DIPLOMATIC OFFICIALS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 823, 18 November 1929, Page 16

DIPLOMATIC OFFICIALS

MERITS OF RAIL FROM PAEROA TO POKENO SOME WARM ADVOCATES (THE SUN'S Special Reporter.) COMMERCE TRAIN, Saturday. Support of Auckland business i men for the proposed Paeroa- ; ( Pokeno railway, estimated to cost £1.069,000, was earnestly pleaded this afternoon by representative citizens of Paeraa at a reception 1 to City men travelling on the ; Chamber of Commerce train. The line will be 42 miles long. , Advantage was taken of the pres- j i ence of prominent railway and Public j ] Works officials to sound their opinion, ( : 11 but departmental diplomacy evaded | any direct commitment. Paeroa never- , theless gained the ardent support of . the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor. Mr. W. Marshall, com- : pelled attention by submergence of any parochial spirit. He said that though the district was convinced of the urgency of the line, it was prepared to jettison the scheme if the Government could show that it would be a drain on the public purse. "Political bluff" was how he described a i vote of £5.000 placed on this year’s Supplementary Estimates for a survey of the route. The Government well knew that £23,000 had already been spent on selection of a route, and any additional expenditure was a sheer waste of money. He hinted that official circles were merely playing with the district. WEALTH OF DISTRICT Active interest by Auckland was j j also asked by Mr. C. W. Harris, chairman of the Hauraki Plains County | Council, and by Mr. P. Williams and ! Mr. C J. Woodcock, presidents of the j Paeroa and Pokeno Chambers of Comi merce respectively. Regret was ex- . pressed that the General Manager of Railways. Mr. H. H. Sterling, was not on the train and had not been able to inspect the projected line that morning. Mr. H. T. Merritt, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said i the chamber had been greatly im-1 pressed by the wealth of the district, j He gave his assurance that the scheme had the support of the visitors. Business men of Auckland had already recognised the value of the line, and what they had seen that morning had made them warm advocates. In mentioning some of the difficulties confronting the railways. Mr. E. Casey, North Island Divisional Superintendent. said the point of view of local advocates of the line could well be appreciated. He asked that they, and indeed, the general public, try to understand the department’s. The general manager was not on the train because of sickness. His message had been. “I can't posibly venture out, but I’m making the tour in spirit.” "It is the duty of my department to carry out instructions and we will begin when we are given those instructions." said Mr. C. J. McKenzie, i assistant-chief engineer. “If we ire I directed to start a job we carry it out i no matter what me may think of it."