EAST COAST RAILWAY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10683, 1 August 1912, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY

PUBLIC MEETING IN MASTERTON. IMPORTANT RESOLUTIONS P.A6SED. A meeting of thoso hitere-stcd in the opening no of iihe East Coast- country by railway was held in .Murray's Hal/Mastorton, laat evening. About fifty persons were present, 'including representatives from Waipukurau, Pongaroa, Ekotahuri:. Waterfalls, Taueru, Tinui, Carterton, Oastlepomt -andi elisewhero. Apologies were received from Messrs Svkes. ©ucbaauui, and Escott, M.'sP., .a.nid (fpnin a number of other interested ■ fjoople. ■Mr C. E, Dan.ie.ll, who occupied the clftifi-, ftnted that he had been asked by the Master-ton Chamber of Comniorco to pi-wade, btfcause it was thought he know something of the ..subject. He was gratified to find . such a lairgo and representative gnth--1 ering from all parts of the district, lie wao sorry that the Residents of Miieterfton. were .not better represented. Tho Mast or ten Chamlber of Commerce, had framed two 'resolutions on tlie subject, but it had mo hard and .fast sdvcimo. It merely wished to liave the subject thoroughly venbilat■'ed. Mr Daniel) then -proceeded! to relate what had happened in the p.ist. The MaistertoivPongaroa light line •mElway scheme had been proposed in •consequence of the scarcity of metal in the oaclvblocte. It was stab&Lquently Hlhoupht that a line might he tak- i on up the Wangachu VaMey. This, it wae considered], 'would be too close to tiro present railway line. An engineer had been employed, and after j he had reported on. a route, it was proposed to start a private company. This the Government would; not allow. It had then been r.«ked (that the local? bodies should he permitted to do something; hut this was found also to, -be impossible. Mr Daniell stated' th'ait two deputations had waited upon the late Mr Seddou; but they had different purposes, and Mr Seddou tol'd them to go home and settle j their difficulties. Mr 'Daniell express- , ed tho hope that on this occasion thc-y would .not have a repetition! of such a difficulty. The Masterton Chamber of Commerce had no desire to rnotibutc a parish scheme. All they wanted was to see the .settlors benefited in tho 'back-blocks. (Hear, hear!) If the settlers were 'benefited, the whole of the townships would Ibeaetfit. Mr D,i':v.c,ll .pointed out that, a surveyor kid .been sent 'over the district by the Government. This surveyor had teleady sttobed th.it the pro- j ipeir course for the Kwc- »w up the { 'J'aueru to Waipukura.u. It way i thouglit that this would enable tbrm j to tap Pongjroa ami escape much of j the rough country on -io Da'miievirke route. The Masterton Chamber sug- | uec-t-ed that Uhb lino should be from | Ma/stcbton to Wai.pivfcnr.au, because ,

they thought this was the - common.sense lm>oi At tho same time, if.it "' " : 'could ibo shown tint other routes were more .practicable-, the Masterton people- were will'bg to assist i'li ovary possible way. (Applause). Some •people had thought they should go '•further east, while otOi'jins considered they siho"ufc!l start a- Martinborough. Mr' Dan.iefl pointed out that tho cos- of railway construction had increased in late years. It had been eaid tliat a second liiie would be too telose to that already in, existence. He .showed by tho plane, however,- that this was coiitlvary to fact. The question: would he asked, where wo.s the

money to come from? Mr Daniell stated .that railways were "being con--1 lafcmcitedi im 'other parts which could •maintain wily two trains a week. ■"Were tilio people in the district going to sit ktfy hy a,nd allow their money to bo expended omi unpirontable hues .elsewhere, when their own country remained undeveloped? Mr Daniell pointed out what had been done byorganisation, in the Auckland district. He referred to the bungle Which had ibeenl'smade over the Rimutaka railway. 'Hie 'hoped that the (matter ■wauH flie (tlM f te»lvc»3l out by the meeting thoroughly and weill. (Applause.) Mr Alex. Henderson, President of

the iMasterton Oiamtoer of Commerce,

/then (moved, "That in the interests tk of the settlers the Government be ™ asked to opcm the East Coast lands, south of Napier, Iby means of a 1 railway, to enable sucli. settlers) to secure better (connection with markets for their products.; such railway to connect with the Wellington-Napier railway .at W'nipukurau and Maisteirton respectively." Ini moving the resolution, Mr Henderson .stated a number of reasons why the lfaie proposed should Ibo constructed. Mr Melntyre, of Ponga.roa, seconded' the motion-. Ho stated that the vse.-ilens of the fo.*k ootiivtry were exceedingly anxious to gaim access to the markets. They wanted to get 'nearer to iNiapier on the one end, and iWielli'ngjton on (the other. He (Mr BVMnityre) h.uli been on© of the promoters of the original League. They Iliad gone to W.elh'ngton and interviewed Mr Hall-Jones. They had Mien, been told that it was proposed to electrify certain lines. There was ■also a) proposal to construct a linla ' from Pahiatua ito .Pongaroa. This, it ■was thought, would only benefit the

; townships and mot the district as a (whale. I'he .settloirs of PongairoU ! wished a line th© route pro- | posed iby Mr Dobsoiu They did not wish to benefit any particular towniship. They desired to benefit all. (Applause.) *Hr QiojNrook, of Waterfalls, stated tltab he was pleased to see that Masterton was awakening to the neoe.ss- ; ity lor opening up the back-blocks. IMo .stated tiiat a .league had been formed i\t Pongp.reV'.i, andl ho quoted from the rules, so if air as the resolution wa,s concerned, lie thought that Maatentton .should be left out of the resohftion. He thought this might interfere with 'tiheir organisiation, as there wore other possible routes. Pertora'ily he th'ib Masterton should bo tho terminus. I Mr He.nd ens-am stated that ho was i wililiiig to delete the words WapukuI rau and Mat;tarpon; hut he reserved Uhisi right to « Hater stage of tho meeting. Mr Coleman Phillips (Carterton) thought the words should be demoted. The meeting -was convened to discuss tne question of opening up the whole of the East Coast, and he did not think that Parliament would consider ;\ny local OTipoaiil. Mr Phillips did moo 'think that the route proposed by Mr Dobson w:>.s tho beet obtainable. He considered they could got a better routo via Waiimi-o-mata. He was positive that he was in saying that /the Wainui-o-mbtu scheme- was the- 'best. The grade would be better this route, and the.Lower Valley wcu'tl be fully tapped. He maintained that tho whole of ili>o country south of M/astertcn should not be left unopened. Nearly the whole of tho i country to the soivm could be opened up for c? hying. He thought it would 'be a ipity iif ijjhe south were not included in the scheme. He consider- ' ed that 'Masterton should be eliminat-j od. '

Mr C. C. Smith (reprcy.-'nting the Waipukurau County Council and Waipukurau Town Bofurd) said he avouVU 'support the motion in its orighJ.i'l form. He favoured tire line which would afford the greatest benefit to (tilie settlers, and he thought that this line was between Msatreton and Waipukurau. (Hoar, hear.) He did not appose the propaval o Mr Phillips; but he thought this was a different project. They should take things a bit at <ai time, aiyJ not go to the 'Government with t-oo big a scheme. Ho urged the mooting to do something definite at once, «nd to send a combined deputation to the Minister. The country through which the proposed' line wcadd paiss w : as of 'excellent quality, '..und the iaio would ipa,y from the .sitart. It would give alive sbt-ucr-s at both ends easier a-rccos to the poits, ajvd 'would be of great value to the country. (Ap-•l-A..us«).

Mr Pike (Ekotahuna < Borough CouinoS) said ho would oppose the Resolution "unless Masterton was deleted. (The cha.innti.il: And substitute Eketahuna,). M.r Pike 6V.id he woukll not substitute Ekefahuna, but AY'ould leave this to' the surveyors. They ehomkl first affirm the primciplo of the 'iwcey&jty ,t'or opening up tho East Coast.

Mir J. ißaJH'io (Eket.vhmia) also agreed tlJat the terminus of the line should bo left Cut, in the meantime, with a view to securing i?na.nuin(ity. iMr H l . C. iKio'bi'iicion suggested that those oppofi'ng the resolution should frame an Umnicimui'l:.

Mr Cole.ma.n .1 -I.i-: 1 !- : ;3?> ..'aid he would move a,s ap .anicndnxMit that the reference to Mai'tortou 'and Waipuku•rau b'c deleted.

'Mir Hbs-well' seconded the amendment.

Mir Eaiiiiiie asked if delegates only were 'entitled to vote. -Hue chairman sWted that the meeting was a, 'public orx\ Mr Smith (WVpuknraiii) thought it •wise in the m-earrtiune to allow the lino to ■remain '.is the Maste.rtonWaipukurau line. 'Hive question of the absolute touni'inus would be left to the engiine-cirs.

'Mr J. <C. lEwi'ngton was of opinion that (they ■should fix the t criminal s« at once. He therefore favoured the resolution. He was in sympathy with the Suggestion of Air C-'olemaa Phillips; ibut he thought this could hs left until later.

Mr Joeeph Dawson (Eketahuna) thought 'they should advocate a line ■from Waipukurau 'to some pbint on the -WieHington ljne iinr the neighbourhood of Mastotfton..

Mr iGiroves (Tinui) was of opinion that .the route should be brouglht from "Waipukura.u along the coast in a cMIrect line to WeKington, leaving it to itlio engineers to dehiio the route. They would never get-unanimity as to route.

Mr H'aswelil (Eketahuna) moved as a Ifulrther amendment, "That the Govcnuneult be requested to take steps to have a railway constructed to give ficccisis to the Wellington-Napier lino from rtjho East 'C'oar-t along the best avaiil'aible route between Ma,sterton an 'Hihiatua, the route to be settled iby cdmmi&stion, which shall take evidence rjni connection with the various routes .suggested." Mir Groves considered that the country south of Mastorton isliould ho 'Tncludedl.

•Mr iR. Barton (Castlepoint) thought t)ho :origiin';il motion should stand, Ibeeaiisa it was definite. It Appeared to him that they were fighting as •to what yliowld be- (the term inns, a*n'stoad.of what should ibo the route. He was of opinion that a fun dshould be ostiiibfched to secure a first-class engin ear's irepont on tjhe East Carst route. When t'liiis iroport was obtained,, they could go to the Government 'and asik for the line. If the Govern-