STEADY PROGRESS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 110, 16 November 1938, Page 4

STEADY PROGRESS

EAST COAST RAILWAY MINISTER SATISFIED. INSPECTION OF TUNNELS. SHORT* TRIP BY RAIL GISBORNE, Tuesday, Keen satisfaction with the manner in, .which work on the East Coast main trunk line between Gisborne and. Wairoa is progressing was expressed by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, during his tour of inspection of the line to-day: 31 r. Semple visited the major points of interest on the route, and commented upon the successful handling of a‘ v number of individual problems , raised '* by the conditions under which the line is being constructedThe severe setback to the work suffered as a result of the heavy and persistent winter rains was mentioned by the 3linister, who stated: that but j'or the Tong series of storms and the havoc they-had wrought in the communications of the district, the work would have been three months ahead of its present stage. Accompanied by. the engineer-in-, chief, 31 r. J. Wood, and ft party including several pressmen, the 31inister began his journey from Gisborne to-day by a short rail trip of six miles, hoarding a works train at Northcoto road junction, and travelling by the new formation along the the Awapuni swamp and across the lower portion of the Willows Settlement to the Waipaoa rivoi; bridge, and thence on to the Wherowlicro stream, near Adair’s corner on the main south highway. Work This Summer. There the party transferred to cars, and continued the journey to Bartlett’s Gamp, the headquarters of construction supervision on the GisbornoWaikokopu ' section. M'r. Semple expressed confidence that during the summer there would he a great deal more progress made with the laying, of rails” and that the freighting of railway materials to the major tunnelling jobs on the route would he simplified greatly by. The use of tho^ - railway in place of the read, bolero the advent of next winter. He pointed out that the opening eftlio line must depend upon the time required for completing the biggest of the three major tunnels, linking the Tikiwhata and Waiau valleys by a. mile-and-a-half shaft through the intervening hill. He was unwilling to estimate the time which must elapse before this job is completed, but thought that within 2$ years, at tlio present rate of progress, it should he possible to see the end-of construc- . tion. The extensive mechanisation ol' heavy excavation work.-, 'noth in the open cuttings and in the tunnels, was oom.mented upon by 3lr. Semple, who remarked that wherever it was possible economically to relieve human labour of the heavier burdens that was being done by the use of the implements. He was able to point to a number of items of plant which had not been used in railway construction in New Zealand prior to his advent as .Minister of Public Works, the results of the employment cf those-* tools’having fully vindicated the policy followed since 1935. — i