ROTORUA-TAUPO RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20304, 11 July 1929, Page 14

ROTORUA-TAUPO RAILWAY.

Sir. —Of the lands mentioned in Mr, H. J. Hall's letter appearing in the Herald of 4th inst., only Afforestation Proprietary, Limited, Kaingaroa Syndicate and New Zealand Timber Lands; a total of 38.000 acres, are situated in the area of V s million acres which the Royal Commission defined as being within the influence of the proposed railway. Personally, I think its beneficial influence would extend much further and embrace all the lands mentioned by Mr. Ilall and much else, to a total of 2,000,000 acres. But, looking at the matter in the most unfavourable light, the minimum quantity of ploughable land opened for settlement, by this railway would be 800,000 acres. This may not impress Mr. Hall, but it is a very large area for New Zealand and is by far the greatest quantity of cultivable and habitable land left in any district in New Zealand. Mr. Hall should advocate the immediate construction of the railway to enable settlement to take place and prevent more land going under trees. But forest land is not without profit to a railway. Many authorities consider it will maintain as great a population as farming and before many years it certainly will. In tho not very distant future the exotic forests within reach of this railway will be producing as much timber as all the forests at present being worked in New Zealand put together. Surely that justifies one cheaply constructed railway. It should always be borno in mind that this railway will cost only £12.850 per mile, sav, one-third of tho next cheapest railway proposed. E. Earle Vaile.