REQUEST FOR RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 13

REQUEST FOR RAILWAY.

PAEROA-POKENO LOOP.

MINISTER'S FAVOURABLE VIEW

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] PAEEOA, Tuesday. A strong case for the early commencement of the Paeroa-Pokeno loop railway was presented to the Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Minos, to-day, when he visited Paeroa. The Mayor of Paeroa, Mr. W. Marshall, headed a deputation which requested the Minister to impress on Cabinet the immediate benefit that would result to the Dominion from the proposed railway. Mr. Marshall recalled that the line was already surveyed and that sites for, the stations had been marked out, together with an area for the erection of 66 workers' homes. The cost was authorised and all that was wanted was the order to commence work; for which staff offices and equipment were stationed at Paeroa. On a recent evening, he said, he had counted 51 double-decked trucks of sheep en route to Auckland from the East Coast. This was a common happening. Special stock trains passed through Paeroa from the newly-railed territory by a circuitous route, involving 44 miles of unnecessary haulage.

"No other business in the world," said Mr. Marshall, "would operate on such lines. Orxe thing that amar.es us is that we have never had a reply from the Government to our requests for a commencement of this line. I have been on the Paeroa Borough Council for. 10 years aud the necessity for this loop has been represented year after year. The last representation was made to the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Ransom, but his promised definite reply has not as yet been received." Mr. Veitch: Perhaps there is no answer. Mr. Marshall: We say the Government cannot find a reason for not constructing the line. It docs seem ftrango that this is the only request made over a period of 10 years that we cannot get answered.

"I think I will have to admit," said the Minister, "that, there is much to be said in favour of the proposition. You have stated- a sufficiently strong case lo convince me that your proposal is worthy of sympathetic and careful consideration. I will undertake to see that your arcuments are faithfully represented. On the face of it it does seem that til* construction of this line will save the country a great deal of money. This is a case of business waiting to use the line and cannot be classed in the category of developmental lines."