EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 6

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

WORK TO RESUME. A .FAIR VOTE TO BE GIVEN. Tho question of provifion being made this year for the recommencement of tho Waihi-Tauranga section of tho East Coast railway was put before tho Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massoy) and tho Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Eraser) by a deputation of Auckland members yesterday. Mr. H. Poland (Ohinomuri) said that the deputation desired that a reasonable sum should bo placed upon the Estimates' for tho prosecution of the 'Waihi-Tau-ranga section of the railway as an integ-' ral portion of a national work. Ho pointed out that tho section was authorised bv the Ward Government in 1911, and tfiat a sum of JJ15.000 was voted that year for this section. Tho work was started in March, 1912, but after about .£SOOO had been expended work was stopped. The starting of work at the Wnihi ond of the line must commend itself from every point of viow. A National Lino. Mr. A. M. Myers (Auckland East) said that the Prinio Minister, as an Auckland member, would bo already fully seized of tho importance of this work from a national point of view, und tho desirableness of .completing it with tho greatest possible "expedition. All national lines should ba vigorously pushed forward. Tho Waihi-Tauranga section would connect an important fertilo district with Waihiand with Auckland. Tho fact that tho work had already been commenced was a reason why it should be continued. Tho of route had been decided, and there was thus co controversy over that matter to hamper operations. Messrs. A. E. Glover and G. S. Dickson endorsed tho remarks of tho foregoing members. Mr. Dickson, said that when tho deputation in regard to tho North -Auckland Main Trunk railway waited upon tho Minister last week tho latter urged that work should always bo prosecuted from tho ends. Ho hoped that this policy would bo adhered to in the present case. Mr. G. H. Bradnoy also urged that tho line should bo pushed forward from iho ends. As Auckland had not had a fair share of public expenditure in the past, the Government should vigorously prosecute this work. . Mr. J. Bollard said that it was good policy to begin lines from both ends. They did not want a repetition of what took place' in connection with tho Main Trunk railway, which took over 20 years to complete.

PREMIER SYMPATHETIC. A REASONABLE EEQUEST. Mr. Massey, in replying, said that the request of tho deputation was not at all unreasonable. Cabinet had not yet got to the length of considering the Publio Works Estimates. They had a lot of work to do before reaching that staße. However, he thought that the section in question would receive fair consideration . Whilst, gonorally speaking, money was not now so plentiful as formerly, tho expenditure on public works last year waa a record, exceeding as it did that of any previous year. Tho Government had made up its mind to go in for a policy of development, and that policy would be adhered to. Statement by Hon. W. Frasor. Tho Hon. Mr. Fraser said that he thought that if somo of tho members who had spoken had known the district better they would not have used tho expression that thoy did as to starting work

in tho middle. Thcso remarks, he believed, luid been prompted by the representations of a recent deputation from tho Bay of Plenty, which expressed itself in favour of connection with 'iauranga, and not with Auckland. 110 had always advised deputations of that kind that it was better for them to advocate tho claims of their own districts only. Tho deputation that ho referred to had asked him not only that tho line should 'be pushed forward from tho Mount towards Opotiki, and also that they should start at the Opotiki end and work back. Ho could not agree with that idea, as, until tho lino was completed ,to Opotiki, thero was no means of getting material there. Such a course would only mean a large expenditure of money lying unproductive lor years. (Hear, hear.) 'llic present section between Tauxanga and Te Puke could not bo desoribed as "starting in tho middle," as tho material could bo landed at tho Mount quite as cheaply as it could bo brought along the railway. If ho" were silent on this point it. might bo imagined that ho was going to neglect .the interests of tho people beyond Tauranga, but this was not so. Ho agreed with Mr. Massey that a fair sum should be allocated for tho Wailii-Athenreo section. He had intended all along that that should bo done ever since ho had visited the district. (Hear, hear.) They- must remember, however, that this was only a portion of the Auckland district. Mr. Poland: Wo are coming to you later on about tho Paeroa-Pokeno line. Mr. lYaser: I think wo had hotter wait till the other is finished. To start new lines while there are already a number of unfinished lines is not good policy. It' means -a wasto of energy and capital. As to tho stoppage of work on the WaihiAthenreo section last year, ho had had representations made to him of the probable heavy cost of tho work towards Athonree. However, after going over tho route he did not think that it would bo so very expensivo after all. Reverting to tho lino from Tauranga towards Matata, he said that this was ono of tho cheapest lines in tho Dominion to construct, the cost being only about £6000 a mile. This lino would develop excellent country, and ho thought that it would pay. He' was "6uro that they would not ask him to abandon that work in order to put more money into tho Waihi section. ("No.") It was not in tho interests of Auckland that this .should bo done. Tho port of Tauranga would always act as a feeder to Auckland, as tho class of vessels calling thoro would bo such as would bo going to Auckland. Mr.. Poland said that tho deputation was not asking that the construction of any section of railway should bo stopped. Ho thanked the Ministers on behalf of tho deputation for their reasonable replies.