MAIN SOUTH ROAD SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 235, 2 April 1912, Page 2

MAIN SOUTH ROAD SCHEME

*il REPORT OF COXFEREXCE ADOPTED. The proposal to electrify the Main South road was advanced another stage at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council. The chairman (Mr. J. Brown) reported verbally, on the lines of what has already appeared in the Xews, on the conference held between representatives of the County and the Egmont County Council to discuss the preliminary stages of the proposition. In the evening discussion it was pointed out that the Government would have to be furnished with plans and specifications before it would consider an application for permission to harness Bell's Falls, and the chairman remarked that if the Government withheld its consent the council -would be "all up a tree." Councillors unanimously agreed to adopt the recommendations of the conference, which were as follow: That an expert be engaged to go into the question of electric trams, with power derived from Bell's Falls, the expense of such report to be borne equally by the Egmont and Taranaki counties; such report to be obtained provided the Government, who have rights over all watercourses for electric power, will grant the local bodies the right to use these falls for the purpose of the trams. According to the chairman, if the Egmont County Council failed to adopt the recommendations of the conference the scheme would he dropped, and the only thing to then take into consideration -would be the revising of the toll charges. Mention was also made of the proposed light line of railway in South Taranaki, and after some little discussion it was decided, on the motion of Cr. Andrews, that the chairman, Cr. McAllum and the mover be delegated to give evidence before the Railway Commission set up to inquire into the question of the propose'd line from Opunake to New Plymouth. It was also decided to ask the Xew Plymouth Borough Council, the Harbor Board, and the St. Aubyn Town Board to appoint delegates for a similar purpose.