PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4840, 12 June 1925, Page 2

PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

EARLY COMMENCEMENT DESIRED. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. lii acknowledging receipt of the Hauraki Plains County Council’s donation to its funds the Auckland Railways League advised that an endeavour was being made to get the Paeroa-Pokcno railway line under construction and to be finished when the link between Katikati and Tatb ranga is completed. The League suggested that the County Councils at Paeroa, Tc Aroha, and Morrinsvillc be communicated with, urging united action to have the section commenced. Some £5OOO was placed on the Estimates a number of years ago, and it should be spent. The’league would back the efforts.

The writer pointed out that the Hamilton “pull” was against the project, and he observed that of course the Government wanted the long route by Frankton Junction for revenue purposes. It could not realise that a saving of 44 miles of railway in time and expense must increase traffic on the line and not lead to a loss. The league urged that the line be barracked for to the utmost as a tourist route to Rotorua,

When the letter came before the Plains County Council on Tuesday Cr. Hare urged the councillors to keep on pegging away to get the railway under way.

Cr. McLoughlin pointed out that the Hon. J. G. Coates when in Ngatea had been r approached and had promised to give the question serious consideration in two years’ time. That period had now passed, and he was of opinion that Mr Coates should be urged to keep his promise. He moved to that effect, and Cr. Hare seconded, the motion being carried. Cr. Hare also moved that representatives of the (Ohinemuri and Piako county councils, Paeroa, Waihi, and Te Aroha borough councils, be asked to attend a conference in Paeroa- on the subject.

Crs. Hare and Miller would be the Plains delegates. A member suggested inviting the Thames borough and county councils to attend, but others pointed out that this would be useless as those councils were avtively opposed to the railway;