THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 258, 30 March 1914, Page 4

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

A HAWERA PROTEST. At a meeting of Uic Hawcra Chamber of Commerce on Friday evening, the following resolution was carried: "Seeing that the .route decided upon by the Oovemment for the Opunake railway will deprive the Covernmeut of a very considerable portion of the revenue to be derived from freights, this Chamber strongly protests against its action in departing from the roiHe defined and unanimously recommended by tlie Special Commission, and we respectfully ask the Cabinet to inform the Chamber of the reason for sncl, altovation.''

Til speaking on the matter, llr G. V. Pca.ree. M.P., said it seemed as if Hic.ro had been a {food deal of puUiu;; to get the railway near to N'ovv Plymou: ?i, mil the route chosen would not aiii; tho people north or south. The route ~'' the Commission was well ennuired int.'. md should have been adopted. The present Government did not Ret up the Commission, lmt it was appointed l>v the Hon. T. Mackenzie's Government. However, that should make no difference, for the Commission was composed of the leadin? officials of the Government, awl the Government hud shown a went deal of weakness in not currying out the route selected -by the Commission. The routs cho.-en meant bvo or three miles extra for the produce from the Waimald Plains for all time, hut he did not Ihink it would affect Hawera to a large e\. lent, because nine-tenths of the Traffic, floods, and piisseiurei's must come through Unworn. The sum of £Sl),(inf) was to lie spent in improving the port of Patea. and when these inmrovements wore carried out the facilities for handling the produce would he ever so much groat"!', and lie felt sure that nearly :\ll of the traffic would come this way. even if the line connected at Te Koli. However, he did not agree with the d"cision ■ f the Government, althonih lie believed it would be very difficult, to have the position altered. He was not pleased with the Government for hnving departed from the route advised by the responsible officers, and which was undoubtedly the best route for the district.

Vr XV. Pmvrtroll. who cxolaiuel Hip position as fur us the Ivinnokonui Dairy Company \vii« concorncl. pointed out that if his company had (o send its product- nn extra three miles north in order to °;o to l'atca, it wa- probably (roills; to lose the lis Id \ier ton saved liy sending the stuff south, and tlie company might just as well rail it right through to Moturoa. The Chairman: If vmi continued to cart, would vou save that lis -Id? Mr Powdrcll: It is very Hkelv that it would not nil come this wav. Naturally, if (he railway runs past tli" Auroa factory, we won't cart the chwse to the main factory. lie w-is vevv riisippojnted a( the decision of the Oovernmcnt, and he could not understand why it had diverted from the Commission's report. Mr Massey had staled once thai commissions were no good. Mr Pearec: lie is following thi* out. The Chairman: Tt seems so.

"Mr Powdrell suggested that perhaps one of the reasons whv the Coverntnent had gone three miles north wa< !o avoid some heavy bridge construction which would he necessary if the line connected at Te Tloti proper. The Chairman: In mv opinion, tner have gone as near to F.ltham as it waa possible to do.—Star.