RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 248, 19 April 1912, Page 7

RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY.

DISCUSSED BY ECiiMONT COUNTY COUNCIL. At the Egmont County Council meeting I on Friday last Cr. WiJlcox asked if there were anything further on .the tramway I scheme proposals. The chairman formally reported the progress made at the delegates' meeting. . Cr. -Maxwell thought the only point was whether the Council were prepared to share the cost with the Taranaki Council in having an expert survey made of the capacity of Bell's Falls (if the Government granted permission to use them) or decide to go no further. The chairman said the proposals of cost of construction were very much under-estimated, seeing that the cost of .the proposed Elt'hsuu-Opunake train service was higher than that of tlve one under .discussion. The New Plymouth* one, on account of gradients, was by far the roughest country to negotiate. He suggested that a method of obtaining the opinion of .the ratepayers would be be signed petition. The .feeling of the district towards the I tram service was variously expressed. ) The chairman said it was stated at the ) last conference that all the settlers at j Rahotu and Oaonui were favorable to , the tram. He had been told by many from that district, that the boot was on the other foot. Or. .Burgessi said the meetings he. attended during the loan proposals .were all in favor of the tram. C'r. Maxwell: Oaonui passed a resolution that the Council take the course that it is taking. Tt was the tram scheme that killed the road loan proposals. Cr. 'Willcox .believed that a superior sort of bush scheme was the best. He had ascertained that such a scheme would cost from £I4OO to £ISOO a mile. Cr. Burgess informed the meeting thai from experience on the Box Company directorate, the bush scheme would cost £2300 a mile, without bridges, and with bridges £3500. Cr. Willcox said a serviceable bush tram would, he was informed, cost £4OO a mile. • Cr. Davey discredited these figures, as) the roughest bush tram for sawmill purposes cost at least £4OO a mile. Cr. Campbell suggested killing it at once as far as Egmont was concerned, as they were dead against the tramway in the Oeo riding. (Hear, hear, from other Oeo members). Cr. Burgess moved that the matter of further consideration 'be left over until more information is received from the Taranaki County Council as to permission to use Bell's Falls for generating electricity, also to await the Railway Commission's agenda to see if the scope i of the enquiry includes tramming. | C'r. Maxwell suggested that as the J J Railway Commission would probably be commencing to take evidence ibefore the Council again met, that it would be as well to have the Council represented. He moved that the chairman and Cr. Davey be appointed to give evidence before the Commission; also, if the scope of the Commission is extended to include tramWays, that Cr. Burgess and the mover be \ appointed to give evidence on behalf of | the New Plymouth to Oaonui coastal , tramway.—Carried. A resolution, proposed by Cr. Maxwell, That the Council agree to jiay a proportionate share of an expert's opinion on tire cost of the proposed tramway from New Plymouth to Oaonui. such cost to be paid tby the Rahotu riding. Cra. Farquhar and Campbell raised mild objection, but as the cost was to be borne by the Rahotu riding only the objections ceased. The motion was seconded by Cr. .Burgess and carried.—Times.