GISBORNE-KARAKA RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 202, 2 September 1901, Page 3

GISBORNE-KARAKA RAILWAY.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT.

Tiieiie was a large and representative attendance of settlers at tho meeting held in tho County Council Chambers, on Saturday, to consider the question of the Gisbornp-Karaka railway, and tho necessity of urging upon the Government tho more speedly construction of the line. Mr J. Macfarlane presided, and in opening the proceedings, stated that five or six years ago thero was formed boro a railway league to promoto tho cause of a railway in the district. That league worked until they had got the Government to start a railway, and sinco thon they had been practically dormant, having accomplished their first purpose, hut the timo had arisen, seeing that the Ministers had promised that tho work should be prooeeded w T ith with all despatch, to take action. The Hon. HallJoncs, in whoso department tho control of the work was, had stated they would havo tho line open to Ormond last January, That was eight months ago, and tho railway was not open as far as Ormond. He would point out that the authorisation of 18S9 iu the sehedulo for the Gisborno-Karaka railway was to take tho line to the Ngakavoa stream, about 18 miles. He thought the railway should be authorised as far as Ivaraka, or beyond, and that the survey should be proceeded with* immediately. Thero must be only ono opinion among them, and that was that the Government should he earnestly requested to push the railway on. Mr Mathew Hall (Matawhero) : The Ngakaroa stream is not 18 miles from Gisborne. The Chairman : That is all that is in the authorisation act. Mr Hall : There must be some mistake. The Chairman : Well, that is all they are authorised to do. Mr Hall : It is not in the direction the railway is going now. Thn Chairman : That is where they are authorised to take it. Mr King : The Ngakaroa stream is on ;he right side going to Karaka, where they are going now to get gravel, four or five miles this side of Karaka.

Mr Hall: Where is the railway to cross the river ? The Chairman : I know nothing about it. I understand there is no survey beyond the river, or if thero is it is only a llying survey. ‘The Mayor said that he understood from' the Engineer that the bridge was now under consideration. Borings had been taken, and the Department were considering the erection of the bridge near*where the line went down to the gravel-pit. The rumor that they were not going to cross the river was nonsense. It was simply an invention. Ho had I suggested to Mr Carroll the better progress of the work. He had found that it would take three weeks to get to the gravel-pit, aud from ten weeks to three months to metal it, and the railway would then be ready for opening as far as Kaiteratahi by about Christmas. He thought the meeting should urge on the Government the speedy construction of the work. Kow that Parliament was in session was the time to do it. They wanted the countrv people to carry on the agitation. He proposed : “ That this meeting deplores j the slow progress the Government are making with the Gisborne-Karaka railway, for want of which thousands of pounds are being sent out of the district every ; month for building timber which could be ’ obtained locally if the railway was con- , structed about 40 miles inland; besides, ; the urgent want of a railway is _ seriously : retarding the true progress of this district, . which consequently retards the progress 1 of the colony as a whole ; and, thereby t respectfully urges the Government to have r the necessary surveys completed, and the a more vigorously proceeded, v?itit,"

His Worship further added that the line could be opened by the month of January. A voice: But we were supposed to have had it opened last January. The Mayor : It is not the only work that has not been completed. Mr King : No, it is like the dredge. (Laughter.) The Mayor : We are done with last year ; we are dealing with the present now.

M.-.!,.v_ ; w .... u.d : at the meeting j slv.-ui f. w . 1.. : - and evolve one; V; ' ' n. 1 . ' a ■ ! , me mam r ■ ~: m j G aveviiino: : in tile strongest way. die submitted the fj : ■ That tins ■-, Iwtvtea .■ , f m .he Id atiS : ■ . ■ ■ f Public- Works to the Cook < ■ ... h. i;" tee an; tile Minister Vf...to i : ;am from rariiameat .■ m e voics !a •o.ha.t that the prosecution oi the Gisborne-ivarxka line may pro .h auth a. it.a- expedition, and further desires to remind the Minister of ipe hoy : ; r mis: s l die kite Would o. . Wo t'r.-iO'al o daiiuury. 1 \iol. T ; ■ oiro' i ami r... d by this meei- . he iioc : hand iioin Karaka, O' , ttsiy :.o;i;or!e d terminus, o , v. h v ... . p.ivr m the o. 1:. V. . t o . ' » are io. the hr - ■s' .a. ■. W a. h . ..lire hW or i r. r i n: a be da ad. .1 i a ■ hii. ■ inti o '-o re. pcctlu'.ly re- : i■; oa':" 1 .. 1 '.: iy 1.-e c:r e- i { - a .. in , .. ' a.; \ t s ; :ad - ' ~- -h .:: ' m. 0; ... in. r .. .■ v. hi i:a\ e !. on j ' 1 io- the. out 1. for completed." o. a. h" -' : O oOt his I'CSO- : u . for ...hi. lit -la. d that lie was not v. in an i aas utirely in the | hit . r hr u:oi 1 :r, Tia ia. vo. 1 many j , -a ~ v. no liad watched the pro- [ a : , ~ 01 .a, tiiio. and they wore of the . ai 0 at there wx- sweat vr.t in the | h 1 . i h.; l n' a tar a l . !h was perhaps dan- : . a i ' - . r St lid" io ilia Government, W a- ci'iia ; ss i'iO'\ could not shut their ... i.aet that the v.wk was not a. 1 in :: o most ecouoiiiieal ,0. . :. iiaaijlu the expenditure should .. " iy , i. dims. d. i . We. me. 1.0,1 foliutved Mr Blight. i . . ■ a mi: the 1 ’ lowing ideas to the i ". ::. - ti'W - meeting: ha\ ing .o i tin pi ms of the Gisbornea so: way. i m Wat flic work has t ,■ , ;., W -a, ai d v. ith mo:, a .. r. a i.a of nailv.ays i poomis: 1 the iajiv,a \ oiouhi b ottm.'u !’ r\ -a ; his, \ our to lum. ' u. This meeting view.! with dissatisfa ■ .u., .... po ■ .a the j .wa v uudot ti o J a. rah , o . ; . an 1 u •r on Govei unieiit . r uh. ■ hie worn can be can led Wit !\ h. rawer eooi'omy with regard to ie- ; do- it woi’i-.l be bettor to lew"! to the dd eo.orniel style. ti. This mooting is dio -atistied with the .-how progness of tnc railway, and urges on the Government We neves,iu of getting the line pushed i trough (juickoa 1 . if im . ; fof any liiuiueiai itso cither to ha .hsti'iet or the j eulai.y. 1. This m ■; -urges t.tiil I lie laoa, ernni. m push . a v a . the sun ey of ike line beyond J 1 ■'' "i mi. so 1 1 at the hri Igos and other r • r-t 'a i\ e work may bo j.ruvidtd for.” :: adit that the luecti: a. i'rien the 1 a. o solutions before it, would a : ■ e...... id, i in, to what should ia suggested t i she Government. They were aii dime istUd with the rate that tile raib.VL', lie l heen going on. Had the seme weak h on done under the old >■ awn, i lie .-.mount of money already spent would have pot the lino almost to •ho Wiiaku, ami the Minister of iPutiiw,ays a..a;:d have . a ahle to have fulfilled his ptomisi -a I lie !Mr Kuuliou) hoped to hear o'hers put foiwnrd lie. ir views, and that ufier the matter !,a i been talked out some tangible resolution might be made b ■ d- ' Mr Toniliieson did not see that a bald i" 'inti.>:i decrying the co-operative sys- . ... was of aa \ use, unless it was backed ua witit figures. u The Chairman said that they were in a funny position, as they laid three series of re solutions before (ho meeting. .Mr ]Slight: 1 did. not intend mine in the w ay of a re solution. Mr 1 .ysnar scaoiided the Mayor's l'csolution, as he thought it covered the lot. I i.e spoke at sonic length on tiie important nature of the work, and stated that the altitude of the Government did not warrant them patting their member on the heck; they should hold him off at arm's length and demand it from the Governin' nt as a just right. It was a colonial work that warranted the Government coming forward. Mr DeLnutour was pleased to see such a representative- meeting. He reminded them that tlie vote Uf- session must bo a limited one. as the Government could not go outside to l)oi row. They could only expect a. share of idle money raised and allocated. They had been met by the J.’reniier mote fairly than they had ever beam met before. She district wanted a commercial raihvrg on cheap lines to ! bring out the produce of the people. It did not want an express, he doubted if it wanted a passenger train at ail. To get a commercial line, he thought it was still open to the Minister to consider whether he would not ghe them a cheap light line, so dm: they might got two miles for one. i bis was llio district that should have a light line, and not Stratford. lie thought the time had come when the district should have a united policy, so that its wants should be made known. lie agreed with ! any of the resolutions except those which were of a censorious nature. He did not behove in people asking for aid and criticising the aid that was given them. Mr G. Grey did wot think any good would irsuh in luuvfing against the coo;)r rativc st slum. They all knew tu it it was a v... i* \ we o.!' i system, and : gaud to the railway day all knew th he i greatest economy hau not been practised. Mr Bright has put it in a right and proper was.

Tlio Chairman read the first two resolutions, and Mr J. Clark stated that he preferred the wording of Mr Bright’s 1 motion. ' The Mayor said that Mr Bright's resolution was both dictatorial and censorious, and was not likely to meet with the favorable consideration of the Minister. Mr Bright replied that ho had struck out the last clause, to which exception had been taken. The Mayor : T; is not the kind of resolution that the Minister will accept. Tile Chairman : I think you are quite wrong. Wo have a right to draw the Minister's attention to the promises ho made. air Bright : I do not see why we should not remind him of his promises. Afier further discussion, it was decided to put Mr Bright's motion to the meeting, and this being done, it was carried unanimously. i m the motion of Mr DcLautour, it was fir tided to set up a committee to watc-li | the matter, and to consider the reading of i tbu ibsiriu. the committee to consist of the Chairman, the Mayor, and Messrs Clark. Cray. 1 high l, and the mover, with pew; r to add p, their number. Mr Hood: Monk! it not be possible to ■oss -u.d ; riie Bail way To ague V Even if o'■ : .-a hid i si out of tlie muiion just p.’-w.d it will be some years before the line is rii ough. fo r H.ubbs though: that there was great need for the League to be resuscitated, as i’ was quite comp-tent for the Railway League to thoroughly investigate the gu -t on of light lines. It was not too lore to rectify the error. Each mile of railway was at present costing about £- tOO. and by adopting light lines it was po-'-sihle to have five miles for one. He instanced the success of light lines in the other parts of the world, and contended that New Zealand was eminently adapted for them. Five years ago he had proposed to the Government to put a light line from Napier and Opotiki. and had his proposition been given effect to, they would have been able to get timber from tii- Mottt. There was every reason for forming a Railway Reague. The Chairman : The Railway League is still in existence, although in a very quiescent state. They had funds in hand, and the only question to be decided was when they should meet. The League had a lot of information in reference to light railways stored away. The Government were not taking light railways some time ago. but things were changed, and one was now to be constructed from Dannevirke. His own opinion was that light railways wore toys. Mr Lysnar : If the Railway League is resuscitated, it wants io be reorganised. It is no use shutting our eyes to the fact that there are men on that Railway League who are not sincere. If we want a n ihvny, we or: * have a fresh League. Mr King: Th:M» right: sack them. Mr J.ysnar : s:i .Ms what I say. Hi' as you c on von c them cuing of Ike L rue, you will he able to ve l'r h i .f, ■ a-, as their o: office is a! . * out. A vote of thanim :. rim Chairman terminated the proceedings.