WILLOWS AND RAILWAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 79, 24 April 1908, Page 2

WILLOWS AND RAILWAY.

SOME time ago, in response to representations made by settlers through Mr Greensladc, M.P., the Hon. Hall-Jones wrote to the member statin.;;' he had arranged that the Railway Department should contribute towards the work of clearing the willows in the Mangapu Valley, providing the work was done the satisfaction of the Railway Engineer at Auckland. A sum of one hundred pounds is now at the disposal of the Department for expenditure in the manner stated, but some doubt appears to exist as to the proper authority to expend the amount. A grant of £2OO was made during last Parliamentary session, and was duly expended under the supervision of Mr R. Galbraith during the summer. A large amount is still necessary to have any material effect on the willows, and it is to be hoped a proper scheme will be adopted for dealing with a very serious menace to the railway and district, before the evil becomes worse. The Minister's letter states that although the line between Olorohanga and Hangatiki is flooded from time to time, the amount of damage to the railway has not been extensive, and the cost of repairing the same has been inconsiderable. In this ' connection it would be interest- ' ing to know the Minister's opinion on the matter during a flood \viih the Auckland - Wellington express service suspended for a lew days. Only last year we had the experience of a suspended service on two occasions. The January flood might certainly be classed as extraordinary, seeing t hat i he whole railway service of ih. iYovince was affected, but the stoppage in spring was the result of weather to which we are subject at least once a year. It may be con tended that the Railway I Vpannieiu is not wholly conci'iau d in having the evil remov- ■. d, !>:i; seeing that the Departiiu ni is. \ itallv affected by the floods, it is certainly the duty of tiie (.iovernmont to establish matteis on such a footing that a stoppage in one of the chief lines of the Dominion will be obviated.