CLOSING OF EAST COAST RAILWAY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 182, 26 March 1932, Page 5

CLOSING OF EAST COAST RAILWAY

Our Own Correspondent.)

TAN EATUA-TAU RANGA rangitaiki plains farmers1 ■"*" discuss transport ' ' ' problems • ■ CARRIAGE OF PRODUCE

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WHAKATANE, Thursday. About 200 shareholders of the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company Ltd. att'bndfd an' extraordinary general meeting of the : company held in the Winter Show Buildings, in response to a requisitiori. signed by Mr. G. Melville and othef sharehol^. )rs. The position at present is that the company has1 a contract with the Northern Steamship Co. to transport all ifs 'dairy produce, and it was inferred from corres'pbnderi'ce with the Railway Depar'fmerit that if this produce," which is " considerable, were charige'd to the railways, it might seriously effecf the decision of the railways b'oard iri th'eir contemplated closi'ng of 'the line. The secretary, Mr J. M. Eccles, read the notice calling 'the meeting, which stated that 'the business was to1 coiisider the compah'y's ' present" position in the riiat'tef'of the existing contract with the Northern Steamship Co. fof the ear'riage bf "the comp'any's produce tb Auckland; and in view of the possible early "closing of the East Coast railway at present serving 'this district, to " corisider" arid ' if ' deemed expedi'ent, to carry thfe following resultion: — Present Shipping Contract "That ' in the opinkm o'f this meeting of the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Co., Ltd., the'' time -has arrive'd for a revision of its existing contract with the Northern Steamship Company Ltd., and that, inasmueh as the interest of the* suppliers, and of the farmers generally on the Rangitaiki Plains, will: be best served by the retention df the East- Coast railway, the closirig of which would be a serious disas'ter, " it be an instruction to the directors to open negotiations with the Northern Steamship Company for the cancellation of its existing contract, with "a view to the completion of' a definite arrangement witb the Railways Departriient for the carriage Of "the compariy's produce and that the directors report at an early date to ari extraordinary general meeting to be converied for the purpose." The chairman of directors, Mr W. B. McCraekeri said that he thought it would be advisable to allow the proceedings to be open to the Press, and on his motion it was resolved to go into cfemmittee. Suppliers' Decision At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman told the "Post's" correspondent that a- proposal to the eff ect that, in "the event of the Railway Board giving an assurance that the line. would "not be closed if the company's produce was ' transported by railway, the directors be authorised to enter into negotiations with the Northern Steamship Company for the cancellation of the" existing contract, was carried by a substantial majority. An amendment, which was defeated, was td the effect that thfe meeting views with alarm the suggestion that the East Coast line may b'e closed unless more support is forthcoming' and instructs the directors to send their produce by railway" at the earliest possible moment, and that the Railway Board be advised accordingly.