FRANCE IS READY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 571, 25 January 1929, Page 9

FRANCE IS READY

CHANNEL TUNNEL SCHEME YEARLY PROFIT £3,000,000 (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) LONDON, Thursday. Sir William Bull, chairman of the Channel Tunnel Parliamentary Committee, gave an informal dinner to supporters of the scheme in the House of Commons last evening. M. de Fleurian, French Ambassador to Britain, who was among the guests, said he was authorised to state that the French Government was ready, when the British Government was ready, to take up the matter of the tunnel and to make the necessary arrangements. It could not at present do more. Baron Emile D’Erlanger, chairman of the English Tunnel Company, said he estimated that the total number of passengers who would use the tunnel within 10 years would reach £4,000,000 a year. A fare of 26s would yield a gross income of £3,400,000. Merchandise would probably bring in another £BOO.OOO. The working expenses would be about £1,000,000. A British official wireless message says that nearly 200 members of the House of Commons, drawn from all parties, as well at 100 members of the House of Lords, are in favour of the proposal, but it obviously requires detailed examination, particularly in its economic aspects in the light of present conditions. WORK OF CONSTRUCTION CHARTER HELD IN FRANCE (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) PARIS, Wednesday. The Minister of War, M. Painleve, in a statement regarding the Channel tunnel scheme, said he regarded it as a great and entirely feasible work. He considered that in no way would it be detrimental to national defence. M. Forgeot, Minister of Public Works, said there was no reason why the undertaking should not be carried out as soon as arrangements could be made with the French Submarine Railway Company. This subsidiary northern railway concern still holds the charter for the construction of a tunnel. All the earlier provisions of subsidies for the work have expired.