MAKUTU ON TAURANGA RAILWAY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume L, Issue 7965, 20 April 1922, Page 2

MAKUTU ON TAURANGA RAILWAY

(To the Editor). Sir,—The papers take long to penetrate to my kaianga, hence my slowness in replying, “barmer ” says I tell the tito. aue ! I answer, “ Tu quo que.” I gleaned my facts from the meeting of the Fanners’ Union, and the “ Auckland Weekly News,”

Had “ Farmer ” read this farmers’ paper, he would know that the 15 tangatas represented many multiples of that number, a number that includes my own hapu of savages.

All these agreed to contribute so much per acre for all the whenua served by the proposed railway — I think the amount fixed was one shilling per acre. This impressed me much, as I own many acres of the Taupo desert, growing heavy bush and high flax, much better than the pumice desert of Tauranga ever could. I have many acres, but few shillings. Taupo is large. Many Taurangas could be lost in its deserts (?) When the then Premier turned the first sod of the Tauranga railway, our present member represented this constituency.

The niggardliness of both Seddon and the Ward regimes regarding the north, are too well known to deceive anyone—except perhaps a follower of the plough or a delver in the bowels of the earth. So the entire credit must fall to the proper person. Sir William Herries.

The gigantic losses caused by the Southern railway, a legacy from Seddon and Ward, have made a Makutu on the Tauranga line, a Makutu started by getting such sworn opponents of progress to the North, to turn the first sods, a Makutu that can only be lifted when the ghosts of the old gov ernment are effectually laid by silver bullets.

Thanking you for your space and “Farmer” for his friendly offer lo have a drink.—Kia Ora, TE HIRAU REA, / April 13th, 1922