TAUPO LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 4

TAUPO LANDS.

THE RAILWAY PROPOSALS ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE. , THE ALTERNATIVE IJOLTES.

The special Parliamentary Coinniillee «-t up to iiKj'uiie into the petition of the Taupo Tolara Company, for perniissinn to <'xtend its line to f.-.ike Tanpn, has now almost completed the Inking of evidence. One of the few remaining witnesses to be examined is Jfr. It. W. Holmes, Kngiu-eer-in-Chiel' to the l'ublic AVorks Department.

Tho first H'ifne.fs examined vhen the committee- irie't yeafe'rday to , continue its inquiry was Mr. H. J. IT. Blow (undersecretary' for Public Works), who supplemented the evidence given' by him at the ini|uiry last year. , lie stated that ho had gone over the 'Taupe Totitra Compiiny's liiie eight or nine years ago.

_ ( Tp tho chnirninii: It would cost fa make fhe permanent way safe and fit for passenger traffic. The lino could not h<?l worked with ordinary rolling-stock without the greater portion being reconstructed. Special equipment would also be required)- and if (ho line went m Tanpo, a station, goods-shed, and engineftherl lvonid have to be provided at that terminus. Tlie'se would cost another JC15.000. Oil the Government lilies ou<! itian per niilo was employed in maintenance work, but on this line ond man might be ablo to do the maintenance work on two niiles. Special equipment anil additional rolling-stock would cost in the aggregate , ' about , 'J'o Mr. Hindmarsh: Tho first portion of (he line was approved by tho Government engineers, bnt'Hicst engineers would not approve the latter part of the line. The curves here were too sharp, and tho liniS would- require (o be reconstructed. A line could be worked with chain and a half curves, but it was contrary to New Zcajnnd usage, although there were lines with these curves carrying passenger traffic suecessfullv.

To the chairman: Traction round the curves would bo very heavy. It would be necessary to have short trains. Light railways were quite practicable, but they •required... special equipment. Some of the trucks used on the Government lines were too long for the Tanpo line, but the ordinary Government trucks would not have to bo changed at the. junctions. Mr. DolzieH: In your opinion, would it pnv to run a s'.-andard line into this country at the present time? Mr. Blow: I hardly think it would.

Mr. Dalziell: It would be necessary to build up tlie district Iwfore it could pay? Mr. Blow: Yes; but Kotorua was not in' a highly-developed stale when that line was opened. It was difficult to say whether it paid at the stittt. Mr. Dalziell: Is the line to Moki in a good enough condition to carry nil the goods traffic? ' . . Mr. Blow: AVh'en I saw it eight or nine years ago it was good.enough. Mr.' D'al'zielf: Ho* lons would it take to build a. connection between Kotorua and Taupo? Mr. blow said thrif'sttcli a line was not yet authorised. If it were, and reckoned as a work of urgency, it should not tako longer than five or six years.

A Question of Route's, Mr. Dalziell: , Assuming, that all flio prculnee" had' to: , go ■to -Auek-la'nd, which would bo.ttio better route? ...■'■' Air. Mow:. It would be more expensive to consignors to use -tin , , liotorua line, because mileage' is charged and the distance is if miles more. The hills on each lino are much" about the.same.

Sir.•Dalziell: If; ii standard line were run from I'utaruru Taupo— .Mr. Blow: 1 am not suggesting that! If » standard lino were wanted I should recommend the Kotorua route, becausa. the .tourists would go to lfolorua, and once they were there would sooner go across to" Taupo by motor than go back' and round by I'utaruru.

Mr. Diilzitil: In view of the fact that the Putaruru line is constructed to within twenty miles of Taupo, do you think it advisable for it to be conducted to the' end? ■■■■•■■'■■■

Air. Blow: T«?,- I think it cfuite advisable, provided tho Government is not saddled with any expense. Mr. DnJziell: When you suggest as the cost of making the line good; do you know that tho original cost was only iSO.OOO?. .

Mr. Blow: I know that it was very inexpensive. The Government, .he added, would riot concern itself with .the cost of making the ifiio" workable, but ■ would require to te satisfied fliat the line' was eafo for' passengers before a .license was , issued- for flie. company. If the line were extended,: it would be a grout help to Tnupn, and to the district south of if, though,he did not think if would support a passenger' linn.at present. '. . To Mr'.- Haw'-. If it became a matter of preference, personally he would like the Uot'ovua-Taupo route,. Imt he' un'derstcod fhrtt the company offered to complete their'line"on speeial conditions. ]f Roto'rua' were 'linked up: with' fue Crisborno line at 'J'niironpra (22 miles) and the Ko-torua-Taup'o Hne constructed.- then Tauranrn w'ould becoifto I lie port of the district. To the chairman: M the company was prepared to extend its lino to' Taupo, ho thought it should be encouraged, provided m) financial responsibility -were imposed' on 'tlvo Government. . , .

;:. DistricMettler's Evidence, ilr ft. Tl Voile, farmer, 'W'aiofopu.-'wa*' •another witness who' had given evideneo , before the committee of inquiry lost year. Ife urged the desirability of the Government cbiislnietinjr-its owii inicfrom Kqtoriia to Tnupo. Such a line would link up ( ; he whole of the' thermal district in one , conlinuoii': , journey. It would open more liiiiil for seltlenK'iif than an.v.other line that could be constriicUil in the Dominion. The area to W opened included upwards of 600,000 acres' of Crown (land-!. There wer> some 5,00(h0u0 acres of piimice land in the North Island,.which, .was by far the larlf«st. nvsn of habitable , and cultivaM'o land in the Dominion not yet opened for settlement. Tho Eotorua line would benefit double, the' area of-frown' lands which' would Vo bsnenf.ed by thjo' Totofa Company's line. The Rotbrua line could-be cheaply, constructed. , Most of the country to bo traversed wn'« dead level,. arid only five small bridge's and no tunnels or rock wort would fe, reiimftd. The" lirie', in:■ His'dpinioo, would pay handsome]r from the day" (in which it was opened.. If. was estinmted that 30,000 tourists visited Eotorria in each) year. At Gov- , erhrtient rates, the return fares frpni Rofcr'na- to , Taupo would' fee 155.. first-claf.s and 10s. second-claw.- At such-fates. it, would fe safe, ftf rely, qii tn'o'-th.irds ofthe t'ourists visitiiij?' Taiipo. This, would pive sin inn'vial revertiie from passensers .of without reckoning, on the increase. wKioh niigfrt safely' when Taiipo 1 wax , bpeneyi up. Tho Eoforua, lirirf wtfuld probably' return a- reve'nuer froriv go'odS of annum to beßin with. The Taiipo , Compftny; estimated- tlie revenue form its' line at 420.00,- and the , Kotbr'ua-Taupo line through much morff settled cduntry. The Rotorua rail-; waj' would bo of considerable , strattßio iirtp'offahce, (is Taiipo ttas splendidly situated for a concentration' of forces. Nothing' wa"s' fy be gained from the' piilv lie point of viwv from the company Sproposal'. The heaVy eitra charprff . for freight: wotild ; IW' a lierpetual bifrden on (ho district, and would retard , its'progressn< compared with districts ?i>rved I)s' permanent; railway.- - . Kvi'ii if the- company accepted il«- j!h,irler .it permanent rafes,: «ttVers at Taupo Would have to pay. 31 per cent, more thau thos? iwjujr a .pojniauent line, via' tfotortia'. . Oil- tllf compai'i.f< lifiwip taTilfv the , a"tVditiounl .biirdcn' would be vastly gfeatei' Still. If the (fey.efnment: wi\9 ; ■pfeprif«d to 1 3'pejid U;18O,O0O dn. a railjftif tb'Tnrfoo, #6flld it'iiot'-Wirifiiiite-1/ better" for' it:- fo'.laV on't- th* ihtii iiVbiVilding' ift" own' fallffay' to new' line brfifc" xo tlie Qbvein'iKenf?' rfifff de-' sign,. (fM oil' pftiWr" fhriiv fo" sp?n'd if 6fi thisjranilinf? He" suggested that the CotrimittiJe 6\igliC to tecom'meiul. Phi'ltn'iiieht: to lay .its,- own lino , from , Rotoi'tiif to Tnupo. If -Parlia-• meilt ffbitld not- niide'rt'alw' thf A-orl;, ttie'n lie urged that the Rotorua people ouirht to- l)i> allowed' to , construct « |ifiV:\lc' line ■from Riil'o'rlift lo Taupo. Such n pruposal would, lio believed, nicet wilh enthnsia-tiu public support. But\ if neither of these r'qur-es co'nVilieiidc'd if-oli'. he would tiree' that if a uhartei' were (ji'iiiitcd tei the' company, it should be granted under stringent conditions. For the company's land proposnls he Mi nothinr hut coiumpii-la-tioa, be way more thsa ever com-ittced.

that tho pumice lands of 'i'aiipn were valuable for settlement.

Some Questions. Answering questions, witness said that lie owned Kl.ftwl acres of t'rrchald in the Taupo ili<tr\cf. Tin.' greater part of the land in the district was suitable for settlement. J'ruiiurly cultivated, it vouid carrv pioliiiblv one ,-lucp or one and ;i half shi'i'ii tn Iho acre. The po«::-siou of capital was iiudoubtedlya great ndv'aii(agt, in dealing with the Vaitpu Jands bill (he country w:is rjnilc suitable Vμr -mall settlement. Thu extension nf the 'I'nupo Company> lim- to (lie ink? wanld not Iji'netit him, so far as iisafiuof tho line wa-, hut it might imiirove the selling value of (he southern ixirtion or his property. He valued his land at .£'l mi acre. The suggested extension of the Taupo Company's line might improve tlie< viilne- of the southern part of his land 'iy ten per dent. . The cniistriiction <,C the* r.ororun-Tanpo line, inisjht possibly enhance the value of tho land by 50 per cent. ' ...

foifr. Solzicil': Last year he had consid-eved.thiit-fheTo was- not aay hope, that the llotorua line vioiild -he constructed. t>j r .Toseph Avard hod been very much oppose:! to tli*' Rotorna; line. 'J'he change of Go* ermiient had induced witness to change his opinion as to the likelihood-of the line being" built; • To the <-hnifman: Ho had not approached the present Government on the subject. The Committee adjourned until Thursday at 10 a.m.