CORRESPONDENCE. TARANAKI AND-THE STRATFORDONGARUHE RAILWAY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 26 May 1908, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

TARANAKI AND-THE STRATFORDONGARUHE RAILWAY.

(To the Editor.),

Sir, — That the completion of the mam trunk line, now almost accomplished, will make a great difference to v the course of trade on this coast must be < patent to everyone. That the through traffic .which for' so long, has come through Taranaki must to a large extent be diverted to the direct route seems extremely likely, as few people care to break a journey and travel by sea when they v can for less cost go by the railway. Not -only the passengers but many classes of goods, for instance, fruit, .will go direct, and SO' escape the rehan&ling which is always la big factor in determining the route. Possibly the trade in stock; more especially fat stock, which has long been a source of profit to the graziers in this province, is the most important item that will be affected. ' The main trunk line wiU be able "to land stock from Marton in better condition, at less cost, and at shorter notice than it can be shipped by the did route via New Plymouth. • jit must be remembered that north of Marton and' witfiin easy distance of, the line there is a very large' extent^ of 'some - | of 'the finest, 1 hill sheep country in the • Dominion, ' and it looks as if the owners of the cheap turnip lands of the Wai-' kato would have at last the opportunity whjch^ they 'have long signal for of obtaining, a supply of store stp.ck for fattening off" at a reasonable, price. „, 'Taraoaki seems to be going to lose a portion > a'. f le,ast v of its, trade here^ 1 and' it '•[ is a' matter of ..importance to , the" farmers ' ol : tto, province." ' ''_' Wellington and. Auckland are3o^ n r " doing their utmost to' secure the .trade of the f inland districts^, yet a glance at the' map will show .^hat^ lying.soiiie.djstance inland o|^ Stratford and. south of the line at Ohgaruhe, there is a >Large i^xteht '\ ( of jwhat'^iß practically virgin cpun,iryV.aii airea, 'of .country indeed almos^ as-large 4s .tW sjpttjea, portion t'of Taranaki. • The tjcajdel . pf,"}^his district should, by Reason, pf |? t^e j^ist^nce^come through ;New Plymouth an^jpa,|ea; and ,incidfinta)ly be a source oLprofit ;to the merchant^ here.. .Now. w^ce ,the, Btrat-fc>iid-O[n^aruhe line^ put .' tHrpj^h it ,]y6^ld openr'^ip, all tbis,cbunl^y;^nd,give the province v^ f chance, ,to tpecu^-e the trade, which' otherwise pusi^drift towards Auckland. The, tra^e-ls small no,w, but the land is all good grazing country, some of it good, dffiiryingv,land, and- carrying ' a considerable amount of good milling timber, which should be valuable if the railway is pushed/ on at a reasonable rate. That 'road of ill repute, the Ohura, is being slowly metalled by the. Government, but the cost is very heavy, and it might be pointed out thai, were the .railway made the metalling could, be better done for, half the -cost. Indeed' there are considerable lengths of this road that would hardly. need metal, as the line would be close to the road for, many miles, and would carry all on nearly all the traffic. .

Last but not least in importance toi Taranaki is the fact that this railway/ will be the means of opening up the« coal-field which lies around the head* i waters of the Waitara and Tangarakau) rivers. Probably the largest coal-beds in New Zealand . lie here, . and . within' easy distance of any part of the province. - This fact has been known 'for , many; years, yet so small is the interest jtaKen that no report of value has been n^ade on the fieldy and though we have ja,,. gepjogist. jfpr f the. purpose I do not' remember, that, his .opinion has, even been., aj?kje&,f or, „by .looa.l ; people. , -Huitfly/ AWLtifi tynjfod fa;AMsfoati!pA, } Ifo, pj&t| Jion, Jesß^tfean bajf the<,ep.si> v pf cpal her,e, o^Vift^y^w,iu?iiheii.,frftm Auckland > (Btratford^Eyery« fine fthjpuld^be interested in .-this guea* jtjon v oi. r £he^p : fuel,:,aad >when I, men* ', (^on r jfc4^t cV«fflu.tlM^ sowce; qfi.^nppl^•'..AVattablfi it, w 0«W ' Wfi^nS a. TOTWg \p9. eveniiiihe tpopr,, hdjiseholdfir 'of 'i atJ Jeaitf £& Ser^atmflntnJ^thifl^jar, am j within. th© ,'Sad the^ldnfi^ttlerscbeejiiaetfedf -whfct Tai-atiaki/ Jacked they would hate , ithatlcwhilfttshbugo^essed some, &fl ; the finest..' pasture > landa in,, the world ghe.;was : entirely . devoid of mineral (Yet ief e withii easy distance, and .wanting only;t^e;energy and pu'sK r,/>f the people to make it available, is pheap .fuel, jljheap. .^powerVKsdal,^ tho great source of the world s industries. .Taranaki has more than one' projected' railway that should prove to be- sound 1 businesp undertakings,- but the progress" made since the' main line went' through a generation ago ia' painfully slow-^— about a mile a year, which is certainly, • not keeping pace with .the requirements? of the province.,.' As a contrast look at/ the West Coast of the South IslandThink of the money 'poured out to make Westport harbor, 'they £600,000 for the 1 Arthur!s,Pass tunnel^nly an item in the, great cost 1 of the Midland line^* and after all there is little but the •coal to justify the' expenditure of such greati sums of money. Itcis to be hoped thati when the delegates ; appointed meet thd .Premier- 'they iwill-ibring^ these 1 matters fully before Mm,.fdr T Tftraniki ; ihoul6s be unanimous impressing her ojaim ,to^ :have this railway constructed witTiin a! .reasonable timei ii * j -YoTirß, I 'etS., i: " " .-.•.. > r'-.Vt-r- PROGRESS .