TAUPO RAILWAY

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1929, Page 1

TAUPO RAILWAY

MR VAILE’S LAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association). WELLINGTON, September 24. Concluding his evidence at the Taupo railway inquiry, E. E. Vaile admitted to Mr Makitanara that he had been for 22 years a land agent at Auckland. A further question, as to whether he bought his 50,000 acres/of Taupo land for speculative purposes,, was disallowed. He denied that he had used political influence with the. late Government in connection with the railway. He had none to use, anyhow.

Replying to Mr Kyle, he said that he had hoped by offering land to the Government at its present value, contingent on the railway going through, to divest himself of any personal interest in the construction of the line, but as it had been suggested that the offer was discreditable to himself, he now wished to withdraw it. Mr Jenkins, M.P.j said that he took off his hat to Vaile as a pioneer who had gone into the wilderness and made a garden of it. Replying to Mr Semple, Mr Vaile said that between Rotorua and Taupo there might be 100 votes, so that from a voting point of view, political influence was absolutely nothing. Since he left Auckland in 1918, he had contributed absolutely nothing to the Reform Party, funds. There were no Reform supporters in the area concerned able to make big contributions and in the last election, the Reform Party had a minority support there, it wasv.a pure invention to say the railway was a political one. He could not see how his offer to sell property for £30,000 could be construed into an inducement to the Government to build a line costing £70,000. Mr Vaile said the Public Works Department had made conditions too “nervous” for him to subdivide his land. He contended motor transport would be much dearer than rail transjort. Motor transport also was an economic loss to the countiy, as muc i of the money went abroad. T ieie was less justification for the Rotorua line when it was built than for the Taupo line, which would open up two million acres. Replying to Mr W. Lye, Mr Vmle said he had no complaint to make about political bias on the part of the

committee. qXJITE ANOTHER STORY. Mr F. G. Dalziell, Chairman of the Totnra Timber Company, referred to the company’s activities in advancing settlement. If Mr Vaile had not for many years been fighting the company there would have been a great dea of settlement on the area, but he had chosen to oppose the company s efforts. In 1012 a Parliamentary Committee had recommended the extension of the

Company’s line to Taupo, hut nothing bad been done. , . Such an extension, sa.d Mr Dnkiell, would sufficiently serve national interests in 1925 a Commission had expressed the opinion that the present

line was sufficient. The enquiry uas adjourned till to-morrow. WELLINGTON, September 25. F. G. Dalziell continued his evir deuce. He enlarged on the Taupo Totara Timber Coy.’s policy in making i timber pay for transport so as to help , the settlement in the pumice country. > He urged the Committee not to rei commend construction till it knew the r route and the amount it would pi obably cost. He suggested a consulta- , tion among those interested to arrive - at the best solution. He favoured a - committee of experts in preference to b a Royal Commission.