THE RAILWAY COMMISSION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 10 May 1912, Page 5

THE RAILWAY COMMISSION

(To t.;e Editor.)

Sir, —On Tuesday next the Opunake Railway Commission sits in Hawera to take evidence, and whatever the route the Commission reports on and favors will be the route decided on. At present no meetings have been held in Hawera to consider what line Hawera faand what evidence is to be given. If we take our Mayor's opinion, then the further north the line junctions with our present line the better, as he favors a tram along the South road, and I fail to see that the tram will benefit Hawera one bit.

All Manaia produce and passengers must come by the South road; then what difference will it make to 'Hawera whether this traffic comes in bj waggons tram or train. The only saving will be to the County Councils on the roads. Anyone can see that by pushing the junction further north from Hawera both Hawera and Patea will suffer very considerably, as well as all farmers in the district surrounding. All dairy f?Ctones would differ, as well as the farmers works it, Patea. because it costs over bs per ton less to send butter, etc., from Hawera to Patea, as against Patea to Motnroa, a saving to the Kaupokonni factory or over £800 yearly. Therefore J hope the Hawera citizens and farme''s adjacent will meet previously to the Commission's sitting in Hawera and endeavor to modify citizens' and our Mayors views. Our Mayor suggests that if the junction were at Normanoy, that that place would become the town, which ts ridiculous, as neither J enrose nor Aramoho bears out his statement. Unless we meet and give com-mon-sense evidence, Hawera will be left lamenting.

ANXIOUS