DECREASE SHOWN AT OTIRA

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1931, Page 2

DECREASE SHOWN AT OTIRA

WEST COAST TRAFFIC. TONNAGE STILL EXCEEDS ESTIMATE. For the first- time since the Otira tunnel was opened on August 4, 1923, the annual volume o. goods passing from west to east has shown a decline. The year, which closed yesterday showed a decrease of 158,449 tons as compared with the preceding year. The continued slackness in the timber trade and the lung dispute at the Blackball mine, together with the renewed importation of Australian coal, are blamed for the decrease.

The total amount of tonnage which passed from west to east during the last twelve months was 505,154 tons. For the preceding year the total was 663,613 tons, this being the peak year in the history of the tunnel, Although there hns been a big decrease during tbe past twelve months, the tunnel is still carrying much more traffic than was contemplated by the designers. It was was expected that the maximum loads the tunnel would have to carry would be 1000 tons a day, but the past year has averaged over 1500 tons a day, and in the preceding year tho average was over 2000 tons for every working day.

A Heavy Month. August Was the heaviest traffic month in the year just completed, the total east-bound traffio handled being 60,117 tops.' In the previous twelve months, July was the month during which the heaviest demands were made on the tunnel equipment, a total of 74,163 tons being dealt with in that period. The figures for each month for tho past two years arc:—

Totals ol •- v; ' . ' i! Jiß No record is kept of tin-* tratfir from east to west, for the greau part of this consists of empty waggons. It is estimated that about 25 per cent ol the traffic consists of goods and there is no indication that this figure lias dropped much during the past year.

a .A, Bifl. Total. Since the tunnel was opened eight years ago, the eastward traffic has reached the total of 3,048,431 tons. From the very beginning, tho amount of traffic exceeded expectations. The figures fop the past eight years are: Tons. 1923- 258,877 1924- 343,899 1925- 880,865 1926- 438.916 1927- 504,710 1928- 552,907 1929- 668,603 1930- 505.154 Total 3,648,431 . During the past twelve months, the timber business on the West Coast has been in a very depressed state and this has been reflected in the amount of material consigned to the East Coast. There have also been prolonged mining disputes, particularly in the Blackball region, with the result that little coal has come from that aren. During the preceding year, no Newcastle coni was imported and the West Coast mines had to supply all the requirements. About nine months ago, however, the Newcastle dispute was settled and that coal again came on the New Zealand market, lessening the demand for West Coast coal.

. Quicker Transport, Two years ago, arrangements were made to work a double shift in the tunnel and as a result, a great saving in the time of handling goods has been made, It previously t°°k five days for a truck of opal to he brought over to the East Coast, discharged and returned empty for a further load. This time has now been reduced to three days. As a result of this, in a ftfteendny period, a truck can be ußecl five times instead of three times as formerly. This system has considerably eased the position during the busy grain and wool seasons when trucks are usually in short supply. The tunnel, which is the longest in the British Empire, and the seventh longest in the world,, measures five miles and a quarter between portals. It was completed in 1923 after work had been in progress for fifteen years, the war period having delayed operations. The first shot was fired by the late Sir Joseph Ward, then Prime Minister, in 190 ft nt'd the opening ceremony was perform 'd in 1923 by the late Mr W. F. Massey, the Prime Minister at that time. Besides being the longest tunnel in the Dominion, it was also the first to be electrified, the only other section of electrified line in the country being that between Lyttelton and Christchurch. There is one other interesting feature about the tunnel—it has a grade of 1 in 33, being the steepest stretch of railway in the country.

1903-31. 1929-30, Tons. Tons. August 60.119 69,429 September ... 44,231 52,861 October ... 42,382 47,533 November ... 38,719 47,524 December .... 36,189 44,776 January .... 31,338 ■44,052 February .... 34,375 55,745 March .... 40,626 50,777 April 40,888 58,552 May 47,656 61.598 June 49,369 56,602 July 50,637 74.163