THE RAILWAY LINE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13170, 2 September 1913, Page 2

THE RAILWAY LINE.

EXTENSION TO MOTU TOWNSHIP

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER

REPRESENTATIONS FROM GISBORNE.

(From our Parliamentary Reporter.)

„ WELLI-VG-TQ^this day. The extension of the railway "to Motu township as originally contemplated when the Gisborne railway was first authorised, together with the completion of the Motu-OpotikL road; and other matters of importance to the district, formed the subject of strohg^representations to the Minister of Works to-day by a deputation from Motu; The deputatiomsts were Messrs .'Donovan rpßairman of the Motu Settlers' Asspciation), : Thomson, Carron,' andS^ermaij^Mo arrived from Gisborne last* evening In introdudrif'the , aeji__ati^li_r*' I W. D. S. Mac Donald read the following telegram from the Gisborn_ 4 ,ChambWi'of , Commerce : "My chamber desires you to i urge upon the Minister" the' advisability of giving effect to the petition . for the ; railway* to Motu township. /A ;de*_Msa-* tion of the Motu Settlers'" .Association is now proceeding to- Wellington: * This Chamber supports their "refuest,. i 'ibd \ urges the construction.- i'Ptease represent , my Chamber .with , Irvine." ' --. • ..>,v> , Mr Donovan explaihed-tfiat he was requested- by the Motu "*-"__-6ci^tlßix" e: £o place * a resolution \ before v * the ; ' _mrisS6& "That this of settlers Mr'(Moy : urge upon the Hon. --the Minister for Public Work** the 'imfhediate : meeW£y . 1 of placing-- r a* suflieienfr' _^ 1 estimates for completing*' the;'cdhstT]__- ' tiPn of the line to Motu township/* 11 Mr Donovan also laid ■before Mr Fraser a letter from the East Coast Com--missioner/ Mr Colexnan, pointings out _tte benefits to be .derived from extension> , viz. . advantage to the .township sattlers; en Pakihi and W T hitilcau, also the ; gr|a,t L assistance m providing -' ' to The i southern end of block.. i being opened J by <x th_'* GoverntaeirE, rffta -to 1 the Mangatu lands' nbw^'-being roaded by the Mangatu » tfu_tees an-T.'tiiiaseJf;. aggregating 100,000 acres* ' of*^£ast^_al ; country. . '. ■ ' .-'•;■;■ : ,-•':■ i'-'- ' •--- '-.-'; There' was also a joint " lette*'"'! fr*ohi Gisborne auctioneering firms, who pointed'out that'ais. a ,n^sleadi'i%' v 'stajbeni_nt'. ! had been made xh feferenrCff'-'ttfrth'- "eir tension "of the .'railway, !to t^iWli^ they desired' to ' emphasise^ fb* -*"she : Mlffr ster the importance of the iinev.. arid 'the large area -awaiting 1 development. ' The . completion of the line would 'g^e "to: imimense- impetus to the istbeb. trade, and they urge that a sum be placed on .the.estimates to complete tjie "^^jSt'^Ke.earlltet possible date. - The'lett^'is signed -Oiti, behalf :of ' Messrs **MillK&n» -an_'*'""fc:ettle * Common, Shelton •'_ri"_ J^Cor," Dalgefty • and. Oq., the- "_<J_#_nd Merßi_.tileV*A'geTi;dy Co., avid* r Mu*reav, : Rdn%rt_* and Ob.' 1 : -JMr Mac Donald, m introducing the deputattdh, "plained T that':_s the wtirk was now we.ll m hand to. Kowhaji road, and there' was* rid 'further* beyond that^poiritf the : _"_^i_,~ti"n- waa anxious to urge the extension of the Una ■ to Motu township... Mr' Donovatf- -t^ied '"that ■ t"He depu_aW tidn "was present to-'give' effeSt to the? ■ wishes of a large- meeting of :the Associa"- ' ; tion at which the res*ol*^ioh'""*aietitiojiedl 1 .was"* adopted. ' Wide_prea"d. . Satisfaction ' had been^ expressed whett, the: '"member forK the district recently ajmourreed* 'that the Minister had promi_ed o that 'the Kna : was going to be extended; te- Motu. Mr Fraser : I never expressed myself -m that direction, I will tell you afterwards what I said. ,' .. . .. . ('. ':"' : . . , 'Proceeding " Mr Donovan .slated that . many misrepresentatidris'had been'made respecting the construction of the line, the statements having emanated from people m Au-kkvnd and J bHit_ide districts who were' npfr-acquaihted-Jwith the facts* , of the case. . Objection had also been • raided m Opotiki, but it . arose fron. people now Being cognisant "iwith" the - ii-ue facts of the "■ case. It was common knowledge that there was a .small' opposition from. Motu, but as far as he could^gather this only emanated from, one or -two iiidi- ' vidu-ls for personal motives. One of these, he understood, /-A-as , ,'a ' f settler (name mentioned) who -*"v__li"f benefit by the" line going along the -Pakihi route, as he-had been blatn-ringf^ his I property.'- > -'The ; other ■ individual Was a settler (nanied),' who h_H sdld and Was* leavin^i,he di-ttfict "iff^_o_t* : night. This '^ttler ha^ha-'differencea with various settlers 'ih the ."toWiiahitli, and: he understood that' this "was the basis of his objection. r% •'•;•:'.: '.. Mr Donovan went on to emphasise tfcb claitais of the extensive district, pointing out* th_t the 1 ' line served- anfWea 'of. 160,000 acres around the townahip.N He maintained* that, the traffic of * the whole bf this area Would concenttrate^at Motu. Thely were- not 'advocatrug^ the line Jor i ,. the creation of a. township, but '"a line that would give access to an <eictensive area, the rjwd- from which all converged into Motu. The construejtion of- the sec- . tioni would be very easy., and 'the completion of the Pakihi roaJd' would bring Opotiki close to Gisbprne. . He explained"the v prospects of. :^o^tn as^a. stock buying centre, ihd emp*ra_ised :-' tUat they were only asking for^tng^ristedc^ion q£ a' furthec linfc-'<to tKe^EllV Coast Hne? Mot/v was m the centre of a vast timber milling area, and had* s great -airying possibilities.* ' The'lde^tlLibicfrf repre_ti_tea . pr_ctically the whole v _ett!fed district. a Mr Thomson emjohasised' tKe importance of pushing on the "Pakihi road. Mr' Carron and Mr" -^rmanSenddiieft- . the remarks made by the'rdther.-Bpeakerg^ THE MINISTER IN REPLY/ -♦ The Minister of IWorksl.-replied tihat there -was some .misapprehension aboit his promise. Mr Mac Donald saw him. Mr Holmes, the chief -ehgiieer, 'jvaa/pra-*'-sent,* the latter stating 'tnat. no practicable route had been discovered beyond Motu, except at an enormous cost, if the Pakihi route wasp fpDpwed the railway would notj . touch. !' _ a light line from the lermirijof tp >Mota was . mentioned. ;He uri_'ertobk>j to go into the matter and see if the line could be extended to Motu, not as a continuation of the main trunk line,, but as *= light line'tapping the forest an_ land ; i:f Motu Valley. He* had *ma^e no "promise tp take the main line from the terminus

to Motp. ' V - /,7 - 4 - ..As to the general position,,. :pho en- •-' gineer's men were- endeavbring..)io locate a route, from Motu to Opotiki. yUtftil that route, was fixed he -Would, not) be niatified m putting; m a.ligbt. lirie i ...clL . three miles to Motu, ,to connect with the ter*njpns.',i; NjM^mjJjt votijMf be done some day, but "he -could np_ divert money from c. number/ p£; pilfer important works. v . ."" „;: {' " Personally, he would _Jce v >to find the/ engineer's report favorable, to the main route to Opotiki through. Motu.. - ; That was , why the ■ line..;, stopped.. £"■ " the ; p*ee-^ ; sent point. He coulo!* not undertake to. vote 'money for extending , it* towards; . Motu." -'-- i ;-H.. f Yr. :^'.«i.;^- ; : !;■s*"*-'' • "Don't think' 'foi** a minute I'ni going^ to turn dbwn 'Motu ' ab_6hitely," /continued" the' Minister, who added that if the engineers found the Pakihi rout^. presented unsu*smountable -'•. difficulties,. . , then _he line would go, m the „directionL . the deputation wanted.'" , t ,. ... V. :, ■ Mr Donovan, said that ho had omitted ' t6 mention a rumor, per / for the" district; , advocated'- the dine im ' pgr3©nal grounds, but he knew that th« - was absolutely inaccurate. ". . .' ' ' '_' ' Tho Minister y. It does hot affect , me.', ?* Mr Mac Donald knows 'me well ;eijough to\>i know I take no notice, of these rumorß^/

PAKIHI ROAD, i .'i? As for Pakihi road, -the; Minister added that he had given instruction for tiifefroad to be pushed on, but he", did note* know bow much it would take. to complete. He could not hold but any: hop*., of completion within ,the next four or five months; - , .> . . ..,_.-

THE, MAY INTEItVIijW. - -V"' ' Mr Mac Donald explained that whehhe interviewed the Minister m ~_vlay last he understood he w_s ( ;-ig6ing t* oo ntinu_" this line, and since thep, t- T _ia" line hadbeen surveyed. He emphasised that it , could not be termed a branch line, as the .proposed third route, from Mot'tti would not add much, morelhan- a mile, be f T de s_ avoiding heavy earthwork. Mr Fraser repeated that 'n_ could not carry the hne/to Motu until he knew* the , future location of > the fine; a* 'n^ might subsequently prove to be a blun^.* der. ' ,• . • -^», „.,;.. .. . '< , • * '