RAILWAY TO TAUPO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15201, 15 January 1913, Page 8

RAILWAY TO TAUPO.

■■'■.• - * ■■ - ' :" - ■'■ *": , '-:i-.:!', , .v.i..*.:- , -.i:i,,:-f MINISTERIAL STATEMENT,

NO MONEY AVAILABLE.

The Minister for Public Works (Hon. W. Fraser) has made a definite statement that fc; there is no money available for the proposed railway line to Taupo. A deputa- ' tion from the Rotorua Chamber of • Commerce waited upon him regarding the matter at the beginning of the week.' f- v The chamber was represented By Messrs J. Stewart (president), M. H. Hampson,'':: ; W. E. Bennet, H. R. McDonald,; T." Mc- ■ Dowell, and C. M. Innes (secretary)., Mr. Hampson voiced the views of the townspeople in regard to the proposed Taupo-Rotorua-Paengaroa line., -There were three or four main outstanding points'' which he brought forward. On tha Touts there were large forest plantation.'." Without the railway they were of no couiriiercial value whatever. The line would pass through over 1,000,000 acres of ; Crown l land, which the .railway would open up.-' From a tourist point of view there was no more attractive route than that ; .which . would be provided by a Taugo-Rotoran line. Two regions of wonderful. thermal attractions would be connected, and the Crown would soon realise the valuable assets provided. Were the lino formed, Rotorua and Taupo would be brought into: a channel of mutual interest. there * was ..a, general impression abroad ..that the land was bad. There had been, given .' absolute proof of its fertility, by the prizes obtained for products at different agricultural shows. The . tourist ' traffic •, would provide an annual revenue 'of £400,000. The railway would cost roughly £7000. : From a business point of view, ' therefore, it was a remarkably good pro-.; position. If the Government considered it impracticable,, they would like to knoff . if the State would give the right to acquire ' the. capital and allow the townspeople t0... undertake the construction of the railway themselves. Rotorua was the natural centre of the Bay of Plenty district, when;the land had' great potentialities. The town was destined in the near future become a great agricultural centre. It'* ' ■ had connection with a deep water port, the place would go ahead by leaps . ann - bounds. Tauranga was the best ]»"• The railway from Rotorua to Paersgat° 4 was the most urgent and vital presswg need of the whole of the Bay of Plenty. Could the Minister realise this, their w* would not be unavailing. ' ,' ' ' Mr.- Stewart: I might mention tM the distance from Rotorua. to, Paengaroa is' only 40 miles. ' .f'V, ■ Mr. Fraser said that the whole thing was a question of money. He would not . depreciate the weight of the arguments :• brought forward, but could only, say, " > reply to thorn, that there was-no nionw available. Present settlement demanded . more attention than future settlement, ana the Government must give settlers at pre-, sent on the land some moans of coinfflU&lj cation to bring about proper agricultural ■ development. ! But, as he had said, Dothing of the' kind suggested was possiaw i without money. To say that the Govern- i ment had enough money in hand to MB f railways would' be, betraying a ,P I ignorance of the subject. • He was m. i opposed to the Taupo line—far froM f., § in fact. He did not wish to -Jdificonwf- I the deputation, but he did not see the [*■. g sibility of constructing the railway -W"' „ i all the money at present being WW 0 *' i was already pledged. There wasi ,« ; . f doubt that connection between Koto iv ; I and Tauranga would soon be - WW e ,~ ; | essential, as a good route with-'** » 7 1 grade was obtainable; yet he couia o i. u repeat what he had already: said,* si the prospects for its construction »»;, 1 immediate future. He was as I anyone to see the financial conditions « 1 prove, and when a change was ?? c, L i would do his utmost to assist develop«...» in a district of the potentialities OI (0 j 1 Bay ■of Plenty. As to the construction ■ | a private railway, he would on tyJf* ' ; it was more a question of policy w- , y « thing else. The Government ? a ", jj f| down the principle that all railways} be State-owned,- nevertheless,., jjf | personal feeling in the matterwwat_ t , ? 1 private enterprise was willing .to "J"* gjT 8W ■} a heavy responsibility like this, J tfi ® i,jWJj 1 should 'not be guilty of a dog-in-tne-i*> . { attitude. ______„ : ' ' i ============= ' I