TE ROTLOPUNAKE LINE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 17 June 1925, Page 4

TE ROTLOPUNAKE LINE.

DAIRY PRODUCE TO BE CARRIED IMPR O 1 VEiMENTS IN RAILWAY SYSTEM. i interesting information regarding the iminiediiate intuie ul the it* RmtiOpunake line and the New Zealand railway system, generally, was given to a Star reporter this morning oy Mr. G. I'. \V l.lsom, of the .commercial branch ol the Railway !>epartment’isi 'bead office at \Y ellington. Mir. Willson, who had been in the district for a few days, said that the line from Te Itobi to Kapuni would probably he taken over by the Working RlaiLwaji> Department in August next, but' the Public Works Departmemt would continue to administer the unopened portion of the line beyond Kapuni. Officials. of various dairy companies had been seen, and it was expected that they would commence to use the line for the next season’s output. The Public Works Department was prepaired to work goods traffic on t»heir portion of the fine, which provision would isave farmers money in the cartage of goods from either Eft ham or Hawera. A» an indication of the benefits to be derived, Mr. Wilson mentioned that manure raffed from, the Auckland districts works would only cost lid per ton more at- Kapuni than at Hawera. Speaking generality of the operations of the department, Mr. Wilson said that the efforts; being made to popularise the railways were meeting with undoubted nucoess, and were reflected in the traffic returns. The department had made 'all preparations to meet the increased traffic anticipated. Road vehicles, he said, were gradually being diverted to their proper sphere—that of feeding the railways, and not- working in opposition to them. In some cases the department was 00-operating with carriers, who were bringing their goods to the railway and were collecting the carriers' charges on them. Particular® of cartage charges were now a.v ailafole at ail railway stations. The through booking system was being greatly availed of, and the public were appreciating the' facilities given by the department for the interislland booking of passengers’ parcels and goods. Ota one day of last week no less than 25 toms of merchandise had passed through Wellington under the through booking system. One large forwarding agency had realised the benefits of the system by closing its agency at Lyttelton and forwarding its goods per medium of the Railway Department’s transport arrangements. Hawera. residents could forward goods to the South Island by exactly the same method as they would forward them to Eltham. In,, conclusion, Mr. Wilson said that the facilities given for the issuing of steamer tickets for the Wellington— Lyttelllton feny were already being considerably availed of.