THE DARGAVILLE RAILWAY

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20937, 18 August 1933, Page 8

THE DARGAVILLE RAILWAY

PRIVATE OPERATION SUGGESTED

GOVERNMENT ASKED TO STATE TERMS (riids association Tri.aa.iiM.; ! AUCKLAND, August 17. An invitation to the Government to formulate the terms upon which! the Dargaville railway and other | abandoned railway branches will be handed over to private operation is to be extended to the Acting-Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The request is being made at the suggestion of the residents of Dargaville, who express the view that as the Government is unwilling to complete and operate the line an opportunity should be given to private enterprise. The council of the chamber had before it the terms recently announced by Mr Coates upon which the Government will hand over the uncompleted East Coast line to private enterprise. The chairman, Mr H. Turner, said an enormous amount of money had been wasted as a result of the Dargaville line not being completed. No one with money or sense would consider leasing or purchasing the East Coast line under the Government's conditions.

Mr T. H. Bowie said the position with regard to the Dargaville railway was different, as no one had come forward expressing a wish to take the line over, whereas there was a definite body cf persons who wanted to operate the Gisborne line. A motion asking the Government for its terms was carried.