TWENTY YEARS AGO

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32306, 30 August 1943, Page 6

TWENTY YEARS AGO

& NEED FOR GOOD ROADS PAEROA-POKENO RAILWAY HOUSE BURNED AT HIKUTAIA (From the Hauraki Plains Gazette of August 30, Mr W. F. Johnstone, who has just returned from a trip through Christchurch, and also Taranaki, speaks in very high praise of the roads in the latter province. “It’s high time we woke up and tackled , the question of good roads; it would pay us just as it has paid Taranaki,” concluded Councillor Johnstone in a brief chat with x our representative. Reference to the proposed railway from Paeroa to Pokeno was made by the Minister of Public, works, the Hon. J. 'G. Coates, in the House of Representatives on Saturday. He said two lines did not oppear in the schedule of estimated costs in the 'Public Works Statement. They were the Pae-roa-Pokeno l line, cutting out the loop to Frankton, and the Waiau - Downs line. The construction of both these lines was under consideration, but the estimates for them had not yet come to hand. A residence owned and occupied by Mr J. Murdock at Hikutaia, was totally destroyed Iby fire at 5 p.m. on Monday. The owner was away and the family all in the milking shed. The family lost valuable jewellery and were only left with their working clothes. The insurances are not yet known, owing to the owner’s absence, but he is likely to be a heavy loser.