COMPLETE E.C. RAILWAY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 63, 24 February 1934, Page 5

COMPLETE E.C. RAILWAY

Wairoa Farmers’ Appeal

RESOLUTION FOR CABINET Endorsement of the move to bring about the restoration of the East Coast railway and an expression of the hope that the deputation shortly to meet Cabinet will receive every consideration was the purport of a resolution moved by Mr T. Lambert and carried unanimously by a meeting of the Wairoa branch of the Farmers’ Union. The motion was as follows:— “That this meeting of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, representing all the pastoral interests in this part of the East Coast district, desires to express its hope for the most favourable treatment possible of the deputation to wait shortly on Cabinet to press for the speedy completion of the Last Coast railway ou the following grounds :—■

“(1) That the £4,000,000 already spent are already lost, and the country still has to pay the interest, whereas if the line were finished it would recoup some of this loss at least. “(2) That railway connection with the markets of the Dominion is essential if this district is to be developed as it should be.

“(3) That the farmers are dependent upon the soil, and owing to the absence of rail fadties the benefits of free or reduced transport costs available to other districts are debarred from the East Coast. “(3) That there is a large area of Crown and Native land, which cannot be made to pay under present conditions.

“This branch of the Union therefore trusts that Cabinet will give a favourable hearing to our district deputation. “That copies of this resolution be sent to the Rt. Hon. G W. Forces, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates end the members

the district, Messrs H. M. Campbell, W. D. Coleman, Sir Apirana Ngata, K. S. Williams, and W. E. Barnard, also to the Dominion executive.”

The president, in seconding the motion, warmly endorsed the action of the railway committees, and said it well deserved to achieve its purpose.

The mover said that the very fact of the line lying close by the road neglected and useless, was a very bad advertisement for the district.

Mr Ivan Curlett endorsed this view, and said that many visitors to the district had made similar references to him.

The motion was carried unanimously.