THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 78, 28 March 1912, Page 5

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

1 MEETING AT ELTHAM. , •)!/!;■ •■• A 7 fully representative meeting of mefnbers of tJie Eltham branch of the Eltham’ Opunake Railway League and others interested was held in the Tovfri Hall supper room last night. Mr. T. B. Crump, president of the bratich, occupied the chair. He explaihed.that tie had wired to the Hon. T. Mackenzie for information regarding the proposed Commission, and alsoHhfe question that had been suggested in certain quarters of widening'.the scope of the Commission to incthde tramways as well as the railway."' In reply ho had that day received’the folowing telegram from Mr. Mackenzie:—“Re Railway Commission:"''l brought before Cabinet the matter of widening the order of reference'hd include the question of trainway I ’in relation to that of the railway 1 . add the district, but Cabinet thought it (opened out such a question as hogards other parts of New Zealand that it could not be easily undertaken., ‘Regarding the constitution, functions, and .procedure of the propoiM Commission, I have not the full particulars with .me, but I am askDepartment to acquaint me with these and when they come to hai|fl’ J will let you have them.” Therefore, ,Mr. Crump went on to say, thefe'was nothing definite to place before ‘the meeting, as to how the Comrrr.sSion would be constituted, the mefliipds it .proposed to fellow, and whu ; t M it was going to enquire into, except that it intended to locate the route'l the line should take. It might be thtiught desirable that the League as 'it‘had previously existed should cease, and another one be established dhder a fresh constitution, and get going, and be in a position to watch tiioktiend of events,, and if thought desiVhble to take action. It was quite possible that the Commission, when actually constituted, would set to work speedily without much notice heingUgiVen as .to the times of their sitand so somebody should be available to take action if necessary. Pe/hap’s there might be a doubt as to whether the old League still existed, and" it ; might be desirable to have something more denpite in existence. The “Eltham bjody wag a .branch and nbt'd''League m itself.,, ! A discussiqn, followed, in .the course of which' it was pointed out that by of the line the farmers “fimuld be relieved of heavy taxatioid'fbi- the upkeep of the roads, and the town was with the country and the •country with the town. The meeting was in general agreement upon the necessity for an energetic committee being' I 'appointed to go into the matter”pf route and obtain data and statistics to show what would be tht pfdbfible 1 amount of traffic over the 'Elflifim-Opuiiako route,, and furnish subh’‘iPform'ation as would be likely to Ihxvb ’weiglft with the Commission. Eventually' it was decided to establish 7 .'a new League, to be called the El tlmih-0 punake Railway League. Subscriptions were fixed at 2s 6d per annum, and 41 members were enrolled in t'hhroom. Officers and committee wertf’appointed as follows :—Presidon'tl,(! Mr. G. W. Taylor ; secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. Parrott; committee;'Messrs. N.' Muir, T. C. StannerS’, 1 " F. Amoore, - ,W. Bovis, D. Symes. The “matter of enlisting the co-oper-atidii of Mangatoki people was left to the committee.

A",hearty vote of thanks was passed ,to 1 Mr. Crump, the retiring president 1 ,; 1 who declined nomination to tin presidency of the new League owing to of other business.—“ArgusV” y