EAST COAST RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, 28 February 1905, Page 3

EAST COAST RAILWAY LEAGUE.

OPENING OF LINE TO TE KARA: A meeting of tho East Coast Railway League was hold yesterday afternoon at tho Borough Council Chambers to consider what steps should be taken in regard to the opening of the line to Te Karaka. The President (Mr J. Townley) occupied tho ohair, and there were also present Messrs W. L. Rees, G. Humphreys, Whiuray, , Lawless, W. Webb, Peokover, Baigent and | W. Gaudin (hon. secretary). The inward correspondence inoluded a latter from tho Cook County Counoil, inviting the League to meet them in conference on March 11th at S pan., for the purposo of considering a proposal to construct a light railway from the Karaka terminus to the Waiapu Valley, taking Mr Knorp’s report of 1890 as. a basis of any recommendation to the Government. Mr Rees proposed that the Council’s request be acceded to. Ho was oonvinoed that to get things done the' people of the district would have to be9tir themselves and not wait for the Government. If the settlers objeoted to the betterment principle then they would have to find some I other way of working. The Government were besieged with requests for railways from all parts of the colony, and the only way for Gisborne to get a railway was to formnlato some scheme by which they could help themselves. He intended to move in the direction that a light line to the Motu be undertaken. Mr Whinray seconded the motion for a conference with the County Council. Captain Tucker explained that the Cook County Counoil had approached the Waiapu Counoil on the subject of a light line along the inland Waiapu road, but they had been unable to get much satisfaction. It was then suggested that the assistance of the Railway League should be obtained. The motion was unanimously adopted. The President then introduced the subject of the opening of the line to Te Karaka and moved the following resolution :—“ That the Railway invito the Premier, the ■ Minister for Public Works, the Minister of Railways, and the members for the district, Messrs Wi Pere and Carroll, to visit Gisborne on the occasion of the I opening of the Gisborne-Te Karaka railway to Te Karaka on March 31st, 1905.”' He thought it was a fitting occasion to invite the Ministers to visit the distriot, and the advantage of their presence should be taken to'urge upon them the need for more expedition in carrying on the next section of the line. He had noticed that

I in many parts of the oolony,wheDlrailways of far less importance than the one under review had been opened, that the Ministers were usually in attendance, and he was certain they would not refuse to come to Gisborne, He was greatly disappointed that there was not a larger attendance at the meeting that afternoon,but they would have to do their best. They ought to have a free train to Karaka on the opening day, so that as 'many as possible would be induced to make the trip. There were scores of people in Gisborne who had never been to Te Karaka, and the only way to advertise the district was to take them there and show them what a fine J plaee it was. (Applause.) The railway I to Te Karaka had not been a very IODg job. The first sod : was turned on February 14th, 1900. Captain Tucker : That is over five years ago, The President: The line was opened to Ormond on June 26fib, 1902, and to Kai- I teratahi on November 10th, 1902. Mr Lawless : It is ie? a than 20 miles in five years, which is very slow. The President: There are many’ olo° es that have fared worse than wo have.' I Captain Tucker was not inclined to jubilate or go into ecstasies over the rate of progress of the line, nor did he want to be a wet blanket. He thought they should make the most of the opening, and get what they conld from the Ministers. Mr Uses supported the motion. The opening of the railway to Te Karaka would revive interest in the extension of the line to Motn and do a great amount of good. He would not bo surprised to find it the occasion from which they would date one or two very important extensions of railway communication in the district. Mr Humphreys suggested that arrangements should be made to have the school children taken to Te Karaka on the opening day.

The Chairman said that that would be be a matter for the Committee to deal with.

The resolution was carried, and on the motion of tho Secretary it was decided to also send an invitation to Mr Harries, member for the Bay of Plenty, to attend the opening ceremony. The following were appointed a committee to make all arrangements for the opening ceremonies: —Messrs J. Townley, W. L. Rees, C. A. DoLautour, W. Gaudin, A. F. Kennedy, J. Wbinray, G. Humphreys, and W. Webb.

It was arranged that the committee should meet on Thursday afternoon at four o’clock.

- rid that they would all admit that in there was power sufficient for the whole district. Electrical railways were well adapted for a hilly country such as the East Coast, and could be worked at a muek reduced rate. The present was the timo to press tbs matter upon the attention of the Government. They bad a railway in the centre of a district, the area of wbioh was 8114 square miles, that being the area oi the counties of Wairoa, Cook, Waiapu sod Whakatane. The distriets mentioned contained a great deal of the beat gracing land in the North Isiand, which could only be profitably settled by being opened up by railways branching from Te Karaka inl.and in scoh directions as may be considered most suitable. The Government would "not oonsent to the construction of private railways, and every effort should bo made to induce them to go in for an electrical railway, which would tend to develop tho district mote than would aDyibirg else. The district could not be opened np unless they got a railway into it, and they could put a ■ railway through it for lees than they could a road, and thora would be an immediate return from it. Mr heartily supported the proposal being for^v® r^e| l to the Government, The latter should be requested to put up motor power stations I c certain localities for the purpose of facilitating communication by rail. Electrical railways bad proved most successful in America, England and other places, and tho East Coast iwas wonderfully ondowed in the direction of water power. Tho resolution was unanimously adopted.

It whs deoided to ask the Railway Department to run the trains to Karaka free on opening day. _ . —wr-iTeezlag Chamber at t Current Rates, full particulars, apply to the rac star Firs £1 17 a HAj ETSi AND CO., Ltd. [ON, SHELTON & Ltd. ■thin IRISH FOUND. valu —r u HIGHiL . & E. PARSER'S, the Cheapest —ttlroj aoe in Gisborne for Ladies’ and Must bi ’s Outfitting. 5’ Dresses, from Is lid ; also SAILOl las’ Blouses, from Is lid to 18s 6d Firs 9SMAK1NG A SPECIALITY. \ SWORD piiy, Erttrie ’OS CORES TOOTHACHE with pe