OHURAS DESIRE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 43, 21 October 1913, Page 5

OHURAS DESIRE.

regarding the railway. ' COUNTY COUNCIL’S VIEWS. At the meeting of the Ohura County Council on Octooer 15, the Chairman read correspondence mini the secrete..., of tne recent conference at Wnangamoiaoha, tne resolutions passed thereat, and drafts of ’ resolutions which it was suggested the Council should affirm and forward to the Departments. llie Chairman asked for an expression of opinion on the matter. Or. Kelly though the Council should make personal representation to the Prime Minister. Cr. Lyon: Did the invitation to conterence include railway matters ? The Chairman: No, only telephone and mail connection. Cr. Lyon: Then why had they sandwiched in the matter of the railway? Cr. Currie said he understood they were sent there to discuss means of accelerating communication beta een Taranaki and Ohura. Cr. Lyon: Telephone communica-* lion.

Cr. Risk: That was distinctly understood. Or. Goldfinch; There was no reference at the Council meeting to the railway.

Cr. Currie, said he took it for granted that they were anxious to see the railway progress from both ends. Cr. Goldfinch: Not so anxious as wo are to see it progress from the Ohara end. Cr. Currie said they had the promise of Mr Massey that the railway woidd bo constructed to Ohura from Te Koura in four years. The conference expected him to keep that pro raise, hut they objected to the Auckland Railway League dictating that the work should he held up at the Stratford end.

Cr. Goldfinch said the Prime Minister made that promise distinctly on the understanding that to a certain extent work would be reduced at the Stratford end. Cr. Risk: He was asked to have it all expended at the Ahura end for a time, sfeeing that until recently the whole of the money had been spent at the Taranaki end. The Chairman said that when the Hon R. McKenzie visited the Ohura as Minister for Works, he promised that when the railway reached Whanganiomona the eastern end would then get the benefit of trie trip as* A the vote until the Ohura got railway facilities.' M 'fhe' Council were not asking that the'work' he stopped ai the’Stratford end, but they considered the lime had arrived when it should be vigorously pushed on from the Te Koura end... Cr. Lyon said a recent

deputation tried to lead the Minister to believe that the Ohura, people were unanimously in favor of the Stratford connection as against the other. That was inot soyas the* people recognised that* the Main Trunk was their best outlet; When’ they got to New Plymouth 1 they would hate heavy harbour dues 1 to contend with, Cr. Risk Said there was no doubt the Main Trunk line would suit them best.

Cr. Ldveday said he hatT always recognised that .the Taranaki people were influential, they always took hold of the slightest possible lever to push their views, but they seemed to have excelled themselves on the present occasion. He dealt at length with the capital that had been made out of the resolution and the wrong construction placed upon it in certain quarters in order to try and induce the Ministers to believe that the Ohura people were most in favor of the Stratford connection. If the Ohura people had received justice in the past the rail- ' way would not now be at Whangamomona but there would have been several miles of railway at the Ohura end. They had been submitted to gross injustice in the past and it would not bo unreasonable if they now had 90 per cent of the vote spent at the Ohura end. If there was a sufficient vote to allow of construction to proceed at the present rate at Stratford end well and good, but if in' order to do that work-would have to be curtailed at the Ohura end than the settlers of this county should make a strong protest, Cr. Currie contended that his views were those of a large number of ratepayers. Councillors denied this. Cr. Currie said his actions should be judged by the motion he submitted to the conference. He pointed out that the railway was a national work and should be pushed on from both ends. | The matter was discussed at considerable length. Councillors wished it to he understood that their chief grievance was not with the delegate [ hut they resented the construction that ; had been placed upon the conference’s railway resolution in certain quarters. The following resolutions were decided upon:— Cr. Lyon: That this Council emphatically disclaims any connection with the recent statements made by! deputations of members of Parliament and qthers giving color to the report* that the county is in favor of Taranaki as *an outlet, as this Council recognises that the main trunk line is the natural and most economical factor for the county’s expansion. Moved by Cr. LovedayTo Hon. W. F. Massey: “Sir.—The statements made by Mr Hire in the House of Representatives re Stratford-Ongarue railway are not the outcome of any agitation in Ohura—quite the reverse. Ohura’s claim to a vigorous prosecu-

tion of the railway at the -northern end is indisputable. Settlers fully endorse the actions of the Auckland Railway League that txe great; hulk of the money placed on this year’s estimates be expended on the northern end and settlers trust tha: a sufficiently large amount will be made available this year to enable you to carry out your promise to the Ohura people to have the line completed within fouryears.” * It was decided to wire copies of the above resolutions to the Prime Minister and also forward copies of same to Mr C. K. Wilson, M.P., and the Auckland Railway League.—Ohura Advocate.