OPUNAKE RAILWAY COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 277, 20 May 1912, Page 4

OPUNAKE RAILWAY COMMISSION

AT OPUNAKE. The Commission sat at Opunake on Friday. Mr. Walter C. Dudley, chairman of the Egrnont County Council and of the Opunake '/own Board, -and of the Opunake Railway League, advocated the adoption of the old reiirved route to Eltliam. The county wa.- finding it impossible to maintain the ro.ds with a rate of %d in the £. The junction at Eltliam would bo equally suitable for sending produce for export either to l'atea or New Plymouth.

Mr. G. W. Rogers, clerk of the Egmont County Council, submitted a statement of the produce of dairy factories in the district from Warea to Awatilna, and gave some particulars as to the carrying rapacity of the land within Egmont county.

Mr. I). Markham, secretary of the Oaomii and Opunake dairy companies, gave information regarding imports of merchandise, fodder, and manures, most of which was imported via New Plymouth.

Mr. .Tames Young, farmer, Oaonui, representing the Parihaka Road Board, described the possibilities of the land about Oaonui, between the Main road and the Forest Reserve. A line of .railway to New Plymouth located between the road and the radius line would give the best outlet for their produce. Mr. James Conaglen, farmer, of Piliama, was in favor of the line being located on the railway reserve to ElIham as originally laid out many years ago. With a railway the quantity of produce sent out from the district would largely increase. Mr. J. C. O'Rorke, farmer, Oaonui, supported the old 'surveyed route to Eltham, and a direct line from Opunake to New Plymouth, above the main road. Mr. E. Lambie, farmer, Pihama, was in favor of constructing a line along the old railway reserve. He described the difficulties and expense of carrying the continuous heavy traffic from the district over the roads. Rua Moetahuna favored the old Eltham route. Mr. E. Maxwell, member of the Egmont County Council and of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, advocated direct communication by railway or tramway west of the mountain. Now that the district was producing principally cheese, New Plvmouth would be the most suitable shipping port for dairy produce, when improvements now in progress were completed. Mr. James Burgess, dairy farmer, of Warea, expressed himself in favor of a line from Opunake to New Plymouth I direct.

Other witnesses were Messrs. C. A. Trotter, F. J. Davey, C. H. Hurst, A. H. Moore, W. W. Baker (representing Awatauna Dairy Co.), and R. G. Surrey, secretary of the same company.

AT KAPUNI, The Commission met at Kapuni at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May Ifi. Mr. Duncan M. Scott, dairy farmer, and director of the Joll Dairy Company, advocated the adoption of the southern route joining the main line at Te Roti, which would be a suitable junction for inward and outward traffic from either New Plymouth or Pa tea porta. Mr. T. G. Shaw, storekeeper, Kapuni, urged that the branch line should be located on what is known as the Te Roti route, where it would be within four or five miles of the Kaupokomri and Kaponga factories south and north of the line.

Mr. .Tames F. Stevenson, settler, spoke regarding the increasing difficulty and expense of maintaining the roads. He considered that a line located south of thfi Skeet road with the junction at Te Roti would be the best.

AT AUROA. Mr. H. W. Mudford, chairman of the Auroa Railway League, urged the location ot the proposed branch railway close to the Skeet road, with the junction in the neighborhood of Te Roti station.

Mr. IT. Buxton, secretary, read a statement. Mr. W. J. Bradford advocated the Te Roti route.

Mr. John Ridge, storekeeper, also supported the adoption of the already surveyed route to Te Roti, and gave information regarding the inward traffic, goods, and merchandise.

AT KAPONGA ON SATURDAY. Mr. John T. Quinn, chairman of the Eltham County Council, reviewed the steps taken to lay a tramway from Eltham to Kaponga, and put in a statement of expenditure by the county on reforming and maintenance of the El-tham-Opunake road and -the eounty's slfare of maintenance of the Skeet road, five miles. He favored the adoption of the surveyed route from Eltham to Opunake. In future smaller holdings -would lead to a great volume of heavy traffic. Mr. F. Basham, Eltham county engineer, gave information regarding the cost of maintaining main roads and byroads in the Eltham county. He thought the solution of the transport problem was to construct tramways from Awatuna to Eltham and from Opunake to Hawera. He was of opinion that a railway through the district would not he commercially successfal. Mr. T. R. Anderson, dairy fanner, Mahoe, read a statement in favor of the adoption of the Stratford route, with a branch line down the Manaia road. New Plymouth would ultimately be the shipping port for the district. Mr. S. A. Mann, dairy farmer, was of the opinion that the proposed linte should go by the Stratford road. Ultimately the imports to the district would be heavier by weight than the exports. Mr. Wm. A. O'Neill, farmer, of Riverlea, advocated the adoption of the reroute, but if any deviation were made it should be to the north. Mr. A. Voullaire, dairy farmer, of Riverlea, favored the route along the original reserve, any deviation to go to the north. The freight inwards would probably be as much in weight as the outward produce. Mr. A. N. Tait, director of the Kaponga dairy factory, advocated the Stratford route. Before long fully 10,000 tons of manure per annum would be required by the district, and it would be best distributed from the railway located along the railway reserve. A branch line to Manaia would be necessary.

Mr. Alfred H. Guy, chairman of the Town Board, put in a statement showing the progress and projected developments in Kaponga town. He supported the route with the junction at Stratford, and a branch line down to near Manaia. Mr. Henry Graham, manager of the Dawson Falls accommodation house, gave evidence regarding the numbers of people visiting Dawson's Falls. The traffic was growing. A tramway could be run to the Opunake road, four and a half miles from the house.

Mr. William Swadling, chairman of the Kaponga Dairy Co., was strongly in favor of the Stratford route, so that produce might be shipped from New Plymouth.

Mr. Geo. Gwynne, farmer, gave information regarding the effect of using manure on land about Kaponga.

OPINION AT ELTJIAM.

At a meeting of the Eltliam Chftmbei'' of Commerce on Friday night (says a correspondent), it was'resolved that a deputation from the Chamber wait on the Railway League, with a view to ur.ging the reserved route for the Opunak# r"'!v..

In speaking in support of the resolution, Mr. Buckeridge said that they had a very strong case for the reserved route. Eltliam had every claim to b#' considered. What was now the Strat-ford-Ongarue line was originally intended to be Kltham-Ongarue. The earVv maps showed the survey from Eltham to Toko, and anyone who kneV the country must admit that the engineers were" right in their original plan, both :n regards cost of construction and the eonfiguration of the country. Besides, at the time the routes were mapped out, there were 110 vested interests to influence the position. He added that th* reserved route; was centrally situated to serve the district with feeders, and hesides the country was morally committed to the route.

Mr. Parrott said it would be necessary to have as strong a delegation as possible, as some of the representative* from other bodies would be unable to attend. The Mayor had been urgently called away from town, C'r. Stanner* was ill Mr. Mar\ would be unable to attend, and Mr. Quin would be in Wellirgtd. It vas resolved that Messrs. Buckeridge and Hill he delegateis from tli« Chuniler.—Star.