THE OTIRA TUNNEL.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1918, Page 1

THE OTIRA TUNNEL.

AN interesting opinion. (New Zealand “Times”. <

The Otira tunnel mentioned during the Wellington North hy-eloction, is the greatest engineering work in the Dominion, and ranks higher in point of mileage than anything in Australia or the Americas, coming next in importance to the great Alpine tunnels of Europe. Sentimentally—and sentiment is very valuable to a nation—the work has a special appropriateness of its own', boon use file self-reliant spirit of New Zealanders, which fifty two years ago completed the Lyttelton tunnel, then the longest south of the Line, has now nearly completed this- great work ■it the Otira. liy the way, it should not be forgotten that the initiative in both eases came from the people of Canterbury—the first in the lieydey of the Provincial system, the second about eight years after the abolition 'of provinces. The spirit was shown in the first by ..the majority of a population of Vbout 8000, long before anyone was bold enough to devise the celebrated system of public works and immigration which, with!, all the faults of its story, has justified itself splendidly bv j the great development it lias given to the resources of the Donynion. On { that first occasion the inception of tin great work was preceded by a Tong and iesperate political struggle which made liiid unmade Provincial Governments md swayed the elections of Superintendents, and hut for the fortunate presence in New Zealand of the accomplished geologist, the late Sir Julius ■on Haast, would have failed to effect ts object. The political victory was 'allowed by the refusal of a great Engisli contracting firm to undertake the •fork, their engineer having condemned it as too costly. At this critial moment young von Haast appeared in the scene with a remarkable rolort on the resources and geology of lie Province of Nelson. His services being enlisted, he discovered the true geological character of the hill to be pierced, and reported favourably. The .•onstructioii verified his report, and lie timtiel justified itself in due course, its history giving valuable help to the proposers of the big public policy which Parliament sanctioned some four years ifter its completion. Mindful of this ;uecess»the people of Canterbury raised in agitation for the construction of the railway to join the counties on either fide of the dividing range, of which the main feature was'this tunnel of, the Otira. The struggle this /time, extend’d all over the Dominion, swayed the fortunes of Ministries, and ended in victory. Thirty years have passed—a period far longer than was originally contemplated—and the tunnel is now within easy distance of completion. The great political battle was waged with opposing theories. One condemned the project as wildly chimerical, as wicked, as certain never to pay lor the grease on the wheels, and went 'so far as to declare, the work impossible, owing to the unstable character of the country. The other was founded on tlie basis of a large .traffic hv elaborate and very hopeful estimates. The cngln coring difficulties were "made light of, and the supporters of the railway gambled on various, projects with and without tunnels, until sufficient expert support was obtained. After a desperate struggle Parliament sanctioned the committal of the jproject to private enterprise, and the Midland Railway Company took it on hand, supported by various concessions. It began operations on the West Coast, ultimately joining Reefton with the,western system, and building a railway to Otira, or

near it. Tfc also made headway with a line on the east of the range, connect ing with the Southern Trunk system. In the construction of these- lines,

•liich was solid and good, the com-

pany’s engineers solved all the difficulties of the terrain, the mode of joining the eastern- and western ends being left for further consideration. On its side"the Government went on with

the westery railway system, connecting Greymouth with Hokitika, and extending to Boss. After these operations

had been going on some years, the company found the work beyond its power, and the Government, after considerable negotiations and a celebrated suit in arbitration, took, it over. By

that time it had become well understood that the levels selected by the Midland constructors would necessitate a- tunnel of greater length than originally contemplated—-the consequence of tin* method of avoiding the difficulties of the terrain. Expert opinion was consulted, and the tunnel of five miles was decided on, with a grade conforming to to the easy grades-adopted by the Midland constructors, and a Dominion firm undertook to put it through the hill; the Government continuing the line construction on either side.

Eventually the Government had to take over the tunnel construction also, arid the tunnel is, as we have said, within

easy distance of completion. At this point the theories come in sight once more, opinions for and against being sharply divided still. We have, however-, some data to guide us—a fortunate thing, for the Dominion is eoinmittecd to the completion of the .work. The last Railway - Statementsupplies the data. These give- the cost of the open lines of the western sys-tem—-not including the Westport section, which, with its annual profit of £ 10/8 >3 per cent., is the best paying section of all the New Zealand railways —at £2,075,217, returning a net profit, not including interest payment, of £3/1/- per cent., from a net revenue of £63,3-11. The cost, of the unopened lines of the western system is given at £644,000; and we have to estimate what it will cost to finish these and the tunnel. If we place that at £356,000, wo shall not, we think be far out. In that case there will be an additional million on which to pay interest. If; the estimate is correct, the

railway project after the connection through the tunnel is established between the eastern and western systems will h«Ve to justify itself. To do that it need not. be ashed to do more than pay 3 per. cent, on this new million, for that is what the western system pays. A net revenue of £30,000 a year would do that. Now, with a tunnel level grade, and worked by electricity there will be no addition to working expenses. The trouble is clearly eliminated —one of the gravest it was in the battle of theories. Now is it rea tollable to expect the mineral and timber traffic sure to carried through the tunnel to contribute this £30,000, less than, half of the net revenue of the existing western systems? That it is eminently reasonable goes without saying. In the future there is the certainty of linking up with the Westport' section, with its large power as a feeder, and there is a chance of the growing earnings of the western system, which must be reflected in tin* eastern. It is therefore, that the piercing of the range by the tunnel and the whole greet railway project, so Jiardlv contested in the middle eight ies, is within measurable distance of justification by results. Anyone who decries the completion of the Otira tunnel convicts himself of not having studied the question as it. ought to he studied.