TAUPO RAILWAY SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14820, 25 October 1911, Page 8

TAUPO RAILWAY SCHEME.

COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

INQUIRY POSTPONED. DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION*.] Wellington*, Tuesday. A report was presented this afternoon by the special Parliamentary Committee on the proposal of the Taupo 'x otara. Timber Company, to extend its private railway to Lake Taupo, and to acquire 200,000 acres of native lands. Tlie report was submitted to the House of Representatives early in the afternoon. A lengthy debate followed on a motion to table the report, and an amendment that the petition should not be entertained. The proposition was discussed until the adjournment, and it is unlikely that it will come before the House again this session.

The following ia the text of the Committee's report :—" The Taupo Totaru Timber Company Committee, to whom was referred the petitions of the Taupo Totara Timber Company; Limited, and A. S. Graham, and 35 others has carefully considered these, and has arrived at the conclusion that in. view of the important issues involved in the petition oi the Taupo Totara Timber Company, and mere especially having regard to the vagueness of the proposals contained in the said petition, in so far as they affect the future disposal and settlement of the 200,000 acres of land, which the said company desires to acquire from the natives, the Cor.imittee is of opinion that the whole question should be held over for the consideration of Parliament, next- session. The Committee is further of opinion that in th. meantime full inquiry should be made by the Government as to the best means of connecting Lake Taupo by rail with the existing railway system, so as to facilitate the early settlement of the large areas 01 Crown and native lands in vdo Taupj district."

Mr. Herries (Taumarunui) hoped the Government would do nothing in the matter. They could issue an Order-in-Coun-cil without the consent of Parliament, Sir Joseph Ward replied that tho Government' had not had the matter before them, and did not propose to do anything. ' Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North) moved an amendment:" That the prayer of the petitioners be not entertained." Mr. Myers (Auckland East) said the committee had carefully heard the evidence, and were of opinion that sufficient reason had not been adduced for the granting of the petitioners prayer. The land concerned should be opened up. Mr. Greerislade (Waikato) said he was m favour of State ownership, but it was a dog-in-the-manger policy for the Government to deny to private enterprise what it could not do.

■Mr. Macdohald (Bay of Plenty) said it would pay the Government to give every acre of land in the Taupo district away to keep down the rabbit pest. He regretted the amendment had been moved, and was sure the resolution of the committee was in the right direction. Mr. Massey (Leader of tho Opposition) said he was pleased to hear the definite statement from the Prime Minister that the Government would not do anything in the matter until Parliament met again. With regard to the issuing of Orders-in-Council he did not believe they were in compliance with the spirit of tho Native Land Act. No Order-in-Council should be given effect to until sanctioned by Parliament. With regard to tho Taupo lands, lie was of opinion that they were not hopeless. Regarding branch lines he thought that if the Government would not make branch lines the settlers should be allowed to construct, them on the understanding that there should be no monopoly, and tho Government could resume tho lino at a fair price. Sir Joseph Ward said that no one appeared to be in a hurry to wind up the session. He thought the whole afternoon had been wasted. ' He was dead against private or district railways being established in this country. Ho did not object to tram lines. There were scores of them in the country. He had always been in favour of the State owning all the railways. 'It did not matter what the recommendation of the committee had been. .Nothing would have been done in the matter without the authority of Parliament. He would like the House to know that he had no money in the concern. lie never had one shilling in native land, and never had one perny in any biisiness outside .his own since he became a Minister of the Crown. The Government was expected to make an extension to the present line at Taupo of 16 miles, but was not going to do so. Sir James Carroll said the land was poor pumice and tussocky. It had been lying idle for years. The natives in the "district had been treated all right. They had rents arid timber royalties. They were quite willing to give their land up to tho Government >f they were willing to take it. . • The matter then, dropped..