EAST COAST RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 196, 14 May 1919, Page 8

EAST COAST RAILWAY

r CONSTRUCTION-TO BE RESUMED i AT NAPIER END. ~ j By Telegraph—Frees Association. ) Napier, May 13. ( ■ When Sir William Jj'raser, Minister of 1 Public Works, was in Napier, he was v ■ interviewed by the member for Napier or. " the ouestion of recommencing the work *■ of-constructing the Enst Coast railway. 1 The Minister replied that lie was -pre- [' pared to issue an authority for resunip--1 tion of the work, which had ljeen stopped ' bv the war. If the necessary laboui' ■ could be secured, the work could start } immediately, and ho would issup instrticp tions accordingly. /The engineer -in i charge of the Mlio Works Department i hero would start the work as soon as, 23 1 men were available, and as many more ' as could be secured would be given work. \ Mr. Jull, chairman of the Napier Hor--1 bour Board, made a brief reference to 5 the East Coast railway at tho boards > meeting. He seid that the hoard was ! fitally interested in' the East Coast railJ wuv and tho Waikaremoana hydro-cLec 1 trio development. Both were of primary ' importance to the district. A UelliniT- • ton newspaper had recently drawn com- ! parison in regard to tho receipts and ex--1 ionditnre of New 'Zealand railways. I It =howed that the North' Is and gave 1 a return of 6 per cent, upon tho capital cost, and the South Island about half ■ that amount; This statement called foi '' the-North Island to assert itself nnd , ' secure a readjustment on tho interest, ■ charped and secure more railways. The e ' ,vns not a. more wickedly wakeful and ' political railway in New Zealand than i SrOtago Central line. The Government. : had side-stepped a railway that wwM open up country infinitely better n tho ! East Coast railway. It was in the in- [ tirest of the board that this land should: [ be opened up by vigorous railway works.