TAUPO RAILWAY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1929, Page 10

TAUPO RAILWAY

ABANDONED PEOJECT

EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMITTEE

Further evidence was heard to-day by the M to Z Committee of the House of Representatives in regard to the plea of E. E. Vaile and others for the resumption of work on the abandoned Eotorua-Taupo railway. Alfred H. Cockayne, Assistant Direc-tor-General of Agriculture, continued his evidence. To Mr. B. Semple: The comparatively poor result from the work of the first pioneers was one of the reasons for slow development of the land. The potentialities of the better classes of the pumice land were high, but those potentialities would only bej, developed by actual expenditure on them. • • Mr. Semple:-"Do you believe that the best part of the pumice land could be brought into cultivation, and would ultimately give a return?"—" Yes; the better portions of the pumice land may be able to be broken in without any loss to the State at the finish."

The witness said that the whole question of water on the land was one which should be gone into thoroughly from the proper standpoint. He agreed that the Government should prospect for water before it decided to do anything with the land.

To Mr. H. K. Jenkins: In reference to subdivisions, the witness said that whore a subdivision had been made of 700 acres, it was clear that the area offered some serious objections for subdivision in smaller areas. He agreed that a forest covering over the whole of the pumice land would make it very much easier to develop into grass. Mr. F. Lye: "To pu» that land into a ±air state of cultivation would take at least twelve years, for the best, before dairy herds could be pastured?" — I would say that is an estimate where the total capital expenditure necessary .for bringing the country to that point could only be got in about i-f years. Were adequate capital available, it is probable that sufficient country could bo in a really fine dairying condition in a slightly less period." The witness said that if the Government were to charge the whole of the expenses of breaking in it would be necessary to write off a very considerable amount, and one'could not load the imai settler with the whole cost. Certain areas should pay quite welL At Its nnal productivity the land" would be worth about £30 per acre To the Hon. E. A. Eansom .'Minister of Public Works)": He did not view the growing of grain crops in the pumice country as a type of utilisation tending to final improvement; He did not think there was much outlook in that respect from a monetary point o± view. ■ ■ ■ .

After further cross-examination had miVI ? rogress the chairman (Colonel 1. W. M'Donald) drew attention to tho nature of the examination, and said the committee was getting away from the subject.

The witness was examined b"y the chairman on the "question of a Govern-ment-settlement scheme. Colonel M'Donald: "It would mean a repetition of the soldiers' settlement revaluation?"—"l am rather inclined to that; with the proviso that I consider the development of the better pumice country is a liability that the country as a whole has to face." The witness said he did not think the construction of the railway was likely, to improve, the position very appreciably from, the,farm settlement standpoint at the present time. The Chairman: "In the near future?" — A good deal depends on the success or otherwise of the ventures that are in the air now." They will take some time."

"For the next six to ten years the matter should be-In abeyance?"—" From the farming standpoint." To Mr. E. E. Vail# the witness said, that settlement could quite well precede the railway, as it had done in many parts of New Zealand, but it could not precede roads.

Arnold Hanson, Chief Inspector of Forestries, said that some of the blocks of land where the native bush was situated would hardly" affect the railway. Tho Eotorua plantation was so close to Eotorua that it would hardly be affected; Waiotapii might receive benefit from the line; Kaingaroa was doubtful.

To Mr. Lye: Quantities of native timber that would go over the line had been exaggerated. If a,pulping industry were commenced "most probably the timber supplies would not be carried over the proposed liwe? The committee adjourned till 10 a.m. on Tuesday. ' .

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In thanking you for your report of my .evidence before the committee, will you allow me to draw attention to certain omissions which, have an important bearing? I stated, in answer to Mr. Lye, that the Hautu Farm ana the Tongariro timber, could conveniently reach the existing Main Trunk line by a good road/ as the distance was.only forty miles, and.as the stone was available at Tokaariu tb make a road with sound foundations.. Tour morning contemporary makes me say that the Taupo timber could go that way, which is not correct. It also makes me say that the State plantations on the Kaingaroa Plains would not be millable for many years. This is incorrect. I said they were ready now, but that Timberlands, Ltd., plantations would not be ready before .the railway was built to Napier. Sir Apirana Ngata told me in the room that in his opinion the lino should be built to Taupo in fifteen years. Colonel M'Donald would not allow me to repeat this conversation- as evidence, but I can do so with your kind permission in your columns. . ■ ■.'■...

Another statement which I made which has been entirely omitted was that the timber in the Tarawera forest of 50,000 acres, lying 30 miles south of the future railhead at Taupo towards Napier, would pay the whole cost of the line from Eotorua Via Taupo and Puketitiri to Napier. Mr. Makitanara asked mo as a question if I'knew that the whole of these timber rights had been sold to a Mr. Gardiner. I replied that I was not aware of this, and I now ask Mr. Semple through your columns to have a copy of the contract to purchase this timber laid on the table tor the committee's inspection. The Press Association message to the Napier morning paper omitted to mention thatl attended the committee to uree the immediate construction of the line "«h* though to Napier, giving the North Island two Main.Trunks one hundred imles apart.—l am, etc., ■ ' EUSTACE LANE. Napier, 27th September.