THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1924. THE LOCAL RAILWAY.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 32, 22 May 1924, Page 2

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1924. THE LOCAL RAILWAY.

THE conference in Auckland last week seems to have solved the immediate difficulties of the Railway Board and placed it in the position of being able to continue its work of bringing into effect as soon as possible an arrangement designed to cover the full present and future needs of its district in railway transport, including the carriage of timber, general commodities and passengers. To finance this the chairman of the board intimated that it might be desirable or necessary to obtain Government guarantee of debentures to be issued by ' the board, and there is good reason for the Government giving such a guarantee. For, firstly, it is generally recognised as the duty of the Government itself to provide adequate railway facilities for the districts warranting them, but in the case of the Upper Waikato this important work has been pioneered by private enterprise in the form of the Taupo Totara Timber Company and is now to be amplified by local public enterprise through the Railway Board. The whole work of thus helping to make practicable the exploitation of the vast latent wealth of the Upper Waikato is one of undoubted national importance and one which will contribute in no mean way to the national prosperity. Thus, Government assistance in the form of guaranteeing the board’s debentures would be fully justified on this score alone.

But secondly, the Government is one of the timber owners who so particularly require a public line to enable them to mill their timber, and this is an additional warranty for extending help in the form of the guarantee if required. The matter will be in the hands of the Hon. J. G. Coates, as Minister for Public Works and Railways, and as he has very definitely declared his policy of doing all within his power to solve the problem of adequate railway transport for the district the proposal would in all probability be sympathetically received by him. In regard to financing the administrative work of the board meanwhile, Mr. Hume’s contention that contributions should be expected from the settlers as well as the timber owners is one in which the settlers might do well to concur, paradoxical as this may appear at first sight. For the fact of the settlers contributing would greatly emphasise that they realised the vital importance of the project to them, and it would give them the fullest right at any time for recognition by the board of any representations they made, especially in the event of the settlers’ interests and the timber interests in railway matters clashing. If a rate is deemed inexpedient as a method of raising a settlers’ contribution the Tokoroa riding of the Matamata County Council could probably make a donation direct. The riding is at present well over £IOOO (credit, and if it is permitted by tmty law, would probably be servr its ratepayers a very good turn L donating an amount from this edit to the board funds.