LIGHT RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17251, 29 August 1919, Page 6

LIGHT RAILWAYS.

K!NG COUNTRY INTEREST, PUKETUTU TO PIOPIO. [BY TELEGRAPH. — COBKESPONDEJfT.J TE EOTTI. Thursday - J At a meeting of the To Kuiti Chamber i of Commerce last night Captain D. .nee, . ; , M.C., gave an interesting address on iighfc railways, which, he said, could be built :J i for about £1500 a mile on a 2ft gauge. || : A thirty-mile system would cost about f £50,000, which was less than it would i take to metal a road thoroughly. '■'■,• Mr. C. K. Wilson explained the proj visions of the Light Railways Act. which, - he said, met all that wag required with t| the exception of the gauge, which must . be according to the New Zealand standard, I ) The Piopio and Awakino districts had con- 4 • stituted themselves a railway area under f 1 the Act, and the necessary petition bad i j been signed and sent on to the Minister I for gazetting. Athough that had been done 12 months ago they had not heard ' ', of the matter since. The proposed line - . had bean surveyed from Puketutu, and the t cost, it was estimated, would not exceed , £2000 a mile. Such lines would revolui tionise country transport. Captain Bruce stated that the Canadian j Government had desired to purchase the ( whole of the systems in France. Mr, [ Massey had been asked to make an experimental purchase, but had not agreed. He had, however, detailed Mr. C. R. Vickerman to report on the question. Sixinch guns had been carried on light lines again and again from one front to another. Mr. H. T. Morton referred to the manner in which the electric railways radiated [ out of San Francisco. The only solution of 5 the coal trouble lay in the electrification I of the railways. j Mr. J. E. Hamill moved that a telegram I be forwarded to the Prime Minister, urging expedition in the matter with a view . to securing a length of line before it was f too late; that the member for the district 1 be asked to watch the question; and that i the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce be . thanked for its advocacy of light railways. The motion wag carried.