THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1919, Page 4

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

ELTHAM AS A JUNCTION. DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER (By Wire.—Special Reporter.; Eitham, Last Night. .Several matters concerning the Opu* nake-Te Roti railway were placed be« fore the Prime Minister (Mr. W. F. Maa< sey) at Eitham to-day. Mr. G. W. Tayler, the Mayor, said that, aa the Premier had remarked Beveral times, Eitham had progressed considerably lately, and was the centre of a progressive district, and they wanted to see the Te Boti-Opunaie railway come round by Eitham instead of Norrnanby. Originally it was hoped to get the hue through Eitham, but it had been diverted, and now they wanted to see it swung round so that it would touch » iMtuam as a junction, •Tw a lin . e is S° in g on far too slowly" said Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., in gup. time there are .only 29 men on the line, doing construction work, and thU num. ber is far too small. It j a absolutely useless to think that the line can be putdown in this way." Mr. Wilkinsoi wont on to say that he was jfoini t3 suggest again. that the way to flnislTttuJ line was by the letting of small con* tracts for sections of the line from here! to Opnnake. Last .vear the Govern? went had voted a sum of money for tlj line, but the vote was not expended, and? voted 5 " 6 " * SUIU ° f £ ' 2m ° bad bee ? m^\^'° n - * h ° pe t0 sec a *4 pas»ed to commence work at the New\ yinouth end of the line," proceeded 2 Yilkmson. "After the trouble of whiclj yon are aware the extension from Km* Hymoutl, to Opunake was authorSedl work v r bcen r™* ed for ««* , 1 1 * e * l>l !™>uth u the port fo? the whole of Taranaki, and there U «3 doubt that it is New Plvmoutn whiehS mus handle the produce of the It is tlwrefore clear that this railway I miwt run northward and not south. w«m». It is too late now to alter tW aeual construction of the railway* ,Q what I want to make clear is that whel tram services come to be run on the line! e want to see Eitham become the°uncl make H, " a eftt »**«• 4 make Hawcra the unction of the line? because, with New Plymouth aV th 3 1 if; "V trainR T nu,9t r - un northward." \ mind %**? l: * Wi ", bcar th * «■»**« W mind Nothing can be done at prcsenf except more rapid construction]