PUBLIC MEETING

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1930, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING

SOUTH WESTLAND RAILWAY. EXTENSION: URGED. A public meeting was held in the Town Hall last evening at 8 o’clock. His Worship the Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry) presided, and those present included Mr Bernard Ward (Westland County Chairman), Dr Teielielmann (Deputy Mayor) and a representative gathering of citizens. The Mayor (Mr Perry) said the meet ing had been called for the purpose of inaugurating a. movement for the extension of‘ the railway below Ross. The proposal had received the authorisation of Parliament some years ago, but this had later been cancelled. He felt that the time had arrived when they should urge that the work should be > carried out, recognising as they all did the great value it would be to the whole district. , APOLOGIES.

Apologies were read from Mr W. J. Butler, absent 1 from the district and from Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., who regretted that lie was unable to attend owing to being in attendance on the Minister of Mines at Greymouth. The following letters were also received,: ; -.

From C. D. Lucas, .Secretary, of the Hardiaii branch of the New Zealand Fanners! Union:—“ln reply to yours of the 25th. inst. re meeting in connection with advocating the extension qf. the railvyay line south of Ross, I have to inform you that it is difficult for farmers to be represented by one of themselves at this busy time of the year. The above Branch will endeavour to,send a representative but in the event of failure 1 have been instructed to request you to assure the meeting that the farmers in this district are unanimous in giving their support to the extension of L.,e railway line furtuer „ south, . and trust than . your League will make successful representation to,-the Government re ithe not quate resources of South Westland to support a railway—timber, farm produce, tourist traffic, potential minerals etc.”- ■

'From, the Secretary Inter-’o’anganui Co-operative Dairy Factary;Coy. Ltd: ’•‘l have been instructed to .inform you that the-above Company accords ui.t!. the object of y our meeting re - the extension of the railway line south .ui rqoss. The Company is deeply concerned and .y trusts that your League wili be.successful in,lnducing the Government to go 'On with the line, believing .that the. resources ot South Westland will warrant the undertaking.” ' ' ' Ml' B. Ward (County Chairman; moved:

(1) “That this meeting representative of Westland County and interior Boroughs, urge the Rt. Hon. the Prime Minister, in view of the important industrial and payable freight traffic on the Ross-Hokitika railway, to re-enact the authorisation of the South Westland Railway Extensibn beyond Ross, provided for in ‘the Railways Authorisation Act, 1911, and repealed by the Public Works Act, 1928, and request the Hon Minister of Public Works to provide on the 1930-31 Appropriations, a sum of money to proceed witli that part io.f ‘the extension , which is already surveyed, and which his predecessor (Hon Roderick McKenzie) referred to so encouragingly in the Public Works Statement of 1911.” (2) “That the West Coast, Nelson and Canterbury members of Parliament, and Canterbury Progress League lie asked to support the foregoing resolution, and that those present (with power to add to their number) be constituted a South Westland Railway League to organise public and general support to the agitation for the extension of the railway as rapidly as possible.” (3) “That a deputation be authorised to wait on the Hon. Minister of Mines on the occasion of his visit to Hokitika to-morrow, and present a copy of Resolution No. 1, with a request that during his visit to South. Westland he will look into the project, and later take the matter up with the Cabinet in support of the construction of the line as an important, feeder for the South Island railway system:, and whence must be drawn the-major portion of the timber supplies, required by various parts of the Dominion.”

Mr Ward said, the resolution fully explains -itself. It was only by. agitation that' ’the .'requirements of the district could be obtained. It was .19 years since the railway line had been surveyed and the time had arrived for them to try and make a decided move,. He regarded South Westland as the most important part of the County. There was more room for development in South Westland than in any part of the, country. There was more, timber, in South Westland than in any other part of New Zealand. Around Qkarito there were millions of feet of white pine, which was the b|est timber for packages for butter and cheese boxes. There was another important output in Westland, and that was the production of flax. He was told there was more money. in flaxgrowing than in dairying. There was rpom for a far greater population in South Westland. It was a good proposition to push forward and he would like to see a start made with the extension of the railway south of Ross. The Minister of Mines would be here the next day and he would he glad to put tiie proposal before him. He believed to-day they had a sympathetic gpvernment. The present Prime Minister, in years gone by, had given his

support to the proposal. He bad great pleasure in moving the motion, and trusted it would be carried- with the enthusiasm it fully warranted. Mr Wm Wilson seconded the motion with great pleasure, knowing the value such a work would be to Westland and New Zealand generally. As ail old resident of Westland lie felt very strongly on the urgent necessity of the proposal, which would prove of great advantage in opening up the’ southern district. They must not forget that this -railway is an arterial railway. There was not the slightest doubt that the railway would prove a very distinct success. Every mile of the railway that is made will result in it being revenue producing, as it will at once tap timber lands and valuable dairying and -grazing country. The proposal had his very hearty support.

Mr J. A. Murdoch, supporting the motion said he was whole-heartedly in support thereof. They should recognise the advantages, and also the difficulties of the position. One of these was the avowed policy of the Prime Minister to complete the main trunk lines first. The • second one was the existing line owned by Stuart and Lhapinajii 1 jzd. In South Westland there wer five thousand million feet of timber ready for cutting, that-was wasting away. Piivate enterprise would cut and mill the .timber, and put .it on the railway sidings if the railway was made. He was satisfied it was the proper thing for the Government to give the opportunity to market the timber in South Westland. Referring to the private railway of Stuart and Chapman Ltd. lie said it was only to save the licenses of their timber areas that the erection of the line was taken in hand. He did not think that anything should be done to affect their interests, when it was remembered that they b.’d erected the Mikonui river bridge, which had proved such a boon to Southern traffic. He mentioned the vision of the late Mr Maraud row who. urged a railway from Dunedin to Westland via Haast Pass. It had been said by detractors that tne Hokitika-Grey and Hokiiika-Ross railways would not pay, but they all knew how wrong those detractors had been in their objections to the making of those railways. In. other parts of, New Zealand the farmers got their ime carried free on the railways, but the South Westland farmers could not get free lime carried because there was no railway to carry it. They could not expect, pastoral production to progress li'e ,it did ebewhere until tbov were able .to make use of the advantages of railway traffic. He gave his very hearty support to the proposal and trusted no -stone would be left unturned to enable their desire to be put into the earliest possible effect. The motion was then put and carried with npnlau.se. i 'Hie Mayor then moved that Messrs Ward, Wilson, Murdoch and Evans form a deputation to place the matter before the Hon. the Minister of Mines the next, evening on his arrival in Hokltika : .

A vote of thanks to the Mavor for presiding terminated the meeting.