OURATUNNEL.
Speaking at Christchurch the Rt. Hon W. F. Massey, told the Canterbury Progress League that he was thoroughly with the deputation in their request for the pushing of the completion of the Arthur’s Pass tunnel, and he wanted to tell them that the Government desired to see it completed at the earliest possible moment. He spoke as a friend of the tunnel; he had stuck to it through thick and thin; and he was honestly of opinion that the - tunnel and railway would pay as soon as they got through communication, (Applause). The present Minister of Public Works, ((Sir Wm. Fraser), in spite of much adverse criticism, (a»d people were apt to get impatibnt), was one of the . best Public Works Ministers the Dominion had ever had, and was one who desired to do justice to every part of the Dominion; he (Sir William Fraser) was about to retire, and he hoped that his successor would be as good a Minister. As far as the tunnel was concerned, there was no difficulty on the part of the Government, which would do everything possible to bring it to an early completion. PRESS COMMENT.
The most urgent of Canterbury’s needs is the completion of the Otira tunnel. We have always held that in so far as, the delay in completing the tunnel is the result of that bad system of allocating the Public Works Fund which was perfected by the Seddon Government, both tlie Liberal and Reform Administrations are blameworthy, although it is only just to Mr Massey to remember that be bad only been two years in office when the war broke out and relegated local affairs to the background while the Liberals bad nearly twenty years of unbroken opportunity to complete the line and the tunnel. The Prime Minister is so little affected by the prejudices of Auckland that lie holds and expresses the heretical opinion that as soon as the tunnel is completed that the line as a whole will be a payable concern. With this assurance of the Government’s goodwill the people of Canterbury and Westland have every reason to be satisfied.
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Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1919, Page 3
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355OURATUNNEL. Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1919, Page 3
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