THE DEVIATION COMMISSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1557, 30 May 1916, Page 4

THE DEVIATION COMMISSION.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON’S SITTING.

Tim Commission resumed nl 2 l).m. on Thursday.

Mr Drew continued liis evidence, and said that there were live bridges on the tram route, which were periodically Inspected by Government officials. The engines and rolling slock were also inspected by Government oliiccis.

In reply to Mr Myers, witness proceeded to give valuations of the tram properties.

The Chairman: is this evidence necessary ? Mr Myers: I thought it would lie of value to the Commission in its finding.

The Chairman said lie did not think it would be necessary.

Howard Nicholson, farmer, residing within five miles of Foxton and eight miles of Levin, said lie curried on mixed fanning on a farm of 500 acres. He was well acquainted with the district lying (ictwecii the Manawatu river and' Levin. The proposed railway between Foxton and Levin would serve an extent of some 20,000 acres. r l bis was now used for sheep, and I lie eflect of the railway going through would result in its being cut up into small farms for dairy purposes. The Chairman: Why don't they go in for dairying now ? Mr Luckie: It is frto far from a railway.

Witness said he did some dairying. The cream was borne separated and sent it to (lie Koputaroa. It was not possible to send the milk without separation owing to its bulk, and the distance to bo covered to reach the factory.

Mr Luckie: What effect would a railway have if opened up between Foxton and Levin'.' Tile Chairman : It all depended how close the witness was lo flic railway. You don’t (impose to (int a railway into each farm, do you ? . ■ Mr Luckie: No; but I am only showing that there are 20,000 acres of dairy country there awaiting development. The Chairman: No such thing. There is not more than 5000 acres, Mr Luckie: We have had a shortage of milk in Wellington, and these people can’t get their milk to the train. In reply to a question, witness said if ho were living nearer the railway he would send Ids milk to Wellington. The Chairman: Well, why don’t yon get iqi earlier? Witness: Well. I get up at 5 o’clock now. The t haiiman: So do I. but 1 don’t expect any more lor it. (Laughter). ,\t the request, of Mr Myers, witness pointed out the route of the proposed lino on the map. , Mr Mvers; Why, it passes right through vonr properly. It should suit you very well. (Laughter). Mr MyiAe; How long have you people been thinking about, this line? Witness; For the last ten years. Walter Hytlor. farmer, la’VHi. said the effect of the railway would be to subdivide a large area of country suitable for dairy-

To .Mr liiin's; Tlu' lino Has desifiible in •) K „o(l many way*. It would increase! the value of the land, but it would lead to subdivision. Mr limes: No part of ibis laud i.s more illiui four miles from any railway, is it? Witness: Grace's farm for one is at feast, six miles from the railway. li. If. Gardiner, town clerk, Levin, tfaye evidence on tlie same lines ms previous wit-

nesses. , . , Mr Skerrett announeeil that he only liau two more witnesses to call. Mr limes said he would underlake to finish his case on Friday. to which the chairman replied that this would suit veiv well, as the ('ommission wished to be m Weliinetou on Saturday. The luncheon adjournment was then Alfred Hush, timber merchant Martini. Stated he had been connected with the -aw milling indtlslrv for eleven years. In Ins opinion, Ohakune was the principal centre of the industry in they North Island. lie regarded the carriage of timber a.- a paying proposition tor the railway. -Ml tbe timbei for the Sainton district came down the Mam Trunk line, and reached tsandon through llimitangi liv tram. Delays look place in the despatch of timber between Martou and Palmerston, through shunting. ft the deviation were rallied out. it- would result in a reduction of 2 per eenr to a eonsj.ruor in freight, which would allow timber u, be brought to Wellington and compete there on advantageous terms with sea-borne timber, li would also mean an increase m returns from freight to the Hallway 1 <- Wellington sea-borne trade it would mean a revenue to the Department of £5500 per year. ’ William Charles Kor.singfon. vice-presi-dent of the Marton Chamber of Commerce, put in the (.'hamber’s views in support ol the proposed deviation, which was ;l substantiation of the evidence of tiny previous witnesses. Tile Chamber also pointed out. tliat the proposed railway hue would shorten the journey to Auckland, Wanganui, and New Plymouth by some 17 or 18 miles. Tbe line' would be taken through practically level country, presenting no engineering difficulties. It would avoid the heavy wear and tear on the rolling slock by the heavy I'iades and numerous curves on the portion of Ihe present railway line from Palmerston North and Great ford, and would enable a much higher rate of speed to be maintained Oil the , through express trams to Auckland and New Plymouth,, and that the present course ot the Alain 1 runk hue yo\ei ed a distance of 57 miles from Levin to Martou, whilst the proposed hue would certainly not be more than 40 miles between the same points. W. McVilly, assistant, general manager of the Railway Department, submitted a mass of official evidence in regard to traffic, etc . on the Wellington-Palmerston section of the railways, and other particulars, for the information of the Commission. The Commission then adjourned. FRIDAY’S SITTING.

Tlio Commission resumed at 10 a.m. toCharles Wilson, Mayor of Marton, said lit' hud been a resident of that district for 25 years. Witness stated that if the lino was shortened by the deviation, jho freightage on benzine and other goods although they would not he reduced, would go wholly to I he Railway Department, instead of Do the shipping companies, a» the goods come by ship to W anganui. The Chairman remarked that the Uangiinyj people would not like that because they woulil jiot. like tki'ir port closed. ; Mr Luelfje contended that this would 1 not close the non at, all. , ; William McKenzie, secretary to the 1 al■i„eps)on North Chamber of Commerce and yevera/ other bodies, stated he had been in communication with various local bodies in different parts o) the North island with iei»yrd to the proposed deviation, and rcsolu- i Finns protesting against the proposal had : been received, and these were hud botore i the Commission. , ~, To Mr Skerrett; The Palmerston .Chani|>er of Commerce adopted a pent ral attitude, on 1 lie proposed extension of the. tramway. Tho Chamber certainly opiiosed the deyi.a- , rtlptr F.dward Pearce, farmer. Kiwitea, and chairman of the Kiwitea County f'omicil said lie had previously resided m the »Saiidon district C '?y some twenty year>. It was not the practice ;.n that district, to utilise the straw after gram was threshed, it was considered valuejess. and burnt or allowed to rot. The .Kiwitea County was opposed? to the proposed deviation, llie |.meipal reason being that; the Kiwitea district, which was thickly populated, was totally unprovided by railway facilities, the nearest point, of railway connection being at (Cheltenham, eight hides away It this deviation pere granted it would rciltfce iho Kiwitea Canty’s opportunity of securing railway comnmiimalipii itself. The Kiwitc.i County was pf opinion that tho deviation would V prove .payable B ,s the district it would pass through was already fairly closely settled. The Kiwitea County was more entitled to a railway than the deviation which "as being urged by the bamlon and adjoin ing‘districts. fo Mr Innesy. The Kiwitea. County WW OfA .considered "the question of tlic extension' of .the tramway to Marton or Crcatf°Meldrum Alfred Jiliott, merchant, Palmerston, said he did not .think there was a, cat extent of hind in the Hulls district which was suitable for subdivision; The extension of the tramway would not induce landowners to subdivide, the lands. As tho owner of a farming property y. the Ka.ranga- district be expwenped no difficulties as regards railway fawhtiw. the district being well served. Droving was largely done by owners in moving stock from o n,>. district to another, winch did not suffer to any extent in transit. They suffered more in trucks sometimes. . . . To Mr Skorrott: Ho was of opinion that the granting of the extension of ,thc wav would act as. the .thin edge of ho wedgo for a more ambitious scheme that of an attempt, to divert the main trunk line over this route. He did not agree with the statement that, all fat stock should be railed to the freezing works. It wa.

not. necessary over short distances. To Mr Luckie : Ho had prepared a return of the wool shipped from Foxton, and this was as follows: —Total number of bales of wool trucked from Palmerston North. Keilding, Marten, Hunterville, Taihape. SVoodville, Dannevirke, and Pahiatua, railway stations for the year ending March 31, 1915, was 57,197 bales, 7942 being shipped via Foxton and 49,255 forwarded to Wellington by rail. John Moore Johnston, estate expert and valuer, formerly manager of the Loan and Mercantile Company,- and manager of the Lank of New Zealand at Marton, also formerly a director of the bank, said he know; the Rangitikci and Manawatu Counties very well. He considered the properties through which the proposed railway would run would not be likely lo be subdivided if the railway was constructed. If the deviation was brought about it would materially affect the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay districts, because it would cut off the connection. It would also be very inconvenient. Witness outlined several objections to the proposal. It was quite unnecessary, in his opinion, and would be costly. Farmers in the Sandon district burned their wheat.cn straw, but this was done all over the country. The Sandon district had the best roads on the coast, with the exception of Now Plymouth. If the tram at Sandon were extended, it would bo a nice little toy for a few' settlors. (LaugbIor.) It would not pay. To M; Skcrrett: He believed the chairman and members of the Manawatu County Council wore quite able to manage their own affairs, without, the assistance of the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce. If the Manawatu County Council wore prepared to undertake the liability, they wore quite entitled to extern! the tramway. They should not approach the Government for subsidy. F.dnmnd Ooodbehere, estate agent and valuer, Feildiug, and a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, said the deviation would have a detrimental 'effect on a very large extent of well-settled and valuable country in the vicinity of Fcilding nd Palmerston. He considered that the Kiwitea, Oroua. and Pohangina Counties w ere much more entitled to railway facilities than those localities which wore advocating the deviation. This was all the evidence, and the Commission adjourned to Wellington, whore it will sit on Tuesday next.