THE STRATFORD RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1921, Page 7

THE STRATFORD RAILWAY.

V STOPPAGE I 'AT TAHORA, | 1 NEED OF OUTSIDE HELP. With the object of securing help from outside Taranaki, towards securing a continuance of the work at the Tahora end of the Stratford-Okahukura railway, Mr. W. P. Kirkwood again brought up the matter of amalgamating with the Central Progress League, Wellington, at a meeting of the executive of the Taranaki Progress League, held on Tuesday morning at Stratford. Mr. Kirkwood eaid the Auckland League had been approached several times for support in regard to the railway, but on each occasion had turned Taranaki down, and would not even pass a resolution supporting a continuance of the work at Tahora. It appeared to him that the Auckland people were so selfsatisfied with the amount of money being expended in their province, that they were content to grab all for themselves and not worry about anyone else, and it would require the /whole of the rest of the Dominion to join together and see that a fair allocation of public money was spent in each province. It was essential for the people of Taranaki to present a united front and they should seriously consider uniting with the Wellington league which had on several occasions given practical support to Taranaki. Mr. Kirkwood added that at the previous meeting when he had brought the matter up, there had been opposition, and subsequently a sub-leader had appeared in the Daily News upholding that opposition, but in spite of this, he was convinced it was absolutely essential for Taranaki to link up with Wellington. The chairman (Mr. J. W. McMillan), thought that in view of the small meeting, it might be best not to carry a resolution, and Mr. Kirkwood concurred in this view. Mr. R. Masters, M.P., who was present at the invitation of the members, said he believed that Taranaki would obtain more assistance by co-operating with the Central Progress League than by joining up with the Auckland League, and he had, in an unofficial capacity, attended several meetings of the Wellington League, and, as far as he could see, the members were all very anxious that the work at the Tahora end of the Stratford main trunk line, should be pushed on. The Wellington people, moreover, believed that a greater community of interest existed between Wellington and the Ohura, than between Auckland and Ohura. He believed that the Government had taken up a wrong, an unfair and an inequitable attitude in regard to opening up the line. He recognised that the country through which the line was to go was sparsely populated, and that their were three tunnels to be made, but the policy in the past had been to push on the work at the tunnels and he saw no reason why that policy should now be changed. As regards the broad principle of large rates going to Auckland, the Public Works Statement itself was sufficient to support Mr. Kirkwood’s arguments. No less than £225,000 was spent on the North Auckland line alone, to say nothing of expenditure on other lines in the Auckland province. Further, there were big expenditures on branch lines in Auckland, which showed that Mr. Coates was not sincere in saying that he intended to concentrate on main lines. It seemed to . him that the only thing to do was for the rest of the Dominion to combine and fight Auckland. Taranaki had nothing to hope for from Auckland as long as Auckland was getting the money spent in its own province, and they would get far more sympathy and help from Wellington than from any other district. Mr. Kirkwood submitted a statement showing the amount expended and to be expended on railways in Auckland, as compared with the Tahora branch of the Stratford line. On the East Coast (Bay of Plenty) line, £89,027 was spent in 1920, and the rate for 1920-21 was £150,000. On the North Auckland Main Trunk line, £140.739 was spent in 1920, and £145,000 was voted for 1920-21, while on the Waiuku branch line, £22,000 was spent last year, and £25,000 was voted for this year. In striking comparison, £20,000 was voted for the Tahora end of the Stratford railway m 1919- and £13.119 was spent, while the vote for 1920-21 was only £15.000. Mr Kirkwood remarked that the rate for Tahora was underspent to the extent of nearly £7OOO, while the rate for 1920- was £lO.OOO leas than the rate for the Waiuku branch. Further the rate for the Waiuku line was overspent last year to the extent of £-.601, and it was possible that the Tahora rate would against be underspent.