SANDON TRAMWAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1494, 17 July 1912, Page 4

SANDON TRAMWAY.

EXTENSION STRONGLY URGED. MINISTER INTERVIEWED. The extension of tho light railway whic'h now runs from tho Raiigitikci River to Himitangi,' whore it connects with tho Foxton-Fnlmcrston.railway, was advocated by a deputation which waited yesterday upon the Minister lor Railways (Mr. W. 11. Herries). It is proposod to conlicet tho light line from tho Raligitikei ciid with tho Government railway at or near Marten! The deputation—the first that has.waited upon Mr. Herries since ho took offico —consisted of Messrs. E. Newman (member for Uangitikoii, nnd R, K. Simpson (chairman of tho ltangitikei County Council). •■- .. Mr. Newman stated that a conference of local bodies, hold recently at Martun, had appointed Messrs. J, G. Wilson (chairman of the Manawatu County Council) mid 11. K. Simpson (chairman pf the ltangitikei County Council) to interview- tho Minister regarding the proposed lmo, and urge its extension. Mr. Wilson was prevented by illness from attending tho deputation. Tho bodies represented at tho conference were: The Manawatu County Council, the Kangitikel County Council, tho Marton Borough Council, the Foxton Borough Council, tho Huntervillo Town Board, the Bulls Town Board, and tho Kongotea Town Bonrd. ino proposed extension, Mr. Newman explained, would enable settlers throughout tho Manawatu and ltangitikei (lisricts 10 get limber, stock, etc., from tho up Main Trunk lino much more conveniently than at present, and would also enable the Manawatu and ltangitikei settlers to supply the country up the line with oats, chaff, etc. -The settlers who would benefit were willing to construct tho line themselves ar.d to give the Government an option of purchase at a price to bo fixed by arbitration. If thiß course were approved, nothing would bo •demanded for goodwill by the owners of .?„ wl, ? n tlw Government took it over, the line, Mr. Newman mentioned, would give access to the nearest port— I Foxton. In 1910 a committee of the House of Representatives had reported favourably upon a petition for permission to construct the line, but the then Minister for Railways (Mr. Millar) hud declined to sanction the undertaking, on the ground that railway revenue on the main, lmo would suffer. Apparently tins meant, the member for ltangitikei remarked, that produce must be carried miles further than ncccs- ■;;,. I'.V1'.V in order to make the railway pay. finally Mr. Newman invited Mr. Herries to visit the district and see for himself what n large area would benefit from the proposed extension. If the Minister accented the invitation he would be motored from Foxton to Himitangi, wherethe present train-line joined the railway ami then alongside the tram-lino to" the Hangitikei River and so over the conn, try through which the proposed extension would run. A letter from Mr. .1. G. Wilson was read in which he reviewed past efforts that had been imide to get the Government to extend the line. The local bodies and settlers interested, he stated, were unanimous in asking the Government to allow;' the extension to be made if they could not sec. their wa.y Id build it themselves, Following is.the .concluding paragraph of Mr. Wilson's letter:-"'Jlio settiers whom we represent nil favour this connection,- especially since the Main Trunk line was completed to Auckland. J hey have oidy a connection of five miles to make and yet ore refused permission to do so. For of course it would be useless to take the lino to a point near tho Main Trunk lino and then have to.cart the goods ■to the Government trucks. I believe the ratepayers of the district would gladly become security 1 for the money to extend this line to the Main Trunk railway. Soeinif'that, this is the case, surely tho permission should be (minted to them, to make the connection," ' .Mr.' Simpson said that he believed that ■the construction of,.the proposed lino would] tend frt'-fncreasc'iirpramb''on the'inhiii line instead of reducing it as had boeii: suggested by Mr. Millar. Sandon, .was,, a., district which produced a great deal of grain, but at present it was 'dilfi. .cult,.to get. this .produce., opt save, at prohibitive cost. Timber also would be much more easily marketed if the tramline wore extended. Instead of being carried 03.' miles as at present it would only have, to lie, carried oyer, ;i distance 0C.,;12 or' 13 'miles to .a railway. The people' of the district were quite prepared to raise a loan and, find the money which the proposed lilie' would cost it. the Government could not see their way to build it. Tho Minister: Can you give any indication'of the number of. farmers that the line would serve? Mr. Simpson said that he could not do this offhand, but that the faimers'wno would'.benefit must number sonic hundreds. ' " Mr. Newman said that the district was a densely-settled one. There', was not a property that exceeded four or five hun'drcd aores within' miles of the route of the proposed line. The Minister: And would theso railway facilities tcud to further increase small settlement P; Mr. Newman replied in the affirmative. The line,' he' said, would bring tho' producing districts into touch with markets from which they were now practically isolated. Very littlo grain was grown further up the Main Trunk line, and supplies of grain, chaff, etc., hud to bo. drawn from the Rangilikci district. At present much of this produeo had to be carted over long distances. ; The Minister asked whether there was any intention on the part of the local bodies to compete with the Government. Mr. Newman: None whatever; the local bodies"'arc prepared to work under any regulations that the Government consider necessary. In addition, they are willing to give the Government an option of purchase without demanding anything for goodwill, which shows that it is not a commercial undertaking. Tho local bodies, Mr. Newman added, would be very glad to leave tho wholo thing to the Government. The Minister, in his' reply, said that it seemed to him that the best thing he could do would ho to accent the invitation to pay a visit to the district and see for himself, not only the railway route, but the surrounding country. Having just taken office, he could not/ give n definite reply then to the; representations of tho deputation, but he would obtain further reports from his Deparment. As they knew, the Department in the pa-st had taken the view that the proposed lino would interfere with revenue on tho main line. If lie could possibly spare the time he would visit the disr.net.* Mr. Simpson expressed a bono'that the visit; would not be long delayed. The Minister said that he 'would like to pay his visit in tho spring, when the crops would be visible. Mr. Newman thanked the Minister on behalf of tho deputation.