TRAINS NEEDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 22

TRAINS NEEDED.

EAST COAST FREIGHT.

INCREASED PRODUCTION. REQUEST BY DEPUTATION. (By Tt»!»;jraph.—Own Correspondent.) OPOTIKr. Friday. A deputation on behalf of the Opotiki Railway League approached Mr. O. FT. Mack ley. Oeneral Manager of Railways. I last niirht. and put forward claims for I the extension of the railway from ; r.ineattia to Opotiki. Mr. A. (;. Hulti|uist. MP. for the P>av of I'lenty. recalled the promise or" the Prime Minister concerning tile railway and also pointed out that the working i-0.-tt of the Taneatua line last year ; were the lowest yet recorded. The Dii ectoi -( Jericra 1 of AjrnVulture, he said, j had expressed the opinion that if the j coast -rot the necessary manures it ; could doulde tile number of sheep and i cattle. He mentioned an aerial survev of the proposed new stock route | Opotiki. and said that Kisborne had | strongly advocated the continuation of i the line to Opotiki. as it would mean a ; tremendous saving to Poverty Ba \ I farmers. -Mr. Hnltquist claimed that when the i railway reached Gi.-borne that town j vvoiild. double its size. ; -Mr. T. H. Pearson, secretary of the | league, was asked if he could give anv j idea whether the dairy factories supported the railway. He suggested that perhaps a cheaper rate could' be offered j for butter. I -Mr. Macklev said the Rangitaiki Dairv i Company had been offered a cheaper rate, cutting the ordinary rate down substantially. Opposing firms had cut their rates to an unheard-of figure. The Rangitaiki factory were prepared to take all the benefits the railway offered without regard to the liabilities. Mr. Pearson stated that the Te Kah-i Uairy Company's figures had been more than doubled during the past year, and it would be compelled to use the railJhe general manager confessed that , w * a greatly impressed with the wonderful potentialities of the East Coast It was ideal country, he said, for raisincattle, was well endowed climatically, and was fertile. He promised to conveV w of