THE WAIMATE PLAINS RAILWAY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 2, 17 April 1880, Page 3

THE WAIMATE PLAINS RAILWAY.

I (to the editor of the star.) | Sib, — Already an injustice has been done to the Patea county, by taking twenty-five per cent, of the Waimate Plains land rev nue for construction of Harbor works at New Plymouth. This money, the proceeds of land belonging to this County, ought in justice to have been Voted for improvements, and public works, within the bounderies of the County from which the ruoney was raised. It would appear that the Taranaki people are not satisfied with having perpetrated this injustice, as it is reported tnat they are aiming to monopolize or divert the trade ot the Waimate Plains from this end of the County, by branching the Waimate Plains railway from Stratford instead of Normanby. This County has been at considerable expense to improve and construct a safe seaport of its own, at Carlyle. Under these circumstances it would be an act of injustic to divert, by unfair means, the tirade of a large portion of this County from its own shipping port. A glance at the map will show that the present distance from Hawera and Normanby to Manaia (on the Waimate Plains) is ten miles. If the railway is branched from Stratford to Manaia, it will niake the distance from Hawera and Normanby to Manaia by railway over forty miles, and from Carlyle to Manaia sixty miles, instead of thirty. It would, however, bring Manaia within fifty miles by rail of New Plymouth and Waitara. Unfortunately for this County, the Waste Lands Board, and all officials who have the recommendation of these matters to tbe Government, are New Plymouth people, and have their interests there. It is therefore necessary (to prevent further injustice being done to this County) that the settlers should hold meetings at the centres of population, Carlyle, Hawera, and Normanby, to protest against the trade of that valuable portion of the County being diverted from our own seaport and townships, to suit the interests of those' who have already unjustly deprived this County of so large a portion of its lands revenue. — I am, &c, Fair Play.