RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1930, Page 5

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

drastic cuts.

SUSPENSION OF WORK IN BOTH

ISLANDS

(Per Favour of Government.)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 22

The Hon. Mr Ransom, Acting Prime Minister, following upon the announcement of other adjustments irii 'StMte activities '(necessitated iby tf.ie financial position of the Dominion has issued this further statement which deals with railway construction works. The position was placed soon after the close of the session 'before the Prime Minister. After some delay owing to his duties at the Imperial Conference, lie authorised Cabinet to make such decisions .as the facts dictated. The Government lias decided that the Parliamentary Committee which was set up during last session to enquire into railway construction should not be revived as a recess committee the Government has all salient fact in its possession to enable it to arrive at determinations anl was giving due consideration to the possibilities • of every section of line under construeton nndj the policies both local and national that surround them. Actual investigations in localities were suggested and pressed (by district organisations and delegation and though these might lend local colour to considerations it was doubted whether they would reveal matters outside the knowledge of the Government. The finalisation of, the decisions has been delayed by the necessity of exploring alternative measures • that would absorb on other works the large (body of men that will be affected by the proposals.

The Government is now in a position to say that sufficient work of an urgent nature can be made available on Arapuni, on (the development of land and roads required in connection with such development.

Taking the lines in geographical order from north to south it - has been decided to suspend work immediately on the Okaibau-Rangiahua. section of the. North Auckland main trunk railway. . ;

The data, relating to this line are total expenditure to the end of December £625,000,. estimated amount to complete £54,000, number of men employed 221, further work on the Tan-crowahina-Dargaville section, of’ the Kidikopuni-Da.rgHville branch . railway will be immediately suspended the relative figures are total expenditure on the Kirikopuni-Dargaville line to December 31st, 1930, £444,500, estimated to complete, £77,900, number of men employed 145. The Okahukure to Tahora section of the Stratford main trunk railway will be continued to completion. The total expenditure on that section which has been under construction for aibout ten years (including the estimated outgoings to the end of December) is £1.930,000. It is estimated that £330,000 will be required to - complete in about fifteen months. The number of men employed is 609. It has been decided to suspend work on the section of the East Coast main trunk railway from Waikokopu to Gisborne but to continue to completion the section from Eskdale to. Wairoa the section between Wairoa and Waikokopu is completed and has been operated for some years by the Public Works Department. The Rskdale-Wa.iroa section will cost by the end of December £1,952,000, formation is practically complete tunnelling is approaching completion and all important bridges and viaducts are well in hand. The Mohaka viaduct will take two years to complete and that will finish the Napier-Wairoa-Waiko-kopu section the estimated cost to complete this portion is £412.000 the number of men employed is 543. The .construdtion of the 1\ aikqkopu-Gis-borne section which has engaged the attention of the previous Government for some years was decided upon by the Ward Government in March. 1929, land work was actively commenced in June of that year. Rival routes had been examined and trial surveys made by the previous Government and estimates taken out the coastal route from Waikokopu to Gisborne was finally decided upon and the coast was estimated at £1,680,009 The expenditure to the end of December will be £530,000 the number of men employed is 724. The l awn Flat deviation and tunnel determined upon and commenced by the Reform Government will be continued to completion fbe work was estimated to cost £1,262,000 and the expenditure to the end of December will be £868,000. It is estimated that it will take two years more to complete. The number of men employed is 446 the estimate does not include the cost of electrification which is urged as ™?cessary to the efficient working of the line. In the South Island the lines under construction are the two sections between AVhaieranm and Parnassus. Of the South Island Main Trunk Railway. the Kawa.tiri-Inangahua section of the midland railway and the Westport-Tnangahna railway the Government has decided to continue the construction of the two sections of thq, South Tesland Main Trunk Railway. phe gap of 74. V miles was estimated to c05t"£2,581,000. The expenditure to tlie end of December taking together the two ends under construction will be £323.000. The number of men employed is 594. Tt has boon decided to suspend work oq the Kaunfiri-Tnangnliun section of

the midland line. The Nelson to Kawatiri section was completed a generation ago and’ handed over to the railways department. The (estimated cost to complete from Kawatiri to Inangahua is £1,853,000 of which £243,000 will have been spent by the end of December. The number of men employed is 298. / it nas also been decided to continue the completion of the Weatport-Ittoga* hau line, The estimated cost of this line is £877,000 and to the.end of: December the expenditure will have been £■150,030. The number of men employed is 474.

The adjustment following upon, these decisions are that at the end of the financial year it is expected there wii» be an under-expenditure of £151,250 in the Railway construction vote.’

It is anticipated however' that in the next financial year the position If or the Railway construction will be reduced by £260,000. In regard to the employment of men who will no longer be required on construction work as the result of the decision of the Government, the Government has given instructions that as many as possible of the men now employed bn th.e two North Auckland lines shall be offered work on the Ara-puni-Hydro-Electric repair work which is already announced by my colleague the Alinister of Public Works have been commenced and will gradually atsorb a large number of men. 1 am dealing in another statement with the alternative measures associated with land development and road works necessary thereto and their relationship to the employment of. men now on road and railway onstruction.

I . recognise the financial industrial and political difficulty surrounding the decision arrived at by the Government. Alinisters have made an earnest attempt to face the position and their action is open to criticism of delay that was due in the past to a determination to find a balanced solution of all factors not the least being the factor of unemployment. , E. A. RANSOM.