TIMBER COMPANY'S LINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17622, 8 November 1920, Page 6

TIMBER COMPANY'S LINE.

COMMISSION AT MOKAI.

THE COUNTRY DESCRIBED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. J WATRAKEI, Saturday. The commission which is inquiring into the question of whether the tramway and timber rights of the Taupa Totara Timber Company should be acquired by the Crown, or what action, if any, should be taken relative thereto, sat at Mokai today. Robert Alexander, stock inspector at Hamilton, said the land between Putaruru and Kohokora'hi, for a distance of 20 miles and an avearge width of 10 miles, was suitable for dairying but further along the line, from Kopokorahi to the Waikato River, only about half the country was ploughable and thus able to be cultivated The flat land was best as it held manor© better than hill country. T Manurr-waT absolutely essential and the country when in pasture was good for cattle but not for sheep. Between the Waikato River and Mokai and on the other side of Mokai the land was • high fern country and the bush country in the area was "also good. In reply to Mr. Vaile, Mr. Alexander said the ™>*«™»-Taupo country was better than the Tokoroa-Mokai country fc„5&J £ I ?'.', 6et , tler * Slokai, said he had found Mokai land the best for growing root crops such as turnips and potatoes. Evidence was given by C. E. Clark, mill manager at Mokai, that the carrying capacity per tram on the line was 30,000 ft of timber. The 59 miles btween Mokai and Putaruru was covered in five hours. in the afternoon the commission visited the bush, where it witnessed th«. whole work of falling the timber and hauling it to the tramline.