RAILWAY WORKS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 December 1924, Page 8

RAILWAY WORKS.

| THE MINISTER ON TOUR. VISIT TO OHURA, ! TE-KUITI, Dec. 19. The district between; Whangamomona and Te Kuiti was traversed to-day by the Hon. J. Gf. Coates (Minister for Railways and Public Works) in continuation of his tour of inspection. While on the way to Ohura the Minister arranged for a railway, commercial agent to confer with Mr P. Garbey, stock buyer, of Stratford, with a view; to facilitating the trucking of .sheep at Tahora, thus saving a three days’ drive to Whangamomona. At Ohura Mr Coates met county councillors and a deputation from the Railway League, and discussed local matters. In view of the evidence before the hill country commission that ’'Ohura was deficient in lime, the Minister agreed to take up the matter of freight concessions with the Agricultural Department. : Replying to deputations at Ohura ! and Matiere, the Minister agreed to reconsider the matter of freights on , the section of the railway controlled by ' the Public Works Department. I From Ohura the Ministerial party visited the railhead at Toi Tor,, abont two miles from Ohura, and inspected the camp and work. ■ About 70 men are engaged on the work at the railhead. They then proceeded over the section from Toi Toi to Matiere, where satisfactory progress is being made. At Matiere the matter of cheaper freights on manures, commodities, stock and road metal was brought forward by a deputation, and is to be considered by the Minister. The party then journeyed via Aria and Pi a Pio to Te Kuiti, where representatives of the uorough and county councils and the chamber of commerce waited on the Minister, pointing out that the proposed daylight express on the Main Trunk line would not he as suitable to residents as the present ordinary night express. In the event of the night express being cut out, the deputation asked that the “limited” stop at Te Kuiti. After considerable discussion the Minister stated that Mr Welch, commercial agent, was at present in Te Kuiti, preparing a recommendation on the matter, which would be duly considered. To-morrow the Minister will leave by car for V aihi, where he will switch on ; the electric light from the Thames \ alley Power Board’s scheme. He will then cross the Hauraki Plains and inspect the proposed Paeroa-Pokeno rail- : way, returning on Monday night to Te ; Kuiti. Thence he will journey over the Main North road, and arrive at New ; Plymouth on Tuesday afternoon, leavj Aig the same evening bv special train •; for the south. Mr T. M. Rail, district engineer for : the Public Works Department, who is : accompanying the Minister, will return to Stratford to-morrow evening. He returns north on Tuesday to accompany the Minister over the Main North road.