GISBORNE RAILWAY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 260, 25 June 1932, Page 8

GISBORNE RAILWAY

RAILWAY GENERAL MANAGER SAYS WORK DEFINITELY ABANDONED. NO HOPE OF RESUMPTION. A definite statement has been made to Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., by the i General Manager of Railways (Mr. Roussell), regarding the abandonment of work on the Napier-Gisborne line. Reporting on his recent visit to Wellington, Mr. Coleman told the Poverty Bay Herald that the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates had expressed willingness to ask Cabinet to agree to resumption of work on the line on the relief basis if the Railways Board was agreeable. Mr. Coleman was not ahle to see the board, but the General Manager left no room for doubt as to the board's attitude in his reply. He state d that there was no possible hope of the work being resumed, said Mr. Coleman. He explained that the board had gone thoroughly into the question, and according to its estimate the loss on running costs would be enormous. "I told him what the Ministers had said during the session, and what Mr. Coates had intimated to me the day before — that the line had not heen abandoned, but that the work had merely heen suspended — and I asked whether it was the policy of the boardthat the Gisborne-Napier line should be absolutely abandoned. He replied. 'Yes, Mr. Coleman, you may take it that so far as the Railways Board is concerned the line is abandoned.' He was very courteous, but brutally frank, for which I thanked him. "My own opinion," concluded Mr. Coleman, "is that while the board is in existence with the powers it has . under the Act, the line will never be proceeded with."