WOOD-BURNING LOCOMOTIVES.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 July 1919, Page 7

WOOD-BURNING LOCOMOTIVES.

ELECTION ;EINT,CIDENT RECALLED ' The proposal made in Wanganui to {burn wood in the railway engines in- ‘ stead of coal, referred to in a recent issue, writes a cormresp\3nd'eut". Tc-x vives the memory of an interesting Parliamcntnalrjr contest fought ‘in Taranaki in 1887,‘-‘between the late Colonel Trimble and Mr "G. A. Marchant, practically on the question of fuel—bul'ning on the trailwurys. New Zealand was suffering from a severe depression at the time, and peopdlc who had taken up busll land in the ’l‘«a:l'anaki district found it very hard to make a living and pay the interest on loans on their farms. Money was very scarce indeed, which is ‘in strong contract to the state of aifairs to-day. Colonel Trimblc was

l a man who had had 181 varied career in iAlnerica, as well as in England, and had for some time represented the Taranaki eonstirtuency in Parliament, his seat being considered one of the safest in the colony. Mr Marchant was a. man under 40, and was one of the bush settlers ‘who raised the cry of burning wood in the railway locomotives, to help the ‘struggling settlers to augment their meagre incomes pby splitting firewood, to such purpose that he was asked to contest the seat against his redoubtable opponent. After a strenuous campaign, Mr Marehant won, much to the surprise of the whole country. He proved a useful mem~ ber, and held the seat ‘till 1890, when he retired from politics. Colonel Trimble, after his defeat, was made a Native Land Court judge, and died in ‘ 1899. Nothing of a practical nature ever came of the burning lof wood in} the locomotives. Things commenced to ‘ improve, butter factories started. and! new markets opened up, and it wasi soon found that cutting firewood w.as| one of the least profitable of the bush ’ farmers’ strenulous activities in hisi endeavours to try and make both ends meet. Even fungus-picking came in‘

lfor more attention, and produced better results, and was not such laborious work. Now the farmers cannot get enough firewdod cut to even run their ' own bu'fter A and -cheese factories. Great’ is the change Within the last 'thirty years in this respect, I “'