THE STRATFORD RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1920, Page 5

THE STRATFORD RAILWAY.

• THE STOPPAGE OF WORK. TARANAKTS PROTEST VOICED (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.)" | Wellington, Last Nighf. J The features of the Public WOrlM I Statement and. Estimates, said Mr. R, I Masters (Stratford) in the House to- f night, were lack of the policy that bad i been announced in advance, and the '" enormous grants made to Auckland. , ; The Minister had stated early" in tie | year that lie was going to concentrate '; on the main lines, and that thp Stwtford Main Trunk line was one of the main lines Now be WOT proposing to stop work on the Stratfor&ond at Taiora. This line had been authorised in 1870. He wished to enter an emphatic protest against the stoppage of a back blocks ' main line, when increased grants weroi being made to branch lines in settled' and roaded districts.

Mr. Masters read protests ftom local organisations, including the Tftran»W! Progress League, and urged th»t the ■ Stratford-tMain Trunk line was one of! the mtost important lines now under construction. The stoppage of the linaj meant that important districts weretgo-; ing to continue to be deprived of thdj benefit of the improvement that had been made in the harbor of New Pfy-< mouth. The line was being stopfidj just short of a,possibly important «<rtl->i field, and of a very valuable deposit olj road metal. It was easy to see the. j evidence of Auckland influence right! j through the statement. The Anekla»M / people did not want the Ohura district; to get a connection with New Plymouth, because when the line was completed tie trade would go that way. Mr. Mwn ters said he wished to record an em* phatic protest on behalf of the TamnaU district.

A FURTHER PROTEST.. The Council of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce met yesterday to continue .the. proposal of the Milliliter for Pubjta Works to discontinue operations on l&e 'i'ahora section of the Strstford-OWHJ" kura railway. Indignation was expressed that such an important national railway should be neglected, and the. following resolution was unanimously,, passed:— That this Chamber strongly pro» tests against the intention of the] Government to cease work on t|he T*< hora section of the Stratford Maim Trunk railway. The Chamber oon« ■ aiders this to be the most important' ; railway under construction in New : Zealand to-day, and that therefore it should be given precedence, with the. Ohura section of the same railway,' over the numerous sections authorised; It is very disappointed that the pro\ mise of the Minister to concentrate; attention upon the main sections i* . not materialising, finding that instead of a reduction in workß under construction there is aotually an increase compared with previous years. Th* Council would also point out that the Tahora section entails work of a nature on which only a limited number can be employed at a time, which is all the more reason for accelerating and not ceasing work thereon. A copy of the resolution was tele« graphed to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Public Works, as well *1 the Taranaki members of Parliament.