Proposed Railway to Kawhia

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 217, 14 July 1905, Page 2

Proposed Railway to Kawhia

A meeting of tbe Kawhia Harbour Railway League was held iu the Settler Office on Wednesday last, when about a dozen residents attended, in addition to Messrs A. Babbage and J. Scott (Awaroa), P. Bell (Marokopa), J. Shaw and M'Donald (Kinohaku), A. Norton (Te Mata), and H. Ann elrong (Oparau). Or Jonathan presided, and tbe meeting was productive of much enthusiasm. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Pettit apologised for the delay iu printing tbe petitions, owing to having to wait for details as to how they were to be worded. The Secretary (Mr Gosling) then read the petitions, which are worded as follows : To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of tbe House of Representatives in Parliament assembled. Tbe Petition of tbe undersigned residents and others in the district of Kawhia humbly sbeweth—let. That tbe Hon. R. J. Seddon, in a speech delivered at Auckland on the 17r ( h of March is reported to have made use (of the following words : “ There was a railway which he had heard nothing ’about since coming tv J Auckland. He referred lathe necessity of a line to connect the Main Trunk Line with Kawhia. He wxh surprised that-their advisers had not told them of this, and it had remained for him to tell them wbat was. wanted.” 2nd. That your petitioners take the Premier’s statement, as above set forth, to be the honest conviction of a Statesman who is fully acquainted with our local necessities, and who has at heart the welfare, not only of our district but of the whole colony. 3rd. That your petitioners thoroughly endorse and agree with tbe Premier’s statement on tbe following grounds, viz, : (a) That the harbour of Kawhia lies within 25 miles of the Main Trunk Railway Line, and is the best port on the West Coast of the North Island. At spring tides there is from 26 to 28 feet of water on tbe bar, and vessels once inside have ample room and depth of water and can lie in safety in any weather. (b) That a railway from-'tbe Trunk Line io the Kawhia Harbour would make the Harbour a depot and distributing centre for tbe bulk of the timber in the great timber areas of Waimarino and the centre of the North Island ; it would open up extensive areas of coal and lime as well, and there would in time be a large export of butter and farm produce. (o) That the Upper Waikato is rapidly becoming thickly populated, and a large local and business traffic may be relied on, whilst. tbe ts,and health-giying surroundings of the harbour. (d) That a railway line to the Main Trunk would afford a cheap means of interchange of 'produce, etc., between the Upper Waikato and the West Coast of the South Island. (e) That tbe land over which the railway line would pass could be easily and cheaply acquired at the present time. 4th. For kQe reasons above set forth we, your petitioners humbly pray : That preliminary steps be taken toward establishing railway communication between the Main Trank Line and Port of Kawhia, by having a survey and estimate of cost mads and laid before Parliament. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. On the petition being read, a gentleman present queried the accuracy of the figures relative to tbe depth of water on the bar, and it having been stated that the a.a. Hinemoa would shortly be in tbe harbour buoying the Waiharakeke Channel, tbe following motion was proposed by Messrs Pettit and Jas. Scott, and carried :—“ That the Marine Department be asked to sound the bar of the Kawhia Harbour, and forward the result for the information of the Kawhia Harbour Railway League ; also to survey tbe channels in the harbour.” Mr A. Babbage moved and Mr R. M'Cardie seconded—” That copies of the petition be sent to influential persons to obtain signatures, tbe petitions to bo returned by August 20th; also, the gentlemen be asked to firm branches of the League.”—Carried. Tbe members subscription wa i fixed at 2s 6d, r and the secretary wa« voted 10s 0d for clerical assistance. On the motion of Messrs J. E. Scott and John Shaw it was resolved that Messrs F. W. Lang and Jennings M’s.H.R., be communicated with, asking them to support tbe petition. Instructions were given to send petitions to the following gentlemen— Jer. Ormsby, Te Kuiti ; John Ormsby, Otorohanga; B. La Preu, Mangapeehi; J. Troup, Ngapenga road, Te Kuiti; A. W= Babbage, Awaroa • J. Shaw, Kinohaku ; P. Bell, Marokopa ; A. N. Norton, Te Mata; P. Rose, Ki rite bo re ; H. Armstrong, Oparau ; J. Bathurst, Te Awamutu ; T. Murray, Pirongia ; J. Teddy, Ohaupo ; Francis Corboy, Kihikihi; R. Gwyune, Loan and Mercantile, M'Nichol and Co., Hamilton ; W Toko, Aotea. The meeting closed with a voto of ! thanks to the chairman and to Mr Pettit for tho use of the offioe.