THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1919, Page 6

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

MOTUROA EXTENSION SCHEME.

NEW PLYMOUTH PROTEST. REPLY FROM THE MINISTER. A well attended meeting of representative citizens, including several farmers from coastal districts, was held at the Soldiers' Club yesterday morning, the Deputy-Majior (Mr. W. A. Collis) presiding, to protest against the action of tha Minister of Public Works in cancelling authorisation for the railway extension from Opunake•to Moturoa. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Newton King, F. S. Johns, and J. S. Connett. A resolution of protest was carried, and later in the day Mr. Collis received the following reply from Sir William Eraser, the Minister for PubKc Works: "It would have been quite useless to make any provision for your railway this year owing to the shortage of labor. Only one new railway codld be authorised, and that was an extremely urgent one." MINISTER'S PROMISE WITHDRAWN. The chairman stated that in view of the development in connection with the Opunake-Moturoa railway line, and its deletion from the schedule of the Railways Authorisation Bill, he thought it right that the citizens of New Plymouth should be given an opportunity of expressing their views on the matter. Personally he could not understand the riddle of the change of front. They had understood that the Minister himself had regarded the work as of great importance, and ho had definitely stated that when the war was over, it would be one of the first works to be undertaken and that it would be a very suitable line on which to employ returned soldiers. Mr. Collis said other public bodies had been communicated with on the subject and he had received a reply from the Omata Farmers' Union to the effect that they would support New Plymouth in any protest made at the action of the Minister and had already telegraphed to Wellington on the matter. Mr. Collis said he had also received replies from Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., and the Hon. 0. Samuel The former stated that endeavours were being made to have 'the matter rectified, though time was short. The telegram from the Hon. 0. Samuel stated that lie was co-operating with Mr. Smith urging the inclusion of the line in the schedule of the Bill. He feared that the Council was debarred from altering the Bill as it was a money Bill. From these messages Mr. Collis said it would be seen that the Taranaki representatives in both Houses were alive to the importance of the matter, and were doing what they could to have the tiling remedied. The coastal railway was important and vital to the linking up of the districts with the harbor at Moturoa. '• 'IMPORTANCE TO'THE PORT. Mr. C. E. Bellrtnger then moved the following resolution:—"That this meeting of citizens of New Plymouth deploresthe fact that the Moturoa-Opunßke railway line was deleted from the Railway Authorisation Bill during the absence of Taranaki members from the House, arid respectively urges the Right Hon. the Premier and the Hon. Minister of Public Works to take such steps as may be necessary to place the matter again before the House, in order that reasonable opportunity may be afforded for the facts in favor of this very important work to be placed before the House and the community." In supporting the resolution Mr. Bellringer said that all would agree that this was one of the railways that should be made with all possible speed. It was impossible to tell why it had been withdrawn from the Bill. To the people of New Plymouth it was a particularly valuable line as it vitally affected the harbor works. There had been considerable delay in going on with reclamation work by the Harbor Board, bat the Board was unable to proceed because it did not know just where the line was to conic and where it would join up with the present breakwater line. Nothing could be done by the "Board in regard to applications for sites at the port until that was known, and it looks now as if the work would be still further delayed by at least a year, notwithstanding there had been some survey work done along'the route. The holding up of the railway would materially prejudice the interests of the whole district, and he thought a strong protest should be made to the Government on what appeared to be a most peculiar attitude on their part. He felt sure that if either Mr. Smith or Mr. Wilkinson had been in the House at the time they would have explained the importance of the line and the necessity for its immediate authorisation. He urged that all means should* be used to secure the reinstatement of the line in the schedule of the Bill. Mr. A. Goldwater, president of the Chamber of Commerce, seconded the motion. He urged the importance of the line from the point of view of the Taranaki County Council with regard to the maintenance of the main road. The line would greatly relieve traffic on the road and be a great relief to the country in that respect. Moreover, the settlement of the coastal district was developing and more traffic was travelling along the road every year. There were a good many railways being built in New Zealand at the present time which would never pay. This applied particularly to lines in the South Island. In view of the growing revenue from North Island lines in comparison 'with those in the South Island, the Government should he urged to increase the railways in the North Island with the utmost speed. Mr. Goldwater stated that the Chamber of Commerce (of which he is the president) had telegraphed to the Prime Minister and to Mr. S. G. Smith on the matter. "A PARTY MATTER." Mr. D.' J. Hughes said he represented Waimate West on the Harbor Board, which was one of the best exporting districts in the province, and that it was always his aim to minimise, as far as possible, the cost of export and also the cost of getting goods into the district. His idea of the whole position was that, so as the action of the Minister in regard to the Opunake line was concerned, it was a party matter. The railway from Stratford to the Main Trunk line was not getting on as fast as was desired, and the opponent of Mr. Hine was twitting the Government with this, and the Opunake line had been cut out so as to do more for the other line. Mr. Hughes characterised the Government as a "loaves and fishes" Government, and referred to the position in several Taranaki districts. In regard to the Taranaki electorate he said the Government knew they had no chance of shifting the present member and so they did not care a snap. '%e thought that when Mr. Hine had got back to Wellington from bil rscent visit to his own elector-

ate he had urged the Government not to put too much money in the Opunake line but to vote more for his line. If the inner circle of the Cabinet could be penetrated he believed that would be found to be the explanation. He considered the obsolete rules of Parliament should be amended so as to provide that no action sucli as that taken by the Minister of Public Works in this connection could be taken without due notice to the members concerned. Mr. J. Clarke characterised the action of the Minister as the most scurrulous within his knowledge of politics. He also expressed great surprise that there was no other member in the House with sufficiently statesmanlike instincts to raise a protest against, the action in the absence of the Taranaki members.

Mr. AV. H. Skinner said he knew the Department had urged that the line should be gone on with as one of the most important in the Dominion, ft seemed that the Minister was the diffi. culty in the way. He simply ignored the district. He did not think anything would be done while the present Minister was in his position. On the motion being put it was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings.