RAILWAY TO TAUPO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15097, 13 September 1912, Page 9

RAILWAY TO TAUPO.

THE NATIVES' INTERESTS

.WELLINGTON TRADES

COUNCIL.

A QUALIFIED OBJECTION.

POSSIBILITIES OF THE SOIL,

tnr TKMGRAJ'n. —riIKSS ASSOCIATION".

Wellington, Thursday. Tin: Taupo To tar a Committee continued its sitting to-day. A. W. Blair, solicitor, stated, on behalf of To Hen lieu and his pcoplo, that they heartily supported tho amended, petition. To Heu Heu had very largo landed interests in Taupo, roughly about 100,000 acres, half of which was affected by the proposed PutaruruTaupo lino, and half by tho railway which the Tongariro Timber Company would construct from Tokaanu and Kakahi.

The natives had entered into a. contract with the Tongariro Company voider which tho company was to build tho railway in question beforo March 31, 1916. Tho pointhe was asked to mako was this : That all owners of land affected by this railway had virtually done their share towards its construction by reduction of timber royalties. For that reason tho natives asked that such portion of their lands as was affected by the Tongariro Company's railway (about 50,000 acres) should be excluded from any obligations imposed as tho result of tho Taupo Totara proposal being carried out. Thero were about 60 natives interested inj the To Heu Heu lands. Tho natives heartily supported tho Taupo Totara Timber Company's proposals. Company Chairman Examined. F. G. Dalziell, chairman of tho Taupo Totara Timber Company, appeared again; in order that ho might bo examined by members of the committee. In reply to Mr. Buchanan, -witness said that sharp curves on the line were few in number. A sum of £5000 expended on the reduction of these curves would place the lino in a condition for passenger traffic, on which an average speed of 16 miles per hour could be maintained over the whole dis- ; tanco. Witness also stated that about half-a-million acres of ' privately-owned hind were affected by the railway, and of j this 34,000 acres were owned by tho company. All tho rest of tlio land was Crown and native lands. .Trades Council Objections. . At this stago Mr. Collins, on belialf of tho Wellington Trades Council, put that organisation's objections. Tho Council did not object to Government acquisition at fair value, provided the' capital cost of the railway is paid for out of tho increased value of privatoly-owned land as well as land now in tho possession of tho Crown or to be acquired by tho Crown from tho natives, but it was _ altogether opposed to tho alternative proposal (which ■ was the original proposal), , that tho company should be permitted to. acquire 312 square miles of Crown or native, land, and ; thus bo enabled to appropriate for its own benefit (and at tho expense of tho community), much of the enhanced .values that evidence shows will probably bo obtained when the public recognise the proved utility of these lands suitably treated for growing root and grain crops and grass." Land Attractive to Southerners. i ' ' ' :■ ■ . . Hugh L. Wilson, land agent, Christchurch, said that ho had dealings with the Tokaroi Block, of about 50,000 acres, which was owned by Canterbury people, and which . was served by . tho ~ present Putarura railway. Tho whole of the block had been surveyed into sections, ranging from 350 to 1500 acres. No fewer than 12£ miles of road were being constructed through the estate. Witness had conducted 15 Canterbury settlers over the land, and they were all intensely pleased with it. The land had not yet been offered, but £210 ato £3 10s per aero would bo asked for the smaller lots and about "£2 _5s for the larger areas. Ho did not anticipate that . there would bo any difficulty in disposing of the land. Expert Opinion on the Soil.

Edmund _ Clifton, director of the field and experimental farms of the Department of Agriculture, said that the Taupo lands were similar to light lands in tho Waikato. Probably one third of it was good, useful land, one third would have to be occupied m large areas, and the other third could hardly Lave any utility associated with it at present. Perhaps two thirds of the land was ploughable. In dealing with the lands, tho best results would be achieved by men of reasonable means settled on large areas. Lands of best class, when grassed and properly manured, would probably carry a sheep and a-half to two sheep to the! acre. The land did not appeal at all to him as dairying country. Generally • speaking, the Taupo district was well watered. Tie did not think it would be possible to "bring the Tdupo lands into cultivation unless there was transport by rail. The proper application of manure would be about 3cwt to the aero. The land might grow fruit, but he would hesitate to recommend any . enormously large extension of fruit-growing in New Zealand. No sufficient test of swamp lands at Taupo had been made to justify the statement that they would be worth £25 an acre. He still had hope for the future of the Taupo country. Experimental plots there . had demonstrated that certain grasses were capablo of adapting themselves to ' the Taupo lands. He thought that in the - course of some years two thirds of the land would (be useful for settlement. Witness endorsed the evidence ho gave on the same subject before a similar committee last I

Mr. G. W. Russell,. M.P., asked whether, in view of the fact that ho represented people interested in about 300,000 acres, ho would bo allowed to aelc questions. The chairman readily consented, and said tho committee desired to get all information it could. In reply to various questions by Mr. Russell, witness said that it was impossible to send fat lambs from tho country now carrying sheep south of Taupo. Until there was a railway to tho lake such a thing could not be done. Lambs had now to be sent away as "forward stores," and "topped of!" nearer the market. The, wattle and acacia plantations at Rangiriii were a financial success, and the poorest pumice lands of Taupo would grow wattle. There was, however, tho question of availability of labour for stripping the bark. Tho committee then adjourned till tomorrow morning. THE ROTORUA PROPOSAL. PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. [m; TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington*, Thursday. A request that the Government should construct a railway from Itotorua to Taupo lias been mado to Parliament by a petition signed by 153 persons, which was pre- , sented to the House of Representatives by tho Minister for Railways (Hon. W. 11. Hemes) this afternoon. Tho petitioners estimate that tho lino would immediately secure a revenue of £12.500 from passenger traffic, and of £2000 from goods traffic per annum, in addition to which there would bo very largo indirect profits. Tho construction of the 56 miles at an estimated cost of £3000 per mile would cost £168.000, on which tho annual interest would be £6720. They suggest that power should be used from the Huka Falls.