can be obtained. That is the Government's business, although tho League may very properly give .the Minister any assistance that it can in this matter. If tho reason for the alleged shortago of labour for the tunnel is the inadequacy of the pay allotted for tho specially difficult work of tho men at the headings, nothing that tho League can do is likely to help the Department. The Minister lately made a statoment "which appeared to mean that ho had no intention of paying more than the ordinary labourer's wages in any case, whatever the nature of tho work done might be. If he has not been misunderstood, and if tho work in the tunnel is not such as men will seek unless it is better rewarded, then we think that tho Leaguo will accomplish very little indeed. The duty of the Govornment is to make the arrangements—whatcvor they may amount to—necessary to secure the early completion of the line, and the duty of the League is to see that that, and that only, is the point, and to stick to it.