S.I. MAIN TRUNK

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1929, Page 5

S.I. MAIN TRUNK

DEPUTATION TO PREVENT COMPLETION. SIR JOSEPH 'WARD’S REMARKS. [By Telegraph, Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, June f>. Replying to the Chambers of C cmmere© deputation, which urged t 1 at the .Parnassus-Wharanui gap in the South Island main trim railway should not l‘e completed without thorough investigations m the light of modern conditions and. developments, Sir Joseph Ward said, unless we stop railways altogether there is nothkig in the world to prevent the completion of this line. Erom a policy point of view it is a line in .New Zealand that should be finished. Mr Merritt, President of the Chamber, remarked that the Eay-Casey report had shown that the line should not be built.

Sir Joseph Ward said—The FayRaven report and not the one to which vou refer is the one upon which Cabinet passed its decision. Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven recommended that this line he completed after they i,ad made a thorough investigation on the occasion of their special visit in 1924. As far as I am concerned I intend to ignore the Eay-Casey report entirely. They did not advocate the ferry service, but they did advocate the completion of the line as part and paicei of the completion of the South Island line. It would not be an economic proposition to leave' the present gap. The last government undertook to complete and the present G®vernnienb had undertaken to do it. A commission had reported favourably, so what more was wanted.