RAILWAY COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18120, 19 June 1922, Page 8

RAILWAY COMMISSION.

ROTORUA-TAUPO SCHEME.

AUCKLAND LEAGUE'S OPINION.

MAIN LINES FIRST OBJECTIVE.

The Royal Commission inquiring into the proposal for the construction of a railway between Rotorua and Taupo continued its Auckland sittings on Saturday, Mr. H. Buxton presiding. Alfred K. Harris, district traffic manager for the Railway Department in Auckland, was examined as to tho tariff rates of freight between Auckland and Rotorua, those that would rule for 50 miles additional, and also as to the general conditions of traffic. Bo said the extension to Taupo would havo only one grade of any consequence. The average number of passengers to Rotorua in normal times was about 100 a day, and the goods traflic from Auckland to Rotorua amounted to about 11,000 tons annually. If tho extension were constructed, it be necessary for tho express trains to make Taupo their terminus. It would not bo satisfactory to work the line as a branch from Rotorua. Importance of the East Coast Line. Peter E. Cheal, chairman of the Auckland Railways and Development League, said tho membership of the league extended from Kaitaia to Gisborne, On the strength of tho experience resulting from tho opening of the Main Trunk line, ho strong'.-; urged tho importance of pusliimr on the connection between Wellington and Auckland by means of the East Coast route through Gisborne. The valuations of tho Taupo district did not, according to the evidence of previous witnesses, show an increase equal to that officially shown for the North Island generally, it was, he thought, a mistake to go on opening fresh lands by means of railways, at creat. expense, and leave behind at no great distance millions of acres still vae cultivated. On tho line from Auckland to Gisbinne there were now more millions of acres unoccupied than the area estimated to be opened ap by tho Rotorua-Taupo section. Unless the tourist traffic to Taupo and Wairakei wore very materially increased, it, would not pay interest on the cost of track surfacing the railway, !»♦, alone other costs. The league, continued witness, proposed to ho'.d tho Minister for Public Works to hie premise that the next work to be concentrate/, upon after completion of the North Auckland Main Trunk line would bo the Baft Coast railway, and he considered that f hc Rotorua-Taupo line should be held back till that work was constructed The main policy of his league wi. advocacy of the advancement lines which Parliament had authorised. While it did not wish to oppose the Taupo extension, it could not advocate that liiie at present in view of the number of authorised Imes in the province that were not yet constructed, unlesß extraordinary advantage to settlen.?nt could be shown. To Mr. E. E. Vaile: He remembered his Wsme. at its annual meeting in 1920, carrying a resolution in favour of the const ruction of the Rofi< a-Tatipo railway. At that meeting he favoured the proposal fo lone as the line was not pushed to the detriment of the Main Trunk lines. Mr. F. C Rollett said he wa s present at the meeting, and seconded the renohition in qtiostion. which was supported by the Mayor of Auckland, and carried unanimously. Tlmberman's Viewpoint. Hans Peter Knudsen, mill manager to the Railway Department, gave it as his opinion that the more easterly route proposed for the railway would not serve the best interests of the timber traffic from the existing foresta A more westerly route crossing the Waikato. River near OrakeiKorako would be preferabV from the timberman's point of view. His own preference, having particular regard to tho working of the Tehoi forest, vould be a line out to tho west, linkintr up with the Main Trunk line at Waimiha. Witness indicated one forest the Fauri block, containing 350,000,000 ft, of timber, which would be available for a railway constructed on the more westerly Rotorua Taupo route. In the interests of' timber th'*'route was the more desirahle. There* would be 660,000,000 ft. of marketable timber available to it for railway traffic— rimu, totara, and matai. * The commission will proceed to Rotorua to-day, and will hold sittings there tomorrow and on Wednesday.