TARANAKI RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 193, 23 January 1915, Page 8

TARANAKI RAILWAYS.

A STRATFORD VIEW. The president of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce (Mr. J. B. Richards), in his address to the annual meeting on Thursday evening, said:— Railway construction in Taranaki does not proceed so rapidly as we could wish.

A commencement has been made with the Opunake line, the first sod being turned at Opunake, and construction commenced on a section at Matapu. The point of junction with the main line is still in doubt, and the most reliable information I have been able to obtain is that a "temporary" junction will be made at Te Roti. It will be remembered that the Commission which reported on the question of routes recommended a line from a point south of Te Roti, and a line from Stratford to Kaponga. No reason has been assigned for a departure from this recommendation, and although ,a flying survey between Stratford and Kaponga was made, our urgent request for a detailed survey of same was unavailing. The Commision repeatedly emphasised their opinion that the exports and imports of the whole of Taranaki will go through the port of New Plymouth. In this, and the fact of the existing junction at Stratford, and the liability of Taranaki for the New Plymouth harbor loan, together with questions of grades and mileage, any adopted scheme of railways for that area which does not include the Stratford-Ka-ponga-Manaia line must be a lasting .monument to the error of judgment on the part of those responsible. The urgent needs of the settlers of the j?outh-west area for means of transport more economical than roads lias been apparent for years. The cost of upkeep of roads and the prospect <*f already exorbitant rates steadily increasing were becoming beyond endurance. Opposition to any line of railway which would give them relief is therefore unacceptable, however wrong the adopted route may be. The advocacy by IJie people of New Plymouth 0 f the Strat-ord-Kaponga route was perceptibly weakened to the point of condemnation by means of faint praise. This was probably due to the mirage created by the proposed Motouroa to Opunake railway, and possibly t/lic fable of the shadow and the substance will be enacted in fihis connection.

, On the Stratford-Okahukura line a new 1 1?°" has opened as far as Whangamomona, which must prove beneficial to that, town and district, but progress of construction further on is slow. Reports from the Okahukura end n. i better Progress is made there and we all sincerely hope that energetic measures will prevail at both ends until through communication bv rail is established. Tn this connection it worthy of note and remembrance that the Auckland Railways League were bold and selfish enough to urge fihat Tailway construction at the Stratford end be retarded.