EAST COAST PROGRESS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14473, 7 December 1917, Page 5

EAST COAST PROGRESS.

NECESSITY FOR RAILWAY. VIGOROUS POLICY URGED. Speaking m respect to the development of the Bay of Plenty district, Al. A, W. Gillies, expert adviser to the National Efficienc\ r "" Board, who has just returned to Auckland from visiting the various Bay of Plenty centres m whioh Trustee Boards have i-nen set up by the Efficiency Board, "J-aid tlie district,* as a whole, was being well developed and bore the appearance of prosperity. On tho journey from Rotorua to Tauranga, through Paengaroa, Mr. Gillies said, he noted a great deal of improvement m the lands round tho lake. He was convinced that pumice lands that could be ploughed audi worked -were going to produce well, and would be a great national asset. A great deal of country near Rotorua and Roto-iti was being acquired from the natives, and was being improved, and brought to the producing stage. The country from Paengaroa to Tauranga showed great signs of progress, and the Te Puke lands were looking well. As a. centre Te Puke had excellent prospects, and, if the gold reefs m the vicinity of the township developed as some people expected them to, the mining industry would give a. great impetus to the district. With the growth of Whakatane during the last three years, Mr ' Gillies said", he was very much impressed, lt seemed: a pity that the proposed line of railway from Tauranga to Opotiki should pass some miles inland from Whakatane, particularly m view of the fact that tho new freezing works at Whakata-ne must he largely fed from Tauranga and Opotiki. The Opotiki district looked extremely well, and had developedi wonderfully m spite of its isolation. Railway communication was essential to its proper development, ancl when its fine back country was settled it was bound to bccome.au important centre. ' i. Referring broadly to the Bay of Plenty district, Air Gillies said' only a small percentage of the lands were producing, but some idea of the potentialities of the district could bo obtained from the fact that it was estimated that sufficient fat stock was now being raised to keep the fine new freezing works fully employed. The new works, which undoubtedly 'wo*_ld' give a. great impetus to settlement, had been financed by the farmers at a cost of about £120,000. A great deal of discussion had taken place m the district as to the choice of a site for the freezing works. Two outstanding advantages Whakatane possessed were central position and a magnificent water supply. On the other hand Whakatane did not possess a good harbor, nnd the Public Works Department was •nakim*- very slow progress with the Bast Const railway. Air Gillies expressed himself emphatically on the necessity of pushing vigorously ahead with the construction of the railway. He said the fact that after many years of work the rails had only been laid from the Alount, near Tauranga, to Afatata, undoubtedly had retarded progress and settlement. He added-.. "We Can only pay for the war by increased' production, and to get greater 7>roduction we must have railways and roads through lands that will become productive. Aloney should be spent freely to develop this district, or any other district showing equivalent possibilities of production. Our war policy m public works is" wrong. Curtail luxuries by all means, but increase development and production by means of railways and roads. A ohangc m administrative policy should take place. The East Coast railway should be vigorously jirosecuted at high pressure from each section, so that" Waihi and Opotiki should 1 be joined up as soon as possible. Mr Gillies said he had heard it freelystated on the East. Coast that a section of the people there were m agreement with the Minister that the railway should be opened from Tauranga. to Whakatane. and eventually m the distant future io Opotiki, but that the connection with Auckland through Waihi shoiild not be made, so that the local harbors should be developed. "I trust that it will be realised," he said, "that this is unwise, and that a through connection from Auckland to Opotiki should be made as soon as possible. Later, a connection with Rotorua, through Paengaroa., should be made."