RAILWAYS AND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15316, 11 September 1920, Page 3

RAILWAYS AND DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE.

A "well-attended meeting of the East Coast Railways and Development League (P. B. branch) was held thfe afternoon in the Farmers' Union offices, Mr. G. M. Reynolds presiding, in the unavoidable absence of Mr. W. G. Sherratt, president and convenor. ■ The chairman ' said the meeting was called for the purpose of asking the Government to make a trial survey for another railway rou£e to Napier. The general opinion was that the Government was not eerious in. its efforts for the advancement of the railway between Gisboi'ne and Napier, and that the excuse offered was that the country on the surveyed route was not well suited to quick construction. He understood that some of those present had proposals to offer, and he was sure the meeting would be pleased to hear their remarks. The secretary read the following letter from Mr. R. H. Sherratt: "I wish to express my regret at being unable to attend your meeting to-morrow, the importance of which I fully appreciate. T am strongly in. favor of the railway being pushed on as rapidly as possible, by the most suitable route. With the latter object in view I advocate having a trial survey made of the WaikohuWharekopae route as outlined by Mr. Hamilton Morice." The secretary, Mr. Bailey, read the following telegram from Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P. : "I have been too busy to write a report regarding the deputation, but -placed the requirements of the" district fully as possible before the Prime Minister and the Hon. J. G. Ooates, and asked them to see, without pitting the North Island- against the South, that sufficient money is provided to push on all East Coast requirements, but if there -was a shortage of either labor or money, then works that stand most urgent and would produce best results should be pushed on. The Prime Minister did not anticipate any shortage of money, but suggested- that the high cost of material and labor required to be taken, into serious account, as to whether a large expenditure was justified' at tlhis juncture, v but apart from this phase I am satisfied that the Public Works Minister will do his utmost for the public ■ works required in. the district. Mr. Armstrong's department, is enquiring as to the -feasibility of runnine^a branch from the Gisborne railway through the 'Urewera Country to Rotorua, which will open, up a large area and do immense good." Mr. K. M. Monckton proposed that work on the Ngatapa route should be stopped, v and that trial surveys should be made both on. the Wharekopae route and the route via Waikokopii. • Mr. Carl Williams seconded tho motion, remarking that the Wharekopae residents and settlers could not prove that the inland route would be the quickest to build a railway on.