STRATFORD LINE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 July 1924, Page 9

STRATFORD LINE.

CONNECTION WITH AUCKLAND. DEPUTATION AT WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph.—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, July 17. Every local body in Taranaki was represented on a deputation to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Public Works to urge the completion of the Taranaki-Aueklaiid railway by the connection \of the 34-mile gap between Stratford hud Okahukura. Mr. Gordon Fraser, president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, asked Mr. Massey not to visualise the line as one slowly wandering out into a wilderness for twenty-five years past with the idea of connecting Stratford and Okahukura., but rather to visualise the filling of the 34-mile gap which separated the prosperous provinces of Taranaki and Auckland, They wanted to convert this homeless money sucking outcast of the railway family into a payable railway. Mr. Arthur Morton, on behalf of the North Taranaki dairy industry, stressed the inconvenience, of travelling to Auckland, via Marton, or by boat? The dairy industry was handicapped by having to bring by a circuitous route the coal and timber it required. Mr. J. B. Murdoch (Hawera County Council) said that from 12,000 to 15,000 tons of Waikato coal were used annually; in the dairy industry in Taranaki and 6000 tons of timber for butter and cheese boxes were utilised. Other speakers supported the request.

Th o k* Coates said that £44/,000 had been spent up to June last on the western end of the line, and another £IOO,OOO would complete it to .Ohura. After that the cost of completion would be £1,000,000. Mr. Massey: “A million?” Mr. Coates added that there was very heavy tunnelling to be done. There were already about 200 men working at tli£ other end, but be could not say anything in regard to expediting the work, as that depended upon the other works in hand. However, the railway was necessary and must take its oixler of completion. It was one of the most important lines. As the department has an excess of 600 men that surplus would help to speed up the work on the t\yo pieces of line, which would make it- possible to put more 5* 11 t° fke Taranaki-Auckland line lhe best acceleration would take place from Ohura towards Tahora. Meanwhile the roads were being prepared for the tunnels, which would extend for 34 , tliat the expenditure of the last £600,000 or £700,000 would be carried through quickly. l. _am not in a position to make anv promise,” said Mr Massey, “as to when this hue will be completed, and neither is the Minister for Public Works, but we cannot sit down and allow that gap to remain It has got to be proceeded Vith, but I do not know when we will be able to .bring a policy of concentration to bear upon it and get it finished. It is a matter of finance, and at present we have even more urgent purposes to finance in the way of construction. Applications at the rate of £1,500,000 a month are coming in, and if I complied with all requests we would have to close down the public works because there be no money. I think, however, thp difficulty will be removed in the course of a few months, as the pressure will he easier.