MR J. LUNDON AND THE PUHIPUHI TRAMWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9461, 4 September 1889, Page 6

MR J. LUNDON AND THE PUHIPUHI TRAMWAY.

TO TUB EDITOR.

gin —Pleaso allow ruo space in your valuable paper bo reply to some of the many utterly false and misleading statements of Mr. Lundon re the Puhipuhi Forest tramway, which appeared in a recent issue of your paper. He says : " The Waitoa river"runs from the Puhipuhi Bush into the Bay of la kinds harbour, adjaoent to the Opoa railway wharf," whereas the fact is it runs through Hnkorenui South through Hiknrangi into the Ivaipara waters ; and, further, there is not one river workable for driving timber from the said forest into the Bay of Islands harbour. All the belts of kauri are situate on the Hikurangi side of the dividing range, and by no other means except a tram or railway can the timber from that forest be got out.. He also says, " Let the Government cut up the Puhipuhi . Bush into small lots, and dispoee of it in that way, and then the holders will work it as they think proper." Sir, it would be impossible for small holders to take out the timber, hence they would have to sell to a company who were prepared to lay down a tramway to take out the timber. Kauri timber land, as a rule, will not grow grass, but the belte of mixed bush in the said forest might be disposed of by the Government at once, and the settlers located thereon, and by finding employment : in the bush, would be able bo establish themselves on their holdings. Everyone living in these and the adjacent settlements, knows that on account of the immense ex- i panse of water, forming in fact a large lake on the Hikurangi flats after heavy rains, it is impossible to work the timber by water except at enormous expense. But, sir, independent of tho timber, the tramway or railway is necessary to develop other industries. We have thousands of tons of flax, coal, and iron, all of which cannot be profitably worked, except by means of the iron horse. In this district alone there are close on one hundred settlers, and thirty more are waitine to take up land as soon as the survey is complete. The ffreat want of these northern settlements is what Mr. Hobba, M.Il. R., tried to obtain : a railway, and until something of that sort is constructed, leading through the settlements from Kamo to Kawakawa, our timber and flax will rot, and our mineral wealth lie dormant. Why Mr. Lundon should cry down this most necessary work we cannot understand. In the meantime, irrespective of Master John's misstatements, the timber is rotting away, and liable to be swept off this summer by fire.— I am, etc., Jo Hi' R, Lam hurt, Ivamarama Valley, Hukorenui.