A MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1920, Page 3

A MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY.

THROUGH THE SOUTH ISLAND. BETTER PROGRESS URGED. ' By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The speedy completion of the Sout,h Island Main Trunk railway was urged on -Mi-. Ma*-sey and the Minister of Public Works by a large deputation representin" Marlborough, Canterbury, Wellington, and Otago. 3lr. Penny, chairman of the Railway League, said they felt the" line should receive early attention. Promise after promise had been made, but the line was still unfinished.

Mr. Andrews, Kaikoura, recalled the fact tnnt'Mr. Massey, when in-the Opposition, was a member of one of many deputations which had t urged that the line should be completed. Mr. Mitchell, M.P. for Wellington South, regretted tie fact shtra in the monthly abstract of statistics, that twothirds of the men on public wwks were employed'in the Auckland district. The line was a national railway which must be pushed ahead for the good of the country as a whole. The Premier, .in reply, said he was ot exactly the saiao opinion regarding the lino - aa 3>n was before the war. One of the effects of the war was a scarcity 'of labor. Before the war the Public Works Department had in ita employ about SOOf) men, and it now hud about 4000. . It was quite true that a. certain amount of work was going along on the East Coast and. north- of Auckland, but he. reminded the deputation that the South Island, had probably 500 milea more railway than the North Island. As to the line under discussion, it was a main line, and ought to be constructed at the first opportunity, though it was going to be very difficult to put through in many places. However, justice would be done.