THE TAUPO COMMISSION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3637, 25 November 1920, Page 4

THE TAUPO COMMISSION.

WELLINGTON, Nov. 24. Before fchje Taupo-Totara Commission Mr E. E. Vaile (representing the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, Rotoua County Council, Rotorua Touring League, Rotorua Returned Soldiers Association, Waiotapu Settlersj' Association, and a number of other local bodies) addressed the Commission. He said that public interest should at such an inquiry be represented by eminent counsel as the company's interest was. He could not see how the Government could do better with the pany's mills and timber than the company was doing. He, submitted a number of objections to acquiremient of the company's line by the Government. He did not consider the route at all suitable, and its acquirement, he said, would indefinitely postpone the adoption of a very much better route. The company should be brought under strict Government con-1 trol in regard to carriage ana charges J

tor carriage over its line, at; present; it was in a position to exercise a sort of terrorism ovter small settlers in the district. Mr Vaile addressed the Commission at some length upon the advantages of constructing the suggested RotoruaTaupo railway. Thic settlers, he said, offered £IOO,OOO as a subsidy for the making of the railway in question; with the subsidy deducted the cost would probably be £700,000. If the Government took ovter the company's line, and made even a secondary railway of it, the cost would be something like £1,130,000 " x for a very inferior rout Se. ,' .' The Commission adjourned till . 10 a.m. on Friday, when Sir John Findlay will address it on behalf of the company.