THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1912. THE TAUPO RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10692, 13 August 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1912. THE TAUPO RAILWAY.

Some months ago the Masterto'.i Chamber of Commerce, with similar institutions throughout the Dominion, was asked to support a project to continue the Taupo Timber Company's railway line down to Taupo. At that time a strong opposition war. l raised by tho Rotorua Chamber of Commerce—which was probably influenced by local rather than national considerations—and the Government did mot consider it expedient to grant a concession to a private company. Tlie Taupo Company, undeterred by the previous rebuff, intends petitioning the new Parliament on the subject. From a copy of the petition, which is before us, we gather that the Taupo Timber Company liars built a tramway fifty mliey in length from Putaruru, o:i the main Rotorua line, to a point withia 20 miles north of Taupo township; and it now desires to carry the line down to the lake, and thus open up a large area of the surrounding country. The area affected by this continuation of the line would amount in all to about 2,000,000 acres, of which 80,000 acres are Native Lands, and 3-50,000 acres are Crown Lands. '„At present, as this district is largely isolated from the outside world, and the cost of , cartage is prohibitive, it is hopeless .to expect that settlement will progress rapidly here unless and until the district is reached by railway. It seems tbat the Taupo Timber Company has already spent about £130,000 in laying and equipping its line up to the present rail head, and this tramway has carried tho timber and part of the goods traffic of the Tauop country for seven years. It is estimated that a further expenditure of £50,000 would carry tire line to Taupo, and make tho whole section from Putaruru southwards capable of carrying passengers as well as goods with comfort and safety. But the company is not prepared vo assume the whole financial responsibility for this under-" taking, a.:xl so it appeals to Govern-

«ist it. It nuv?t bo obvious that mc'ivt for certain concessions to aswhatever tho ultimate effect of the •(■instruction of such a railway may bo upon the value of the land and tlio pi-ogrccc, of tho ch'strict, a very considerable time would aiecessarily elapse before it could pay working expenses and interest en cost. Tho Tatipo Timber Company thereforo argues that, as the lands 1)one-fitted by the railway arc almost entirely Crown and Native lands, it is pysiibb for •Government to assist mate-.'ir.llv :«

this project by enabling tho company to benefit through the increase of :i.e value of the land served by the proposed railway. As much of tho land concerned is pumice country—which will need considerable ■expenditure to render it productive, the levy of a rate is out of the question; and tho petition therefore suggests other alternatives. Let the Crown acquire the Native lands affected at present valuation, and Jet it arrange to devote a portion of tho "unearned increment" produced by the building of the line to the purchase of the railway, or let the Crown empower the company "to purchase at present values, and to dispose cf on such terms, condition.-;, and limitations as may be stipulated,'' an area of Crown or nativo lands in the district concerned up to 200,000 acres in nil. Of course, it would always be possible" for tho Crowm either to apply the profit on its lands produced by the railway extension to thpurchase of the line, or to throw sonic portion of the cost and current expenses of the railway upon them : ancl special conditions to this effect might easily be included in the required Order-in-Council. ,The great "luestion involved, however, is whether Parliament is warranted in granting j. concession to a private company which will enable it to create pre St.for itself at the expense of tho community. It may well be airgued that if the undertaking is good enough for a private company it should be goon enough for the State. It is to bs hoped that the Government will not act hastily in the matter, but that in its treatment of the petition it will regard the interests of tho Dominion as paramount.