SOUTH MAIN TRUNK

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1925, Page 4

SOUTH MAIN TRUNK

ESTIMATES IX QUESTION. AYKI.UXCTON. Jan. V Tic:* Kugineer-in-Chiel of the i’uhli. Works Department. Mr Ik W. Kurkcrt, answers the critcism of Air IT. M. Cnrys till 1. a member of the delegation, which the, Canterbury Progress League sent to traverse the Hast and West Coast railway routes in the South Island. Mr Ciirystall. was reported as stating that the Public AA’orks Department's estimate of £2.(KK!,Ui)O to complete the East Coast railway was an exaggeration and was: based on improper data in that the route had not been fixed to till the gap, nor had .dime been any survey.

“Air Ciirystall as a practical engineer describes the Public Works' Department's estimate as an exaggeration.” says .Air Eurkcrt. "I am unaware of any lailway cmistructiun which Air Clir.vstall has done in New Zealand, and it would he very diihcult for an engineer, even with expericn. e abroad, to make estimates of railway eonstruetion in New Zealand. Ihe Public AYorks Department lias been frequently criticised in the past, because its estimates have been too low. The present criticism is a new departure. The statement that the line has not: been pioperiv surveyed is |u;C.‘ without foundation. On more than half of the eighty-one miles, to be exact on IT miles, a permanent hue lias been decided upon and actual quantities of material have been taken out. On It I miles trial line plans and sections have been prepared from which a •cry fair approximation can he made ns to cost. With regard to the remaining lour miles, on which no survey und yet been made, these, are described h.v engineers who have made exploration as easy sideling, and have been estimated at. £10.090 per mile. Even M there was an error of WO per vent, in the estimate of these four miles, which is impossible, this would not have influence in altering the round figure T C 2.000.000. The statement that ill* real reason why eonstruetion was so costly in this country was because' the work was done in sections, has no value, because in two essential respects it is inaccurate. In llie fust place construction is not costly, the opinion expressed by Kir Sam Fay and Sir A incent Raven to mvselt heing that it: was really surprising what New Zealam had done in the way of railway development with ihc money spent.. Secondly the work has not been done iu smal sections. As a general rule it so ham pens that whore it has lvren iaekled ii biggest sections it lias been most ex pensive. This, however, lias nothing 0 do with the system oi attacking lit, work. As a matter oi laet it bas us uallv I ceil because (be work was ■. cp expensive and dillieidl Hint il has beeundertaken in a large way. AA here l hi work was easy and considerable pro cress could lie made with a Mind amount of money then it has boci carried on in a small way.