PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5396, 6 March 1929, Page 1

PAEROA-POKENO LINE.

BENEFITS TO DISTRICTS SERVED.

QUICK TRANSIT, MORE TRAFFIC.

The Auckland Railways and Devel-

opment League, w i hich for years- past has been advocating the construction of the Paeroa-Pokeu’o loop line, has recently taken up the matt®ir with re '

newed vigour, and is broadcasting bulletins inviting support in the movement.

CLAIMS (OT THE LINE.

After describing the “cut off” as

“the most important line in New Zealand awaiting cons true, to-day,' 1 Bulletin No. 4 sets forth six leading reasons why, in the opinion of the league, the work should be started and completed as early as possible. They are:—

“1. It cannot be called a branch line because it will become a vital link in the East Coast trunk line and is the next logical step in view of the addition of the Bay of Plenty line of 109 miles (from Waihi to Taneatua) to the main railway system.

“2. It wifll save 47 miles in distance (and up to two hours in time) from Auckland to Faeyoa and all places between Thames and Taneatua, and. also 19 miles to Te Aiioha.

“3. It will assist in relieving the growing congestion on the main trunk line between PPtkeno and Frankton Junction and postpone for a time the necessity for duplicating the wholqof this section. It will also provide au alternative route to divert even main trunk traffic in the event of. any interruption of. the line (which duplication would not. prevent) between points.

“4. It will open up to further profitable settlement the fertile Hauraki Plains, as well as assist the agricul-i tural and pastoral development of the Ohiuemuri and Bay of Plenty districts by giving the shorter haul for the delivery of manures, supplies, etc;., and the opportunity to quickly rail cattle, sheep, and other farm products to the chief port of-the province. “5. It will be an easy lige to put through, as for the most part it is across level country and ' s actually the least difficult of any authorised railway awaiting construction in the Dominion to-day, and construction could He carried out at both ends, simultaneously near settled districts. “6. It shoulo pay it way from the outset because of serving districts already settled, and lower building costs, thus enabling the Railways Department to compete better in providing a quicker and more direct service for both passengers and) freight to and from the Hauraki Plains, Oliinemuri, and the Bay of Plenty.” OPENING UP COUNTRY. The bulletin glvejs Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Waihi, Katikati, Tauranga, Te Puke, > Matata, Te Teko, Whakatane, Taneatua, and Opotijri as tlie leading t.oiwns which will benefit in the saving of time and distance, and the Piako, Thames, Coromandel, Ohinemuri, Tauranga, Whakatane, and Opotiki c.ountiefc as the districts which will be more directly connected with their chief distributing centre—the port of Auckland. It (inter alia) goes on to say :— “It is claimed that the essential feature) of. rail construction is development of the country, and this Sector takes precedence over ‘making the 7 railways pay.’ Assuming that this is so, the Paeroa-Pokeno railway Construction has a claim which, must take precedence even over new construction (as Rotorua-Taupo) because the district served, while still having thousands of ac.res of undeveloped land, with an occasional broken-in farm in the midst of it, has hundreds of acres of broken-iu country being allowed to go back. It serves practically the whole of the Plains area, which is in occupation and) not producing one-third pf its capacity. A trip through the Plains soon gives evidence to anyone interested that while drainage is a feature preventing settlers carrying dairy herds to the capacity of the acreage because of winter difficulties, the Plains in the; summer months could carry thou-, sands of head of stotek for fattening. If development meajis : (1) Increased output for the Dominion; (2) the settlement of farmers on undeveloped land ; and (3) the prevention of. country already broken in going back to second growth, then the Paeroar Pokeno railway has substantial claims for precedence under this head.” THE ECONOMIC ASPECT. Coming to economies, the bulletin says: “Considered in the liglht of the East Coast main trunk railway, and the fact that the railway's at the moment d 0 not pay their way, when the average cost per mile for the whole construction of New Zealand is £15,400 and that the East Coas.t trunk line cost approximately £26,000 per, mile to build, it is a reasonable assumption, considering the evidence of. tannage available, that the) Pokeno railway will be in a position to carry its own cost of. construction and at the same time enable the East Coast trunk line to earn considerably more in interest than it will without

the Paeroa-Pokeno Jink. . . . An-

other feature, is that it makes it possible ijor Tauranga and The Mount beaches to become the playground of Auckland’s thousands by providing fast rail services. It should be "well known to the railway officers that the railway serves no beaches to provide tli at v®iry essential factor for holidaymakers during the summer hjolidays.”