EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1628, 20 December 1912, Page 4

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

HA#riN"GS.AND THE ROUTE.

(By Tolezraph.-I'resj Ailoclation.) Hastings, December 10. The Minister for Publii, Wefts (the Hon. W. Frwjer) created a' very favourable impression when ho met tho Hasfc. injpi Chamber of Commerce in an informal discussion on railway matters last evening. /T,e clearness with which he stated, his views, the business-iike grip of matters of national polisy, tho entire absence of jiumbus, and other arts of the political diplomat were strongly appreciated by lecßl business men.

In introducing the Minister, the pressdent of the chamber (Mr. Ji H. Williams) referred io the Kr.st Coast railway, and expressed a wish that the question, of lie route would not bo raised; This matter is, however, of 9uch burning interest among the public men of Hastings that it could not be ignored, and speaker after "speaker expressed dissatisfaction with the route alonj; the Petane beAch, The feeling was that it would be better to consider the -fctfl.COO already «pent on this route as absolutely lost rather than continue alon,? a line that would, it wae claimed, involve still gTeater loss. The Minister made it clear that he intended to ;ct upon the advice of hie engineers in this connection. It w? claimed by local speakers that the particular route advocated, via Puketapii and Patoka, has nei-er been reported, on by the Government engineers. The Chief Engineer, Mr. Holmes, was present, and a reference to a map produced by him showed several routes marked ont that had been surveyed, but the special routa advocated by Mr. Eustace Lane and others had not l«a traveried by the surveyors. The nearest survey to this line had been rejected on account of it 3 circuitous nature and the expense of traversing a ranfje of monntaine, and in the informal discussion which took place it seemed (hat the survey had been allowed to obscure the isspe in regard to the Puketapu route. This is Etated ta traverse first-class country, and to con> tain .no serious engineering obstacles. It appeared evident, however, that the Government Chief Engineer is strongly averse to any further investigation, and under the circumstances it appeared problematical whether the Government will give what the Hastings people are asking for, namely, a fiesh inquiry into the roate qnestion with special reference to the Taradale-Puketepn-Patoka ronte.-