OPUNAKE RAILWAY COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 278, 21 May 1912, Page 4

OPUNAKE RAILWAY COMMISSION

AT ELTHAM. , T !if i , opunake Enil wij Commission sat at Eltham on Monday. Mr. E. Parrott, chairman of the Eltham Chamber of Commerce, advocated the construction of the line alone the reserved route. Eltham was the most suitable centre to serve the district, and a line along the reserve would in* mediately serve ten of the established factories. Most of the others would doubtless see their way to establish cheese-curing depots along the route of the line. Mr. James Phillips, farmer, and a member of the Eltham County Council favored the adoption of the reserved route and dwelt upon the difficulties of obtaining supplies of road metal and coal in the absence of a railway. He answered several questions regarding the probable traffic in pigs and «tock over the proposed railway. Mr. T. R. Crump, Mayor of Eliham who was unable, owing to urgent privat* business, to be present, telegraphed advocating the adoption of the central route. Mr George H. Buckeridge, representing the Eltham Chamber of Commerce urged the claims of Eltham as the ultimate junction of railways to Opunakt and to the North Island Main Trunk line. Mr. F. Amoore, Eltham borough councillor, referred to the heavy cost of transporting building materials over th« roads to the dairy farms. Mr. Leonard Hill, borough councillor, supported the adoption of the reserved route. Mr. Jacob Marx, of Mangatoki, will give evidence at Stratford. Mr. Walter C. Clement, sawmiller, was of opinion that the route along the surveyed reserve would be the most suitable for adoption. A tramway from Hawera to Manaia would also be required to serve the southern portion of the district. Mr. Forsyth, chairman of directors of the Eltham Dairy Company, was in favor of the route along the* reserve. Mr. Arthur Grey, farmer, of Matapu, favored the originally surveyed route. Mr. John Heslop thought the rout« close to the Skeet road, joining the main line at Te Roti, would he the most suitj able. The Commission will sit at Stratford to-day, New Plymouth to-morrow, and at Okato on Thursday.