RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 9

RAILWAY EXTENSION.

' : BRANCH TO -RAETIHI WANTED, ; ■ '■' PRIME MINISTER'S NON-COMMITTAL : : "'J-':: r':" : 'C ANSWER; . / - : ,., ; ; '.');. ■:. :■ An.'ftpplloatipn.for; ; a branch railway from Rattlhi to'/the 'Main Trunk line was made to tlie;Prime MinisUr (Sir Joseph Ward) and tho Minister; for' public/Works (tho Hon. R. M'KenzieJ.bya. large deputation on Saturday, the!-: following internets were .represented by the deputation:—Waimarino County Council and Dairy Company, Baetihi''Progressive Aβ'sociatipn, Ohutu aiid -IRuatiti settlers and' : *Ka-* ;tive'interests'..; vi,:'-A;';; :'\'■ .. ;'■':■■. ■:; Mr.; Jennings,"nlembor for Tdumarunui, said the. "liie haabeen'already .surveyed,, and a sort of promiso had bceri i given by the Hon. W;;Hall-Jones, in ■connection with it. :■ ■. : Mr; P. Brass, chairman of Waimarino County .Council,-said / that the settlers .:Wcro Ipropafed :if;necessary, to make'a special rat-ing-..district, and pay gnaraijteo interest .on :the cost !pf construction.' Roading. was very-Hoavy .and'imetal, scarce in the!;district; which contained .valiiable growths' of tiinber that would 'last'.'fbr-a/number: of.years., The would bring a'•lot'of trade to the Main Trunkline thal/.wbtild, otherwise co to. the-"' Wanganui River.;■:Ho recognised that it .was uot' a liability of-.'thof Government' .to make .railways through: Native lands, -but-the settlers-had . taken, U p..those lands, .and ■ the railway would. save,.a:gpod..d«al.of.money,now-necessary for thb.upkeepof.'rpads. V.;.,',. ... ~ '■;■;.; .-■■.■' ~ Mr..:A.,- Nathan,, Mayor of. Taihape,. said, it w*s"'almost iimpossible good cart .toad for the heavy: 'timber , traffic. of,' the . dis. trioifjV•■',"'■ -.'"; = v| : v'•"'■■'•■.■•'•■'■'.■;:■ -■■"'•• '■'..■■■.■''■:■'. ■'■ '■■

•;Mr..;Pemberton; an Ohutu ; settler, said he, did not; ,thihk r ;the'.settlers world .'eTCr, bo. ealied : upon, to- payvlho.interest'on .construction. , ; As tho, timber; was out: Up,. there iivpnld ■■ be very considerablotfamo.-in stock, a^d'the. railway, .he thoueht, would-still pay its way.'■.•.'--'• ', ;■■■ :._ Mr..Field, ;M.P.,:,said 'that.fhe-freights' for timber, would ■yery lnaterially. assist the.rail-, way.:-. '.Mr.; Hall-Jones had: expressed :himselfentirely, in favour bf-.tho line,- and ho;thought that'several trial. surTcyshad.-bEen.-niade.;. On 'his'■seggetion.r.those, interested..' jn ,the,sawmilling had. ■■ writteh-'tp the ~ Goy«rnm«nt offer- • ing,'-a ; guafaritee.,.. He-'.thought.'th'at'.withour doubt 'it-wotild.'bejft. payable .line..;'.: I•.;■".'•;. ■: -■': Mh■■; J.;' ,Chase.'''r«bresentirie;the .Native : in- . t«r«ts,"Vsaid';there;:Were upwards "6f. 50,000 acres '.unproductive,;.' and the/Mabris; had been : for 'jomej-ears urging the: settlement ..of .those . lands."V:The i Natives; .were'. c[uit*,: prepared lo :bear;'theirisharo-of,'the' cost. of,' construction, They,'Jvoped i '.also/thai ! prombss tunde,-.as -long ago as.;l9o3!ivould>bb out for, the'cutting. up of, one pf .the. large the! distrio.ti The railway \\'ould.run through a block ; of 10,000, : aores,'. all heavily, timbered.; Most ~of ■* the'-landiwas'/Vested : in.. the' : Abtca Maori , ":':', C " : ,K\\:':--- ?"'j..-'<'

■" :: .Mr.rSwrttV-'M.iP,.;:'ijaid', ; '^at' ; :j;hh\was,C'.th''e most: imjportant, -'of;in' tho'i.disr tribt... They-land': wonld ';._ eventually.'be..; gbotL country,, and.: n.'' valuatlo /.foeder■ {or the.; Main,.Trunk-liiie; ;!There; was .'aictonco : that/; the; timber, would .be destroyed'. if:.meaiis vfefei'iiotjpriOTided Vforf ifs.;removal;,. v Quite 'apart from .'thiv.Baetihi :as d farming oeutre would,\h'e.. thought,: more'.than pay .'interest. >,u. .the-'-liri*;-.'■:■■...•;-'■■■•,-.-.. ;. "..■■' : ..'..'■'■ ' ■■:':■■.' \.' : :' :: , •'

■; • A • lptter was' iead from the'.- ohairman , of- the 'Wangapui Chamber: of ..Commeroo '^Prt :; i : "'■ % ' ■■•;)!;ii>r};: .Minister , *'Repiy. J ( -"'.. ; ;.': ■, -■Sif^Jo^phy^ard^replied'ttaj/.thf.Govern-. ; raejit',,w.as' r ;»lways aniip.ns'.jto'. afjsis;t f tho, .settlors.' 'This.;; lino','would be ...eight '.'niilis;>long, .and, 'speaking; generally, ihe polioy^..of, builaiiig: branch'.-lines ■eight miles long .would: be a-very ibad tine.- Tho'.guarantee they proposed,might .■ihTJolve-'a burdenon them for*the future which they 'did: ,'not.^bargain',for;.'..The .Minister ; for :Puuli6: Works weuld get a report on the: Biat•:tor; :and ■ tho Goveriinienti would then /consider, ■the'..whole; question,.including:, their/inagnani- ■ mo'us .proposal■:to-ibttrden their' pTopcrties-for all: time Rafter the. timber was exhausted. The' matter must' bo looked at from. tte standpoint, 'of the future; as, well as of'the present. Tho lino would really .be an cxtendetl timber Biding, '■•■ and if: they .had- to construct.'»lines': like that - into ■_ all, the, , bush- .areas that '.could. bo : .worked it-would be suoh ,"&. new policy that it '-.wiuld ihave -to bo ;very;:carefully ■ considered;' It was. at one • time- thought.. likoly - that •: the M&in:THink line'.would go-throngh this,-, conn-try,-but-j tho route.-was'not. considered suitable. When the report: was received : the Government ■:would':.consider; whether, tlioy ■ could , ';do; .anything.', .He was: not "going to. tell thorn ..that 'the Government we're' prepared- Iα; carry; out the workV.-.-They-.had to ;look, : ahead, :tx>th:iii th6 ; interests of the,-settlers, and the.generali 'interests; of; the country.'-; .'■■■..•:.'>" :'.".--.'i'.',-'i:.!,-'-I.'.