“WRONG ROUTE”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1938, Page 6

“WRONG ROUTE”

BUT GREAT THING FOR DISTRICT PROPOSED RIMUTAKA DEVIATION. MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. “The Tauherenikau route has always seemed to be the better one, but political considerations have come in and finished it,” observed Councillor G. Moore at yesterday’s meeting of the Masterton County Council, when referring to a notification from the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, that the Rimutaka railway deviation is to be put in hand. After referring to the representations made over a period of years for improved railway access, the chairman, Mr Gordon Lee, said the deviation would be a great thing for the district. The Huti Valley was being rapidly filled up and it was only a matter of time when a move would have to be made elsewhere. Councillor P. R. Welch expressed pleasure at the decision of the Government to proceed with the deviation and moved that the Prime Minister be thanked for his decision. Councillor Moore said he was not sure that the route chosen by the Government was the right one as far as the national interests were concerned. The Tauherenikau route had always seemed to him to be the better one but political considerations had come in and finished it.

The chairman: “Engineering and not political considerations.” Councillor Moore; “No. Politics and business do not mix. The railways are expected to pay their way but when politics come in it makes it very difficult. Today all money should be very carefully considered before being spent. Costs are rising and markets are filling and throughout the country people are finding it difficult to carry on businesses.” The motion was carried. DRIVING THE TUNNEL MAY OCCUPY FIVE YEARS. MINISTER’S TENTATIVE OPINION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The opinion that it should be possible to drive the proposed tunnel through the Rimutakas in five years was expressed yesterday by the sMinister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple. He made it clear, however, that he had not checked his estimate with his engineers. The survey of the straight line over the hill to determine the course of the tunnel would be started as soon as the weather permitted.

' Mr Semple said his recollection was that the driving of the Otira tunnel had taken about 12 years, but muchimproved tunnelling methods had been evolved since then. Developments in the types of drill, cement guns, tunnel scrapers, and steel profiling all made it possible to speed up the work. Most important, too, were the modern methods of ventilation which enabled a face to be worked continuously. Poor ventilation had affected dozens of men during the driving of the Otira tunnel, with a resultant slowing-up in the rate of progress. The whole question of speed in the case of the Rimutaka tunnel depended upon the methods adopted.

“We have not yet considered the methods we will adopt, but you can take it from me that we will employ the most modern and scientific means to get through the hill in the shortest possible time,” said Mr Semple.