The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, SEPT. 16th, 1921. THE EMPIRE TUNNEL.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, SEPT. 16th, 1921. THE EMPIRE TUNNEL.

Tm: Arthur’s I’ass railway tunnel, the audience was told ut tlia Town Hall on Wednesday night, is the longest tunnel in the British Empire, [t ranUs as the seventh longest railway tunnel' in the-world. While its very great importanco can he gauged h.v these comparisons, its material importance to this district in particular, and the Dominion at large, as now fully recognised, and it can be well understood there is an earnest desire to see the job finished, its convenience enjoyed, and its income of revenue to the eountiv realised, not only in defraying its own cost, hut also in helping very materially the railway reveille of the South Island lines. The suggestion was made to speed up the completion as was done in the ease of the North, Island Trunk lino, when that end was in sight. It was due to a young West Coaster, Mr Fnrkert, that the completion of the Auckland-Wellington railway connection .was .greatly fleeplarpted. was

| tin' engineer in charge, mill In' antiei- ! piiti'd tin l wishes of Sir Williiini Hull i | .Jones-—the Minister of I’uhlie Works i liy having the actual connection malic | ahead of the time stipulated. Mr Furkett has now risen to Enginoer-in-C’liief of tlie Dominion, and if the Hon .T. 0. Contes, Minister of Public Works to-day, would depute to Mr Fnrkett the task of having the Kast- anil West Coast linen licked up in a few months, instead of the year or more's time which is being whispered abroad, it would lie another achievoment in Mr Furkott’s excellent record to hustle through the work. Xow that the lining is completed, the work will he more straightforward. Certainly, larger gangs of men could he put on outside and so force the pace, for there is a very large amount of work to he done outside yet. In his history of the early fortunes of the lino given in his address, Mr Cowing spoke of Mr Hogue’s report which confirmed the suggestion of the Xew Zealand engineers to utilise a tunnel, instead of climbing the mountain by rail. It is interesting to retail that Mr Hogue’s report was first made public in the Town Hall here. It was on the great occasion of the late Mr H. J. •ieddon’s silver jubilee of parliamentary life, when the people made him a monster presentation. Subsequent fo the enthusiastic proceedings on Cass Square, the Premier was entertained at the Town Hall, and there after the banquet, lie delivered an address in the | course of which he read Mr Hogue’s report as telegraphed to Mr Seildon fo r the information of all concerned. This reflection brings us to an approbation of the work of the Xcw Zealand engineers in connection with the tunnel works. The public meeting very right ly did not overlook their part in the praise and thanks due, for the an urac.v with which the tunnel was puti through in regard both to distance and alignment. It was a tribute to masterly care displayed in the whole details of the survey, and the final execution ol the work. Mr Cowing generously said the chief credit was due to the men who performed the' initial surveys in laying off the work, climbing the mountain peaks, and linking up tile difficult distances- to take. Results prove that that work was exceedingly well done; hut so was the subsequent work of carrying out the full details, and the engineers associated with it have every reason/ to bo proud of the thorough work done, and of the very fine record achieved. As mentioned at the outset, this Fill pi re work, so fo call it, is now within moasnreahle distance of completion. The end is now so close, that the people will grow more and more anxious, more and more, restive, to see it finally accomplished. Jl’he line will become- a great feeder of the South Island railway system. The nature of the goods to he transported, are all more or less bulky—timber and coal from the West Coast, produce and supplies from Canterbury—stiul railway officials who have gone into the possible running of trains through tlm mountains, arc realising already that the railway is going to have a busy time handling the traffic. It is assumed that tlie coal traffic to tile East Coast will extend at least to Oamaru, and no doubt the timber business will extend to Dunedin. This means much ! extra freightage over the South Island j lines. The Coast, in return, will draw | its supplies from all the centres on the j Kast Coast as tlie markets serve, and a ! steady volume of trade will continue throughout the year. From the mo- I moot through traffic is available, the goods traffic will bo spontaneous. The , promptness and certainty of delivery will counter any possible advantage in ! elicapness by seaborne freight. Tlie ] exchange of our commodities F.ast and West, in which the two provinces are j complementary to each other, assures a, great volume of trade and the rail. I way will lie busy always. The pros- ! peels of traffic being thus assured there is every reason to expect the Public Works authorities to push the line to . early completion. To do any less is to sacrifice the host interests of the country unnecessarily. The present is an opportunity for tlio authorities to rise to tlie occasion and perform the obvious. I