EAST COAST RAILWAY

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 231, 30 September 1926, Page 3

EAST COAST RAILWAY

QUESTION OF ROUTE. MlNISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS GIA'F.N A FREE HANI) , J'he question of the rival route-s for the Gis'bome-Waii'oa railway has again been raised on the East Coast. ^ Before he left for the Imperial Conferenoe, the Prime Minister gave the Minister of Public AVofks a free 'hand to isfettle the matter ot the route -- whether it- shouid follow the coastline oi* take an inland course^ — irres-pective -of the fact that the Government has an existing railway line from Wairoa, to Waikokopu. Replying to a deputation which met him ati Gisborne last week, the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. K. S. Williams) said he had. an open mind as to which route shouid be adopted The points he had to consider were the eapital cost- of th-e line and the ultima-te benefits acprning- He had to consider wliether the line would pay the mterest on thie eapital outlay. However, he would have the matter carefully investigated. He had never heard it sail that the. Goven.ment' must necessarily take Waikokopu into- consideration in constructing the railway, and he was assured that the Prime Minister had eliminated that issue and lett the decision to him. It- was diffi.cult to- construct the railway without tunnels. The line to Auckland was as yet in the distant future, but at the same time it shouid be cousidered that if there was a ipossibility of railway co-nnection with Auckland from the East Goast in the future the railway shouid be made to fit in with any future de-ve-lopment . » — ■ — - ^