OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1914, Page 5

OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

IN THE WAIMATE COUNTY. At Manaia on Wednesday last members of the Waimate County Council waited on Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont, in reference to the raising of a loan for Oeo Road. After this matter had been dealt with the Opunake railway route was discussed.

Closely connected with the raising of this prospective loan, yr, more strictly speaking, with its expenditure, said Mr McPhillips, was the railway route. That was a very material point to them. Until they knew celarly the route of the railway they could not decide on what roads their expenditure should be. And they certainly could not attempt to put down roads in outside localities. Mr Wilkinson replied that on that point he was entirely in the dark himself. All he could soy was that the Government was absolutely committed to give Manaia a branch line. Whatever route was decided on the public would have to be satisfied. It was quite certain they could not please everyone. Mr McPhillips asked as to the likelihood of local bodies undertaking the construction of branch lines. Mr Wilkinson said the work oi construction would all be undertaken by the Government. His earnest endeavor was, to get the railway started. He neither asked nor suggested any particular route. What ho did ask, and in very strong terms, too, was that the construction of the railway should be undertaken at once. He protested very strongly against banging the work up until the approach of the general election and then beginning it. He wanted nothing of that. He wanted' nothing whatever done in connection with that railway that would furnish an excuse for attributing ulterior or interested motives to him.

Mr McPhillips thought if the Government went against the report of the Commission as regards the route, it would be pretty clear that influence had been at work from some quarter.

Mr Wilkinson did not think that such a conclusion followed. Parliament voted the money last session regardless of any recommendations made bv the Commission.

Mr McPhillips said the route* laid down by the Commission affected the best dairying land, which certainly would not be the case should they take it higher up. Mr Wilkinson replied that he was not concerned about the report. His only concern was that they should start the railway at once.

Mr McPhillips asserted that if they took it up to the railway reserve it would not take a pound of produce from the Knupokonui factory, and much the same would apply in the matter of back loading. He hoped they would not be overlooked in the matter of a branch line from Kapuni to Manaia.

Mr Wilkinson assured the deputation that there need be no fear on that point. Mr Mass-r had distinctly pledged himself to that, and he would himself do his level to soe that it was not left out nt the programma.

Proceedings then terminated,