The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, DEC 19. OURSELVES.

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 23 December 1913, Page 2

The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, DEC 19. OURSELVES.

In announcing that there will be no publication of the Te Puke Times between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, we are confident tnat our readers will agree with us that all work and r/o play is good for neither man nor beast, and when we mention that this is' the first vacation we' have been able to take since this paper was started just on two years ago, we are sure they will overlook the non-pubiication of one issue. The paper will appear next, therefore, on Friday, January 2nd. The office will, however, be open on intervening days, other than holidays, for the transaction of business. We would ask' our numerous readers to acccept cur best wishes for a Happy Christmas and -a prosperous New Year.

At a recent meeting of the Council of the Auckland Railway League a letter was read from Mr G. Arnold Ward, President of the Tauranga- Railway League, in which it was stated that the line down the Coast, no matter how far it was taken, would be practically no use until the line ran into Tauranga. The wish is of course, father to the opinion expressed, but it would be interesting to know in what manner such great advantage would be derived through the train running into Tauranga. Colonel Ward does not enlighten us as to these special advantages. Residents on this side of the harbor are under the impression that the Mount is superior to Tauranga as a shipping point, and we do not think they will be persuaded otherwise. Colonel Ward proceeded to say that the trains now being run between Te Puke and the Mount only averaged one passenger per irain, whilst the freight was practically nil, but he appears to have very conveniently omitted to state that the reason for the limited amount of traffic on the line at present is because of the refusal of the Northern Steamship Company to allow its steamer to call at the Mount until the wharf is repaired. As to Colonel Ward's estimate of £45, 000 to construct the 3.v miles of line from Maungu Junction to, Tauranga, including the erection,! of the bridge over the harbor, we

would point out that it is generally considered the work will cost just about double the amount mentioned by the President of the Tauranga Railway League.