GISBORNE-ROTORUA LINE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11129, 31 July 1907, Page 2

GISBORNE-ROTORUA LINE.

CHAMPIONED IN' THE HOUSE.

(From our Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this, day. Discussing the Million . Loan Bill, Mr Herries yesterday afternoon referred to the construction of the Gisborne-Rotorua railway. He recognised that they must have a further , large drain on the public works fund this year for the Main Trunk line ; still, he hoped that when the Minister made up his Public Works Statement he would give better attention to the claims of the Gisborne-Rotorua line. This work had been going on for some years, and this year it had only advanced .a mile and a; half. He was sorry to see on going into the railway returns that the section opened was not altogether paying its way. It could npt.be expected to do so until they had carried the line on lurther to a 'paying .point. At present they had not the advantage of this position, for it did not pay to unload from drays and* transfer to the train, and to have to cart from tile station in town, again, as at present. One might see relays of , waggons and drays'carrying wool into Gisborne instead of putting it on thia train. If the line was advanced another five miles, a great deal more, he was assured, wo'uW lie conveyed by the train, and not by horses and drays. If extended on to Waihuka he understoodlt would pay handsomely, as it would offer an inducement for farmers to use the line.

Mr Herries went on to deprecate the policy of the spending of large sums of money on open lines, andj hi the erction of palatial stations and railway offices, when the expenditure should have "been devoted to lines in a district the people of whioh had for years and yeans been contributing towards the interest "of lines in other parts, without the slightest return. No line in the colony, he affirmed, would pay better than 'the one from Gisborne to Auckland, by whichever route the engineers found was 'best. The Ure--wera country, he was sure, contained a vast mineral wealth. The line would open np country not exoelled in any other part of the colony, and would throw open a vast area for settlement, part of which was in liis district and l part in that of the Native Minister, who, he was sure, would bear out every word he had spoken on the subject. /Continuing, Mr Herries said ho approved "of the attitude which had been taken by the Premier* regarding the requests ofl deputations for such work's. He hoped the Minister for. Public Works would thia year put a larger, sum on tlie estimates for the Gisborne-Rotorua railway. "-

Mr Laurenson, who followed, disagreed with the previous speaker's remarks concerning the erection of necessary public buildings, but as regards the GisßomeRotorua line he, was sure it was one which "would pay well. He had paid his first visit to Gisborne only a few weeks ago ( and he was astounded at its potentialities. When he compared the expenditure of £600,000 on the "West Coast line, he felt that Gisborne had the better claim. Ho did not want to say anything against the prosecution -of the Midland railway, but he would say that the' line should never' have been 'constructed. It was a scandalous thing, but having been brought to the present position, lie recognised it was the duty of the present Government to carry it to completion and paying points Gisborne, however, should certainly have connection with the main Trunk and receive first consideration. _ '■ .