OTIRA TUNNEL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1919, Page 5

OTIRA TUNNEL.

IMPROVEMENT OF LIVING CONDITIONS NEEDED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christehureh, Last Night. At a meeting of the. Arthur's Pass Tunnel League, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., who has returned from a visit of inspection, stated that a mile of lining, etc., remained to be done. It was estimated that the work would take two years, which, to his mind, was unduly long. He criticised the housing conditions nt Otira and advocated improvement and employment of another shift to hasten completion of the work. He contended that by bettering the housing and wage conditions the work would attract labor. The following resolutions were carried: "That members of this meeting are surprised and concerned to learn that the miserable housing accommodation still obtains at Otira, and that women and children are consequently suffering not only in comfort but health, and urges the Minister for Public works to fulfil the promise made and at once have these conditions remedied; that this meeting urges on the Government the necessity of increasing the wages of the workers at the tunnel to a minimum of 20s a shift." It was also agreed to ask the Minister for Health to station a medical man at the works, and to wait on Sir William Fraser in connection with tunnel matters generally.