TARANAKI RAILWAYS.
AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC. The President of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce (Mr J. B. Richards), in his address to the annual meeting last evening, assumed the role of candid critic in his reference to the subject of railway construction in the Province. He said:~ Railway constructio 1 in Taranaki does not proceed so rapidly as we could wish. . .
A commencement has been made wifi the Opunake line, the first sod being turned at Opunake and construction ci mmenced on a section at' Matapu. The point of junction with the main line is still in doubt, and the most reliable information I have been able to obtain is that a "temporary" junction' w.ill be made at To Roti. It will be remembered that the Commission which reported on the question of routes, recommended a line from a point south of Te Roti and a line from Stratford • to" Kaponga. No reason has been assigned for a departure from this recommendation, and although a flying survey between Strutford and Kaponga was made, our urgent request for a detailed survey of same was -unavailing. The Commission repeatedly emphasised their opinion that the exports and imports of the whole of Taranaki will go through the port, of New Plymouth. In view of this, and the fact of the existing junction at Stratford and the liability ; of' Taranaki for the, New Plymouth 'harbor loan, together' With questions of grades and mileage, any adopted scheme of railways for that area which does not include the Stratford-■ftponga-Manaia line must be a lasting monument to the error of judgment on the part of those responsible. The urgent needs of the settlers of the south-west area for means of transport more economical than roads has been apparent for years. The cost of upkeep of roads and the prospect of already exorbitant rates steadily increasing were becoming beyond endurance. Opposition to any line of railway which would give them relief is therefore uflacceptable," however wrong the adopted route may be. The advocacy by the people of New Plymouth of, the Stratford-Kaponga route perceptibly weakened to the point of condemnation by means of faint praise, this was probably due to the mirage created by "the proposed Moturoa to Opunake railway and possibly the fable of the shadow and the substance will be enacted in this connection. On the Stratford-Okahukura line a hew section has been opened as Jar as Whangamomona, which must prove beileficial. to tliat town and district, but-;progress of construction further on is slow. Reports from the Okahukura end indicate that better progress is made there and we all sincerely hope that energetic measures will prevail at both ends, until through communication by rail is established. In this connection it is worthy of note and remembrance that the Auckland Railways league were bold and selfish enough to urge that railway construction at the Stratford end be retarded.
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1915, Page 6
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480TARANAKI RAILWAYS. Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1915, Page 6
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