TAUPO-TOTARA TIMBER CO.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1913, Page 3

TAUPO-TOTARA TIMBER CO.

LINKING UP OF' A LINE. (tt'-MUGBAPS—9H6CUI. TOiUS POST.) AUCKLAND/ Tnis Day. A' pi'oposal has been ■ made thaty the &oveWn«nt'shouJd authorise the Taupe Totara Timber 'Company to extend -'its private line from Mok'aiJ the pfesent terminus,, over the.2o-miles to Taupo, by.issuing an' Order in Councilcmpower ing the company to carry .passengers and' Ktfodsr The Mayor of ( -Auckland (Mr. U. 'J. Parr), in an interview • yester-day-'wifh a Herald' representative,' flaid thafc-'vailway connection with Taupo wis an im'pbrtaiit matter to' the city of' Atfcklwid. ; "At present," he went on,' "intakes two days to get to Taupo. If the impofUuit Taupo district can bB Jinked up with the city by a day's journey, it is going to mean* good business *for-tlie citizens of Auckland. We 1 ttnfet tfedognise, that our city, growing as she is, * requires every' acre of back country' to support her. ' It is because I feel it would be good-business for tile city, and 1 Because we must- realise that" while we"approve" of 'State ownership;- the .State"at the 'present tithe ha« not; a ghost of a chance'of finding tjie money, thkt I aupptfft.the Tadpo • railway project, , ' ■ ' »- "Of course," proceeded the Mayor, "dn#does not like the idea''of a comjpany getting private railway concessions. In my view, however, it is better to get benefits by private "enterprise than to Wait for a' quarter of a cetltary for railway facilities. Already the timber company has built a railway within 20 mile* of Taupo. If the Government can make a good bargain 1 with the com- • pany, it> might be advisable to let the Government extend ite line to Taupo, and give the company a right to carry freight and passengers under strict condition* of supervision. By a proposal put forward by Mr. F. G. Dalziell, chairman of directors *' of the, Taupo' Totara Timber Comofny, the Government k glveh the Opti* n to purchase at cost price at anytime, if they public interests are safeguarded. In this way I think the bulk of the citizens would approve of arrangements being made with the company to link tip Taupo with Auckland." . • > The Mayor said the promise of the company to -have the new "line runriing to' Taupo by Exhibition time was* one worthy of very serious consideration...