THE TAUPO RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15142, 5 November 1912, Page 8

THE TAUPO RAILWAY.

PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED. ANY HASTE DEPRECATED.

NO LEGISLATION THIS SESSION.

[BY TELEGRAM— COIUIESrOKDENT-]

Wellington, Monday. Six Auckland members of Parliament interviewed the Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) this evening in reference to-the proposal of the Taupo Totara Timber Company to extend its light railway from Rokiai to Lake Taupo. ' ' Mr. Young (Waikato) acted a* spokesman, arid the other members present were : Messrs. MacDouald (Bay of Plenty), B. P. Bollard (Raglan), Bradney .(Auckland West), Mander (Marsden), and Myers (Auckland East). Mr. Young recalled the fact that the special Parliamentary Committee which recently reported on the petition by the company recommended the Government to guarantee the debentures of the company to the amount of £50,000, so that it might extend its lino to Lake Taupo. The deputation desired, Mr. Young stated, that the Prime Minister should promote legislation empowering the Government to guarantee these debentures. They did not desire thai the Government should take this action unless proper securities were provided and the interests of the public were properly safeguarded. What they wanted was that the debentures should be guaranteed if the Prime Minister was satisfied from his personal inspection or from the reports of his responsible officers that it was desirable to do so. Unless legislative authority were taken as suggested nothing could be done for 12 months.

Mr. Myers expressed the opinion that the importance of the matter would warrant the action Mr. Young had indicated.

Messrs. Mac Donald, Bollard, Bradney, and Mander also supported the request advanced by Mr. Young. Mr. Massey : How many of yon gentlemen are familiar with the district ? Mr. Mac Donald said that he could tell the Prime Minister lots about the district if he had time. Mr. Myers also said something about having visited the district. Mr. Massey said that he had hoped to receive advice from gentlemen familiar with the Taupo . country. Ho continued that he would convey the representation of the deputation to his colleagues in the Cabinet, a» he was in duty bound to do. Ho considered, however, that this was not a matter which should be gone into hastily. It should be entered, upon only after proper inquiry. He had already indicated to the House that he intended to visit the district as early as possible in the recess, and he hoped that the Minister for Public Works would be able to accompany him. At all events, he would be accompanied by experienced officers from the, Lands Department, and possibly from the Public Works Department as well. He would then be in a position to advise his colleagues as to what ,they should do, •

|; It had been said that nothing could be [done for 12 months. This was not so. The j House would meet in June, and from November to June was seven months. If the matter ' were reported on favourably legislation could be introduced without loss of time after the House met in Juno next.

"Personally," said the Prime Minister, "I am rather doubtful about the proposal made by the deputation. I-do not think that any action should be taken before Parliament has had an opportunity of considering the position as disclosed by. the report, which will be made officially or otherwise after I have visited the district."

However, he continued, he would submit the representations made to the Cabinet, which would meet on Wednesday morning.