Taupo Timber.

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 3, 1 November 1920, Page 66

Taupo Timber.

Forest Lands and Settlement.

The Commission which sat in Wellington recently to hear evidence in connection with a proposal that the tramway of the Taupo Totara Timber Company should be acquired by the Crown, examined three witnesses, and then adjourned further proceedings until a later date, when the chairman of directors of the company, Mr. F. G. Dalziell, will continue his evidence. The members of the Commission are Messrs. H. J. H. Blow (chairman), F. W. Furkert, H. Buxton, and G. H- M. McClure. Sir John Findlay appeared for the company.

. Captain L. M. Ellis, Director of State Forestry, in the course of examination, said that he had not visited the lands of the company, and knew nothing about the forests there. There were about . 25,000

acres of State forests in the district with which the Commission was concerned, and this area would be increased later. The timber from it would come over the company’s railway. Some of this timber was available now, and by 1923 the quantity would be very considerable.

Mr. F. G. Dalziell outlined the history of the company and its operations. In 1917, he stated, the position of the company had been gone into, and it had been decided that it would not be possible to continue offering transport facilities to the settlers unless more rolling stock was secured. This could not be added to their undertakings without assistance from the Government. The settlers had met and had passed a resolution requesting the Government to appoint a Commission such as the one now set up, with a view to making recommendations to the Government in regard to a developmental policy for the whole of the Taupo basin. The position was, said Mr. Dalziell, so far as the company was concerned, that they were not so keen now to pursue their policy of extending the railway to Taupo; they were not now looking to the development of the land for greater revenue, the timber off their land was giving them good, returns. If, however, the Government desired it, they would complete the railway.

Mr. R. W- Holmes, late Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department, also gave evidence. Some time ago, he said, he had prepared a rough estimate of the cost of improving the tramway, or railway, to the standard of the Government lines. He had set the figure down as £40,000, but the cost to-day would be double that amount. He explained the improvements that would be necessary before the State could take over the line. The cuttings would require to be widened, and the banks upon which the line was laid would also have to be widened. Mr. Holmes also gave a considerable amount of evidence of a technical nature.

The Commission will visit the locality, and make a comprehensive survey of the whole district before submitting their recommendations.