BATTLE OF THE ROUTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 447, 31 August 1928, Page 7

BATTLE OF THE ROUTES

MR. VEITCH TELLS STARTLING STORY POLITICS AND RAILWAYS (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. A startling statement was made by Mr. W. A. Veitch last evening when he raised the question of the battle of the routes for the railway between Gisborne and Wairoa. People supporting the coast route, said Mr. Veitch, had been assured by the Prime Minister that a decision in favour of that route would be given within six weeks if the interests concerned supported Reform at the coming election. Mr. Coates: That is silly hearsay. Mr. Veitch said that his information was supported by telegram from Gisborne. Mr. Coates: Who is it from. 5 Mr. Veitch: I cannot disclose that, but I will give you a copy of the wording. I am putting the telegram into Aansard. The Hon. J. A. Young: Do you believe that statement? Mr. Veitch: I’m not under cros-ex-amination. Mr. Coates: Is that your own statement or someone else’s? Mr. Veitch: I’m making the assertion that this statement was made at a meeting at Gisborne. Mr. Coates: What meeting? Mr. Veitch: A meeting with some political significance. It is my duty to bring the matter forward to let the Prime Minister clear it up as he thinks best. Mr. Coates: It's untrue.

Mr. Veitch: I am assured by a gentleman who was present that the statements are perfectly true. I will leave the matter there, except to add that if the inland survey is uncompleted, then the decision in favour of the coastal route is premature. The Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works, said that it was true that there was a difference of opinion over the routes. He liad received deputations which wished to know when a decision would be made. He had told them that no announcement could be made as the survey of the inland route was still proceeding. He flatly denied the allegations made by Mr. Veitch. Mr. Coates said that what Mr. Veitch had said was very flimsy. It had been effectively answered by interjections across the floor of the House, and further by the Minister of Public Works. “Fortunately,” said Mr. Coates, “I have minutes of the interview to show that the statements which have come from Gisborne are ‘entirely wrong.”