EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18742, 23 June 1924, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICT.

DESIRES OF THE LEAGUE; ROTORUA AND OPOTIKI. [BY TKLEGIIArH.—-OWN ■■'„ COKBESPOKDENT.] TAURANGA, Sunday. Railway matters claimed considerable attention at the adjourned annual meeting of the Bay of Plenty Development League which was held at Taurariga last night and attended by delegates from Rotorua, Opotiki, Whakatane, Te Puke, Paengaroa and Tauranga. Mr. B. C. Robbins, of Tauranga, presided;

Mr. P. Keegan, for the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce, moved a remit that the Minister for Public ' Works be again urged to have authorised and to have built the long-promised branch railway from the main East Coast line to Whakatane. Mr. Keegan stated that a deputation was shortly to proceed to Wellington in support of the proposal. The motion was seconded by Mr. W. Sullivan, of Whakatane, and carried. unanimously. :/./:" On behalf of the Opotiki branch of the Farmers' Union the following motion was moved by Mr. G. S. Moody, Mayor of Opotiki: " That the Government be urged to push on with the construction of the section of the East Coast Main ", Trunk railway from Taneatua to Opotiki, in order that advantage may be taken of the increase of traffic from the East Coast on completion of the linking-up of Tauranga with the main line to Auckland." Mr. Moody said the Government should be urged to let a contract for the work from the Onotiki end. The motion was seconded by Mr. G. A. Hathawav, *of Opotiki, and supported by Messrs. C. Clinkard, Mayor of Rotorua, W. F. Mundt, of Paengaroa, and F. N. Christian and Colonel Ward, of Tauranga. It was eventually agreed that the motion be amended in the direction of asking the Government to authorise the TaneatuaOpotiki railway this session and to provide a sum on'the public works estimates for the work. ' .

In acknowledging a letter regarding a branch line from Rotorua to the East Coast Main Trunk railway the Hon. J. G. Coates stated that in view of the amount of railway construction work already, in hand the Government was hot prepared to undertake the construction of such line. The representations, however, had: been noted and would be carefully considered when the Government was drawing up a new programme of railway works. Remits in support of the Rotorua connection were submitted to the league by the To Puke Chamber of Commerce, the Tauranga 1 Harbour Board, the Tauranga Countv Council and the Rotorua County Council On behalf of the Rotorua County Council Mr. Clinkard moved to urge - the Govornmnet to make an early authorisation of the railway. This being seconded by Colonel Ward, supported by Messrs. Mundt, Keegan and B. C. Bobbins, anc" carried unanimously. ' The following remit of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce was moved by Mr. C. Bobbins: ..*-' That, in order to shorten the distance and otherwise facilitate the East Coast railway in connection with the Main Trunk line the Government be urged to push on with the Paeroa-Pokeno line. Mr! Robbins stated that this railway would reduce the distance between Auckland and the Bay of Plenty by 40 miles. In seconding the motion, Mr. Keegan stressed the necessity of encouraging more people to settle on the Bay of Plenty lands. The reduction of .the distance to Auckland would be a factor in getting more settlers, he said. Mr. C. E. Macmillanj, • M.P., spoke in support of this, saying that the line would save duplication of the railway from Frankton to Auckland. The motion was carried. , The league tendered its congratulations to Mr. jCoates on the completion of the railway bridge across the Tauranga Harbour, also on the adoption of the contract system in the construction of the KatikatiWairoa section. .;

Motions were adopted asking the Gov-' ernment to expedite, the acquisition of the White Pine Bush reserve for scenic purposes, that a postal district be established in the Bay of Plenty, that the Postal Department be asked to close the gap in the daily postal services between Thornton and Matata> that the Public Works Department be _ urged to expedite work in connection with the road recently surveyed to connect the Rotorua and Tauno districts direct with the port -at Tauranga, that the, Governmnet be urged to place.a sufficient sum on the estimates to complete the Te Teko-Galatea Road, that : the Main Highways Board be asked to recon-. sider its decision and have the road from Opotiki, along the coast'to Cape Runaway, declared a main highway and : that matters concerning the Tauranga-Waihi Road be referred to Mr. C. E. Macmillan, M.P.. with a view to having that road declared a main highway. The next meeting of the league will be held at Whakatane.. ; •