TO THE EDITOR

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 198, 23 June 1939, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR

ROAD AND RAIL Sir, —I read with interest your, leader of Alondav, June 19th. and would like space to comment on it a little. In the first place the. people of Opotiki Have not and never had to choose between railway and, road as stated in the County Council meeting, as both are essential and will be constructed as premised. As regards the Wainui road. Air. Semple" said three years ago that be would not build it the way the settlers wanted it (thei old AVainui track), but he would build a road through Ohope and!'if possible over Oliijva river; failing that a road,would have to be found inland a bit. Air. A. G. Hultquist, Al.B. lias always beh in favour of that main road ever since lie became member for the district and very many of us are in agreement with him and I think it very uncalled fpr to accuse him of favouring Whakatane because lie. happens *to live there. Everyone knows that he! does the, best he can for bis electorate and'and lias to work for the best results: for instance he worked hard to get the aerodrome in Opotiki as he considered it more suitable than AYhnkatane.

You state that a main highway aJong the coast would be of no use from a military point of view on account of its vulnerability. That road would be just as safe as the AYaiinana road as if attacks came they would be from the air and the Waiinana gorge is as vulnerable as any place.

Alenticn was made that the local branch of the Labour Barty members strongly urged that the Opotiki-Tanea-tua highway be attended to. That is so. but the Labour Barty here have always been assured that the Ohope road was going through, and we want to see, the Taneatua. road made into a good read, which it undoubtedly will be.

in the; matter of roads we, -have to look at it from a national view-point and u.ot just a local one. Air. Semple is out to cut down the travelling distances from the various towns and the surveys already taken between here and Taurauga will mean a saving of something like thirty miles when the roads are completed. I think that when a public meeting is called. Hon. Air. Semple and Air. Hultquist will gel a great deal of support in Opotiki both for the railway and the Ohope road. . T. G. JOHNSON, I’resident. Opotiki Branch N.Z.L.B. THE HIGHWAY QUESTION • Sir.—Congratulations on your leader! It is about time that Air. Hultqiiist was reminded that he is supposed to lie a Bay of Plenty statesman and not a Whakatane politician. If J remember rightly. Opotiki was promised a railway just before the election. Well, Op.ortiki lias got neither a railway or a good road: yet, and it seems that we never will, for apparently -Mr. Hultquist finds all his time taken up in agitating for a “white elephant” road between here and Whakatane via the Oliiwa mud flats. Dees he think that an expensive road, costing tin.* country thousands, should ho built round the barren wastes ot Oliiwa merely to save a tew minutes’ travelling time, and incidentally, just incidentally. .of course, diverting tourist traffic through Whaka,? There is little time lost on the Waimana route from here to. Rotorua, if one travels via White Pine hush, and the few minutes that would he saved on the way to Auckland, via Tauranga, had wc a decent Waiinana road, would not he worth the thousands needed lc,r the Ohope road. It is had enough that we have no railway. Give us at least a decent road. Thanking vo'ri. TAXPAYER. THE OPOTIKI RAILWAY Sir, —Allow me a little of your valuable space to remark cut your comments about the last County Council meeting. You appeared to rathoi doubt that Opotiki had to choose between the railway extension or the improvement to the highway. Little credence is given to the Government's premises these clays, as you nni.st ho aware. You might remember that prior to the election we had a definite promise from the Hon. Robt. Semple that the. railway wpuld he commenced

immediately. How lias that promise been fulfilled? Will you be good enough to print the honourable gentleman’s statement made prior to election time. R AIL WAY SU I’BUKTER. [On looking up the statement- referred to by mil- correspondent, we find it rather lengthy, but will publish' extracts in next issue.—Ed. Opotiki News.]