RAIL TO DARGAVILLE.

Northern Advocate, 6 August 1924, Page 3

RAIL TO DARGAVILLE.

WHANGAREI SUPPORT.

LOCAL BODIES' ACTION.

The Ivaipavri Chamber of Commerce' I wrote to both the Whangarei Borough I Council on Monday and the Whangarei Harbour Board yesterday that in view of the importance to that district of getting its produce to deep water by I the shortest route it had been decided to petition Parliament praying that the i eonstruction of the railway from Kirikopuni to Dargaville be proceeded with forthwith, while all plant, material and staff were in the district. The distance was only 1."? miles. The faet that Whangarei was developing into a deepsea port would enable produce from that district to be loaded in the shortest possible time, provided that railway facilities were secured. Owing to the matter being urgent, it being necessary to table the petition in the House before the end of this month, the Chamber asked that the petition be signed with as many signatures as possible. Cr. E. G. W. Tibbits, at the Council meeting, said that the letter embodied the recommendation made at a conference which had taken place, and Cr. •T. E. Holmes spoke in support of the I contention that the borough of Whangarei should assist the people on the other side of the peninsula. He moved that the Deputy Mayor and councillors should sign the petition, and that was carried and acted upon. ?

j The chairman of the Whangarei Har- j I hour Board, Mr J. D. McKenzie, rei ported tliat a deputation from the Da:j gaville Borough Council and the Kai- • ]>ara Chamber of Commerce had waitj ed upon him seeking the support of the Board on the question of getting ' the Kai.hu railway line connected j with the Whangarei to Auckland line at. as early a date as possible. The dep- ' utation had stated that the connection would be a very great convenience to I their district by enabling - them to ob- j tain their coal supplies from Whanga- j rei, and that the connection with Wha- ' , ngarei port would result in cheapening j freight charges to Dargaville by about ! los a ton. Tliev had expressed appro- j ciation of the efforts of the Whanga- j ! rei County Council in bnproving the I I road connection between Whangarei ' i ° j 1 and Dargaville and realised to the full i its importance in the development, of 1 the district. I j Mr D. W. .Tack moved that the Kai- 1 I para Chamber be informed that the Board was in sympathy with the pro- : joet and realised the value the early connection of the two centres would bo t to the middle North. | 1 Mr !•:. Swann seconded and said that i ; when the {dans of the Ivioreroa deep j ; sea port were completed the chairman J | and members of the Board should take J j them to Dargaville and explain them to j j the business folk there. He had always j j felt that doing so would settle the j J question of where the Northern Wai- j I roa's deep-sea port would be.

The chairman said he considered that,

the railway connection would mark a. very big development- in the district and would help to do away with parochialism between the two centres. He looked forward to the time when Otamatca, Hobson and probably portion of Hokianga counties would form part of the Whangarei harbour district. However, that was a thing of the future, but the move from Hobson county would be a step towards that taking place. The motion supporting the proposal to urge the Government to connect the railway at Kirikopuni and Dargaville was then carried.