RAETIHI RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 73, 19 December 1917, Page 5

RAETIHI RAILWAY

<>. . FORMAL OPENING. <Bv Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) , Wanganui, December 18. An event of very great impurtanco to the Main Trunk in general and Raotihi in partioular took place to-day ; when the long-looked-for formal opening of the Raetihi-Ohakune branoh railway was performed by the Prime Minister, tho flight Hon. W. F. Massoy. Thero was a very large gathering from all parts of the Trunk lino, both north and south, and among those present wero the following members of Parliament:— Messrs. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui, R Smith (Waimarino), and W. T. Jennings (Taumarunui). Raetihi was specially well represented, quite a largo number of its commercial men having responded to the invitation to.be present. Both Raetihi and Ohakuno were en fete in honour of the occasion, and at the later town in the morning a function was held under the auspices of tho local council to mark the important event, which now makes Ohakune an important junction along the 7. Trunk Kailway system. ■ ~ ~ Mr. E. J. Barry, Mayor of Ohakuno, presided, and speeches of a congratulatory nature wero made. There seemed to be a consansus of opinion that there ■was a community of interest between these central distriots and Wanganui, and anticipations were held that oventnally the Raetihi line would he extended through the Parapara Valley to Wanganui, thus bringing the large tract of valuable agricultural and pastoral hinterland into close contaot with its port on the West Coast. _ ' The first train for Raetihi left ObaTiuno at 9 a.m., and was crowded. Upon arrival the visitors were welcomed by the chairmau and members oi the Town Board, also members of tho Chamber of Commerce, and were shown some of tho prominent places of tho town. Subsequently when the Primo Minister and party journeyed oyer the line crowds of settlers and timber men cheered the train on route. "Upon arrival at Raetihi Mr. Massey received a great ovation. He offered his best congratulations to the-townspeople of Raetihi'and tho settlers of the district at the successful completion of tha railway, which he was sure would prove a great factor in the more speedy development of the Waimarino, which possessed such tremendous possibilities both as regards tho timber industry and opening, up a'very fine block ' of agricu'tural and pastoral country. Other congratulatory speeches were also made. The first sod of this new railway was turned by the Hon. R. M'Kenzie on February 19, 1912. It taps ,tha Main Trunk at the eastern end of Ohakuno railway yard, and is about ..eight miles in length. The-grade on tho whole is a fairly easy one, 'the stiff«t portion being near tho approach to the main ■ the grade is abont 1 in 50. No tunnels or very heavy cuttings were encountered in the construction.. The present route was selected in preference 'to the Rangataua route, and is 1} ' miles shorter than tho one proposed to be continued. , Both at tho functions to-day and this evening the. sneechas made were optimistic and showed that the settlers were delighted that, the railway was at last competed, giving as it did access to such a large tract of fertilo conntrv, most of which was still in virgin forest. :Tho timber industry woa flourishing, and hundreds of thousands ' of pounds worth of milled timber would be conveyed over, tho line for the Main Trunk. Tho most nleasing aspect was the fact that Raetihi wns a stock centre for approximately 2000 square miles of country. The railway was now an - accomplished fact, but it was to the Parapara Road, which linked VP Raetihi and Wanganui, that settlors' eves were turned. It was felt that this highway would serve a great stretch of country, and to show how miickly tho iourney from Wangamu to Raotihi could he negotiated mention was made' of the fact that Mr. Dawson, engineer to the Wanganui County Council, had that day motored throuch in four hours. Reference was also made to the fact that at one time the Waimarino Block, consisting of 200,000 acres, narrowly esoaped falling into tho hands of a private syndicate' from Auckland, the price arransed being 2s. 6d. per acre. A certain nitch occurred, and subsequently the land was acquired by the Government.