S.I. TRUNK

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1931, Page 3

S.I. TRUNK

AIR HE A M’S ST AT EAIE NT. (lit/ Teletjrapli — l‘e,i I ‘rv.su Association > BLENHEIM, .May 7. While lie emphasised that there was stjll a necessity lor vigilance and preparcuiio.i.s to uclcnd the- project on the o. the So..tli island .Mam Trunk Line, a statement which was matte by ~( r E. F. Mealy, M.F., at a meeting uf tile Marluorough Progress League, tv a* regarded ’by the memoers as iv..ssun'ng.

The .Member for the. district, said that t'lie.e was no <l6uht about the con. structio.i proc, eding in the meantime, and he luiued aL the tact that a favourable departmental report on the cojnp-ietion of tlie line could he expect-

ed wiihin tl.e. next week or s. “I don’t think there is the slightest 'doubt about the line continuing, if we can finance it,” Mr Meaty proceeded, “and that depends on ..being able to raise the money on suffii iently favourable terms. lum led to under, stand, although ignorant of > what nas., actually in the report, that tin: Railway Department has a report on the South Island Alain Trunk that no Directorate or Commission can turn down! I bpljeve, that the report wil be pub-.. lished next week, and l am ratliyr, iii_.

terested tp see wlnit. it will contain. Hon. Air Veitcli, Alinister of Railways told me that it would he impossible for any Commission or Board, to oppose tlie completion of the ,line on . the report that they have prepared. ■ 1 am informed that the report .will he favourable to the line, and will show that it wi! be possible to run .two. trains each way, if desired, and to land passengers from Wellington to Christchurch in seven hours, at a fare, oil the boat and train combined,.that will he loss than the present fare on the ferry service- to Lyttelton.” Air Mealy remarked that it was because lie had some inkling of the proposal that lie was able to declare in die House that, within four years oi the completion of the railway, there would be no passenger boat lietwoen* Wellington and Lyttelton, and he felt that lie really could have made thjnt period two years. He was quite satisfied that the public would, patronise such a trajn service in preference to steamers.