TAUPO SAWMILLING CASE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10713, 6 September 1912, Page 7

TAUPO SAWMILLING CASE

HEARING RESUMED

(By leiegrapn —Pr«*s Association.')

WELLINGTON, Last Night

The adjourned hearing of tho Taupo Totara Co.'s petition for the right to extend its existing railway, and certain other concessions, was resumed today before a special committee, Mr G. G. Anderson being, chairman. The principal witness gave evidence j supporting, the petition from the setl.tlers. of East TaupOj • and, against front the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, the Wellington Trades Council and certain natives. Mr C. B. Collins (Trades Council) submitted objections to the first paragraph of the petition, which could only be given effect to by a private Bill, and the requirements of the .House in this direction were not fulfilled. The petitioners were not justified in coming to Parliament as a first resort. The petition was not one for a committee, because it contained matters of policy. The objections were over-ruled.

Sir John Findlay (representing the Taupo Company), in outlining the petitioner's case, said that the present petition differed materially from that submitted last year in one respect. Ho emphasised tho fact that the company was purely a New Zealand concern, and did not come to Parliament as a bankrupt or an insolvent concern. At the present time the company cmployed 250 hands, and since it started had paid- £352,000 in wages.

■ lii twelve years the company had paid £79,000 in railway freight, 'and in taxes, plant and machinery, etc:., £223,000, The company's present railway could be converted into w track I sn:tnliU- for heavy traffic. The com- | pany did not come before the committee as patriots, but as business men, with a business proposition. If the committee could not admit them as such, it was their duty to reject it. There were two millions of acres of land in the district lying practically idle. The company .had. not hidden its reason for getting, rid »of the line. They wanted to do so because it was a dwindling asset. The company had timber areas to work for the next 15 or twenty years. The railway would be maintained as it is at present, and would be as good, then, but. there would lie no-timber. He denied the rumour that.-the company., had. a,..secret, alhVr anccwith the Tongariro Timber -Com-! pany. in order to secure a monopoly, j 1 In point of fact they were in competi- i jtion. Except over the two Taupo J hotels, the company had' no option I (over the hotels or tourists resorts. 'The company would be glad to hand these two hotels over to the Government, and was prepared to hand over its 6-") miles find equipped rolling stock for £IBO,OOO. 'Hie company would also guarantee to pay for freight over the line, a sum covering £II,OOO per annum.