MATAMATA INTERESTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22247, 23 October 1935, Page 16

MATAMATA INTERESTS

SYS+EM OF VALUATION RAIL PASSENGER SERVICE [bt TELEGRAPH —OWN" correspondent] MATAMATA, Tuesday At last night's meeting of the Matamata Chamber of Commerce it was decided to proceed with the circulation of a petition to test the feeling of ratepayers with regard to the advisability of taking a poll for a change to the unimproved value system of rating within the borough. It was agreed that in the event of the required number of signatures being obtained, the petition bo not presented to the Borough Council until January next, so that the change, if carried by the poll, would come at a time to coincide with next year's borough estimates, and so not disarrange the finances of the council. A suggestion for the co-ordination of rail-car and express train was made when rail services were being discussed. At present there is no train which serves small intermediate stations leaving Matamata between 10 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., and it was suggested that a rail-car could leave Rotorua, say, half an hour before the express and pick up passengers at all small stations, depositing them at Morrinsville or Frankton, where they could join the express. This would servo the purpose of speeding up the express service as well as providing a fast, efficient service for wayside passengers. It was decided to ask the department to investigate the possibilities of the rail-car in this direction.