ROAD OR RAIL?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 430, 11 August 1928, Page 5

ROAD OR RAIL?

CARTAGE OF SLEEPERS DEPARTMENTAL INCONSISTENCY (From Our Oxen Correspondent) PUTARURU, Friday. The fact that the Taupo Timber Company, Ltd., has consistently refused to cater for any but its own traffic on its light railway line of 50 miles from Putaruru to Mokai, has always been a grievance with settlers in the district. This aspect of the case was touched upon at the last meeting of the Matamata County Council, when an application was received from a Putaruru carter, who was carting sleepers for the Railway Department from the Mokai bush, for permission to run loads of 32 tons on county roads. The engineer said the applicant was one of three who would have to be treated alike. Cr. Rollett: Can’t the sleepers be brought down the T.T.T. line? Cr. Darby: Perhaps Cr. Cox, who was chairman of the Putaruru-Taupo Railway Board, can enlighten us. Cr. Cox: The company simply won’t do it. Cr. Darby: Then I think we should adopt the same attitude. The Chairman: If we stand to our guns the Government may bring pressure to bear on the company. Cr. Judd: The Railway Department is seeking trade and here it is patronising carriers on the road. Other speakers agreed, and it was decided that the carting of sleepers on the PutarunrMokai Road should cease when the weight exceeded 2% tons. On the suggestion of Cr. Judd, It was decided to also inform the Railway Department of this decision.