THE OPUNAKE LINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 245, 9 October 1908, Page 4

THE OPUNAKE LINE.

MU. WILKINSON ON THE KOUTii At his meeting at Kaponga on Monday night-, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson referred to the route of the proposed Opunax«« railway. He stated that at Hltham lie had said lie would not favour the Opunake line being constructed over the Kltham route in preference to the cheaper and shorter Te Koti route. Jie believed the Kaponga people favoured the Stratford route, "but he was sorry lie could not agree with the Kaponga people. The line should be made lo serve the greatest number of people, at lowest cost with ihe least mileage. He advised the people to give up the idea of taking the line to Stratford, because that would be a political railway, and railways,should lie built iromj the commercial standpoint. The Te Koti line was the shortest and cheapest, and I would serve the Kaponga people better than they were served at present. The Te Koti route was 22 miles long and would cost £153,000, while the Stratford route was 26»/ s miles and would cost £222,0110. a difference in favour of the Te Koti route of Oi!U)00. To show how the line would benelit Kaponga lie would give a comparison of the freights they now paid with those they would pay if the line were constructed. Flour, pollard, wheat, oats, grain, manure, &e., now cost 18s 4d per ton from New Plymouth via Kltham. if they came from New 'Plymouth by rail via Te Koti they would cost not more than 7s per ton, while if they came from Patea they would cost 5s Sd per ton. To these amounts would have to be added Is *>r 2s cartage from the Kaponga station to the town, making , the amount !)s and 7s Hd per ton respectively. I3arbe<l wire cost Ms Sd pel ton now; via the Te Koti line it would cost 2lis 2d from New Plymouth and It's 4d from Patea. Plain wire cost 27s 2d, hut hy the Te Koti line it would co.*t 20s 2d from New Plymouth and His :M from Patea. Cement <-*ost 21s Hd; by the Te Koti line it would cost 12s (id from New Plymouth and H)s (id from Patea. Cartage from Kltham (12s 6dj 11 was allowed in these liguivs. The ra'l- \ way. therefore, would make a mighty [■difference to the Kaponga district. It I would be more in the interests of the I country to build this railway than to | build the Sentry Hill deviation or tie Mount Egmont line, because stone could he picked up along the Opunakc lin». For the butter and cheese they sent i away they paid 18s Dd.per ton. and if • the railway were constructed they would pay 12s fid to New Plymouth and ' 10s 6d to Patea.—Eltham Argus.