THE RAILWAY ROAD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 229, 11 September 1914, Page 2

THE RAILWAY ROAD.

Pukokohe to Whangarata.

At Thursdays meeting of the I Franklin County Council, The chairman again mentioned the matter of the old railway line between Buckhnd and Whangarata which it has been suggested should be converted into the Main South read. Mr Motion said he had asked Mr liißue to refrain from moving I the bridge pihs along this route, j He explained that tha Railway Department valued the improvements along the route of the old line as follows:-Earthwork £1165, culverts £325; pipes £b3, fencing £22:4. bridges £5:!4, scoria £1500; the total being about £2490. The Department was prepared to hand this over for £750 and the people would have 20 years in which to pay it. He suggested that Cr Fulton should cull a meeting at Tuakau to discjss the matter. It would be a great advantage to the general public to have the road, and it would bring Tuakau, Buckland and Pukekohe on to the Main road, enabling travellers to avoid the Ra/.orback hills. The section between Whangarata and Pokeno would ba taken up by Cr i Lyons. This was the only loute bv which the Great South road could be made fairly level between Drury and the Waikati county boundary, and i the opportunity should not he missed. Cr I'ulton agreed with the chairman's remarks; it would be a direct advantage to the county to ' get this road. At the same time Ihe supposed it was intended that i this £750 should be a direct charge against Fukekohe riding. It would eo3t another £2OOO to make it a good road, but even then it would be a cheap road. It would provide a direct connection between the Waikato county ' and the Main South road at Drurv. 1 The Whangarata to l'okcno main ! road was absoluely a bad track, all ! hills ar.d gullies, and he was pleased that Cr Lyom would undertake the negotiatims for that part of the railway road. Hi thought the whole of Fukekohe riding should pay but suggested that instead of giving £750 they should make an offer to the Department. Th2 chairman said the troubla was that further bargaining would delay matters; they shoulJ take action ! now to stop the dismantlement. I He thought they atiould clinch with ! the £750 and if they could get a | £250 subsidy trom the Government > it would be the same as getting the I material now on the line at a ! lower rat?.

Cr Reiall urgal that the people interested should accept the position as it offered itself now. Cr Wilcox said this was a matter which had occupied attention for pome time and there had been several deputatims in connection with it. He thought they should call the ratepayers together and see if they we;e prepared to ohoulder the burden, and then eo ahead. He had no doubt, *.nc people on the west side of the line would be prepared to take some share in tha matter.

On the motion of Crs Fulton and Wilcox it was agreed to call a meeting, at Tuakau, on Wednesday evening, September 9th.

Meeting of Ratepayers. Our Tuakau correspondent writes: A well-attended meeting of ratepayers was held in the Tuakau Hall on Wednesday evening. Mi Dynes Fulton occupied the chair, and the county chairman [Mr Motion), Cr Wilcox, and the county engineer (Mr McArthur] were aNo on the platform.

The chairman lirielly outlined tho object of the meeting.

Mr Motion followed and stated that he had heen in touch with the Railway Department for some time, with the result that the price for the old line had been reduced from £IOOO to £'7oo. Many thought that the Government should hand over the line without cost, but the Department assured him that they had no authority to hand over railway property to anyone as a gift. Matterwere brought to a head by Mr Bagge superintending the removal of men from the remain- of railway bridges Mr Motion was able to get tho work stopped for the time, and it was for the meeting to say whether thoy wished to acquire the road or not.

Cr Wilcox was neither for or against tho road. Ho folt that if the road were taken over tho Pukekoho riding should put it in good order before the Council wore askod to take it over. In his riding (Pukekohe"; there were I 10 miles of road ; they collected 11100 iu rates, which represented only i> iter mile, or 2s per chain for maintenance QUESTIONS. Mr \V. Glasgow enquired if there was any likelihood of getting a direc! road through Kunciuiau and the lvaraka to Tuakau.—The County Engineer replied that the route suggested was not practicable. Mr C. Dromgool desired to know if tho cost of converting the old line into a road had boon gone into. lie considered that it would take a considerable sum.- It was pointed out that there had not been time to go fully into the estimates; the distance was'.", miles, and at tho present time there were I ">,OOO yards of scoria on the old line. Cr Wilcox stated that he had been over the lino and it would not iced metal for L'O yeur>. Mi C. fern stated that the scoria in question could be spread on to a width ot 10 feet for road purposes. Further questions elicited the information that it Tuakau decided mi the road Cr Lyons would be prepared to support the opening of the Whangarata-Pokeno section to complete the line. Mr lhivei, lhiekland, enquired (ruin Mr Motion for details of ligures of Mr Garrett's estimate id' the value of the old line. Those were supplied as follows: Earthwork, II Hi.); culverts, pipes, etc., X37N ; L' 7. chains fencing, £ "J 7 _' : •> luid;;.'-, i'eai: 15,00(1 yards scoria, i'.io, The county chairman pointed out that in the event of the road beiug taken over Pukokohe would probably be prepared to pay a portion ol purchase price to meet interest and sinking fund. The Government could also be approached and asked lor 11000 subsidy whii li he thought would bo forthcoming. The Automobile Association would, ho thought, be induced to contribute also. Any rate -truck would not bo ol a local nature only, but would bo distributed over the whole riding.

Razorback had boon surveyed at immense cost, thin route could be improved but could never bo mado a good road.

In answer to Mr Tapper, tho couuty chairman said if tho routo under disi ussion woro taken oyer it would savo tho county thousands of pounds on Rnznrback route. Other spoakors favoured taking over the old line because tho riding would bo ratod anyhow for money spent on Razorback. It was far better to pay the rate on the proposed road instead and heuetit our own district.

Mr Driver moved, and Mr A. Madill seconded, That this meeting of ratepayers urgo the ('ounty Council to proceed to ar.juire the road. Mr Driver statod that tho Government should still bo asked to reduce the purchase price,.even if the road could not be acquired free. Mr Put Geraghty moved an amendment to the offect that no move in tho matter bo made until every ratepayer had been consulted.

A vote taken resulted in 2 I for tho motion and !•"> against, a number abstaining from voting.

Vote* of thanks to the chairman and councillors terminated the meeting.