THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1929. PAEROA-POKENO RAILWAY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5430, 29 May 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1929. PAEROA-POKENO RAILWAY.

At a special meeting of the Opotiki Railway League held last week it was announced that the Bay of Plenty Dairy Association had agreed to give its support to the Opotiki line in preference to the Paeroa-Pokeno deviation. At the same time a suggestion was made that the Railway League should co-operate with Paeroa by promising to support the PaeroaPokeno deviation if Paeroa supported the Opotiki extension. Members of the league were agreed that the Paeroa deviation was absolutely essential. They contended that with increased traffic if the line were extended to Opotiki, the Government would be forced to either duplicate the Frankton line or build the Paeroa-Pokeno deviation. One member considered that the Opotiki line should be built first ; another that the two lines be built simultaneously. While fully sympathising with the Opotiki Railway League, one would like to point out the fact that if the Opotiki extension were built before the Paeroa deviation there would only be added congestion and confusion on an already overcrowded and overworked junction—extra traffic that would serve to further delay trains already running on completed lines. Even now the line as far as Taneatua exceeds all expectations, as far as the Railway Department is concerned, in freight carried, and the service is far from what it should be in every way. What it would be like with a further 20 miles or so of line to Opotiki opening up another great stretch of country can readily be imagined. Rather let the Paeroa-Pokeno deviation be constructed first. Since the construction of the East Coast railway the building of this deviation has gone beyond a local affair affecting principally the Hauraki Plains. Its absence vitally affects all traffic approaching Auckland from the south ; delays to the main trunk expresses as well as the lowly but most important goods trains are caused by congestion at Frankton Junction, and the unexpected volume of traffic from the newly working East Coast railway is in no small way largely responsible for this. A duplicate line has been suggested and has been partly constructed in an attempt to relieve the congestion. But why do this when about the same length of line, at about the same cost, would open many square miles of potential untapped freight sources ? The railways may be owned by the Government, and therefore are not expected to be run on the same economic business lines as an ordinary private business undertaking : but after all the railway authorities in defence of their administration naturally wish to make as good a showing as possible to the public whose money it is pays the piper. The deviation would in truth mean a certain amount of increased freights, and therefore increased financial return, for by relieving congestion more trains could get through—and more trains are needed, especially from the East Coast. Now, what proportion of increased freights would the railway secure through a duplication of lines in comparison with a loop-line from

Paeroa to Pokeno across the Hauraki Plains —as fair an area as the Dominion boasts ? Obvious and overwhelming evidence shows that the increased amount of freight ove.* the loop would swamp that of the duplication. Therefore, to reiterate, the Railway Department has before it two alternative proposals for relieving congestion, one the loop, one the deviation, both at about the same cost of construction, and of about the same mileage, but with the former going to give more monetary returns, open up new country—for closer settlement among other things—and shorten the journey from Opotiki and eventually from Gisborne. The duplication has been started, and once finished the Paeroa-Pokeno loop would be relegated to the dim future and Opotiki, as well as all other towns on the East Coast railway, would suffer accordingly. Therefore we appeal to our friends at Opotiki, realising how much rapid railway communication with Auckland means to them, to forego their very justifiable demand for a line until the construction of the Pae-roa-Pokeno loop has been authorised. Then, with the backing of a united South Auckland to help their claim, Opotiki would get its extension. Now that the realisation of years of struggle for the Paeroa-Pokeno loop is apparently at last about to be fulfilled, it would be a pity indeed to in any way impede promising negotiations.