THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.
•DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. BETTER PROGRESS■ URGED. (By Our Special Reporter.) Stratford, Last Night. The Opimake 'railway was referred to fry the Mayor of Elt'ham (Mr. G. W. Taylor) in welcoming the Hon. .J. G. Coatcs (Minister for Public Works) there to-day, . Mr. Tayicr said that the work of construction had been going on for seven years, hut they did not seem to be getting much further forward with it. He •expressed the opinion that the junction of the railway should lie at Eltiiar-. instead., <)f at Te Roti, because New Plymouth was the deep sea harbor of Tar'anakj #nd the natural course was for the traffic to pass through Eltham. He thought that construction work on the railway could bo speeded up a great deal, and suggested that the wages of the men should be increased in order to get more workmen, and if insufficient men were forthcoming by day labor, to do the work by contract.
The Minister said lie would confer with the officers of the 'Department. Already he was actively inquiring into labor difficulties and the possibility of using machines, and he bplieved it'was quite impossible to keep pace with construction as it should be done, by tisin" the old methods. When he knew fully what was required he would be in ii position to get going properly. He was quite in favor of letting contracts in order to get on with the work, and get it completed.
This matter was also referred to by the deputation which waited oil the Minister at Stratford, Mr. Richards said that in 191-2 a commission eat to consider the best means of connecting up Opuimke, and work was commenced at IV Roti, , Some people did not agree with that course, but he was not going to refer to it now. What he did want to mention was that, the commission had urged that a branch line should be 'constructed between Kaponga and Stratford. There was no doubt that a community interest, existed between Stratford and Kaponga, and another important matter was that New Plvmouth was the deep sea port"Wr the whole of Taranaki, and to reach New Plymouth, goods from Kaponga must, come ihvoiHi ,Stafford.
heferring to the Stratford-Kaponga railway, the Minister said he understood Hie deputation wanted i¥- authorised, but although lie would be very pleased to consider it he could make no promise whether it would be authorised or not. Bo would only promise to got full reports and let them know what could 7 bo done.
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Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1920, Page 4
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423THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY. Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1920, Page 4
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