EAST COAST RAILWAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 64, 13 April 1943, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY

IS WHAKATANE INTERESTED

BUSINESSMEN'S DISCUSSION

Whether or not the businessmen of Whakatane should Support the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce in its representations to the Government for an aerial survey of the route between th'at centre and Taneatua with a view to completing the East Coast railway in the course of post-war rehabilitation, was the subject of lengthy discussion at last Thursday's meeting of the Chamber, of Commerce. Mr R. F. Smith spoke against the project, stating that it would be most costly on account of the rough sparsely populated country through which the line would have to be taken. Here was an instance he declared when the Chaniber should take the broad na-t tional view and lend no support. There had in the past been all too many New Zealand railways constructed where there was little or no justification for their presence. He 1 advised the alternative of concentration upon good roads. Mr F. Abbott agreed, maintaining that good roads and aerial transport would probably supercede rail services to a large degree after the war. j "I was in agreement, with you,'' said the chairman, Mr C. F. Thomas, "until I heard that no less than 263,000 head of breeding stock entered this district or travels through to the Waikato from the area through which this line would run." He added that, even if the rail did not pay, the quick transport of such stock would from a farming viewpoint make the project, well worth while. Mr Whitwortli said that while he had an open mind on the. matter he believed that if the Government decided to construct the railway it would not be, prepared to construct the road. It was one or the other and lie personally preferred the road Messrs G. A. Brabant, and J. Crecke spoke strongly in favour of the scheme, pointing out that the Gisborne letter only requested that an aerial survey be taken in order to study the possibilities. No harm could be done; in this respect and it was ccrtainly getting somewhere! Mr C. Good also added his. support, though Mr R. Canning contended that the modern policy should, be to 'light tooth and nail for roads.' The upshot resulted in Smith and Whitworth moving that the matter be deferred for greater consideration by the Chamber and that in the meantime the Borough Council and other local bodies in tis district be asked to express their views. Messrs Brabant and Crecke countered this by moving an amendment that the Chamber favour the pro-) posal to make an aerial survey. Their proposal however was lost and the original motion carried by a substantial margin.