THROUGH SERVICES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 22, 26 September 1913, Page 5

THROUGH SERVICES.

BY WIRE AND RAIL, WHANCAMOMOMA CONFERENCE. Western Outlet for Ohura Most Favored. The Stratford Chamber of Commerce has for some time been discussing the question of comnufnication with the Ohura County, and as a result of their activities a conference was held at Whangarnomona on Wednesday to discuss the matter. The delegates present were;—

Mefisrs. A. Meredith (chairman), Cleland, McCutchan and Roherton (Whangarnomona County Council), Currin and (Ohura County Council), W. P. Kirkwood (Stratford Borough Council), and J. B. Richards (Stratford Chamber of Commerce). Mr Moore, Ohura, mail contractor, was also present by request. Mr McClenaglum apologised for the absence of the Ohura County chairman, who had been unable to attend owing to urgent private business. THROUGH MAIL SERVICE. Mr McClenaghan raove,d the following resolution That this conference strongly urges upon the Government the necessity of establishing a mail service from Whangarnomona to Ohura, and in support of this resolution it he pointed out, (I) that a coach service will he running from Whangarnomona to Ohura and thence to the Main Trunk lino, commencing from next month, which service will he initiated quite independent of any future contract to he let for a mail service; (2) that there are already 2 mail contracts on the route—Whangamomona to Tahora and Ohura to Tatu—which could he comprised in the suggested contract; (.1) that the suggested mail service would greatly facilitate trade relations between the settlers in the Ohura district and the commercial centres tapped by the Stratford-Te Koura railway and this consummation is greatly desired b\ the Ohura settlers. Mr Meredith seconded.

THE RAILWAY LINE. Mr Kirkwood said it gave-him'great 1 pleasure to he present at the request of the local bodies. There was fi distinct community of interest he tween the districts concerned in view of the forward state of the railway By March next the line wbuld be opened'as far as Whangamomona,.; q distance of forty miles, which practically represented about half) the .distance from Stratford to- the Main -Trim! line, and the natural outlet fo Ohura. for some time would he Tara •iraki. As regards trade relations, v In believed Ohura settlers could he a? cheaply and expeditiously served from Taranaki as from Auckland. Tim proposed coach service .would link up the branch linej-witli |hf line,-and would help the branch Jim' to become a paying concern earimr. At present it was a good paying li’-e. hut with the convenience given to Ohura people to do their business ;r Taranaki th.e business on the ]i:n would increase. New Plymouth would soon become a deep-sea port;‘and a comparison of the rail length between Ohura and Now Plymouth and Ohura and Auckland was greatly in favor ol New Plymouth. The present conference did not desire to awaken antagon u‘sm between districts regarding trade, but it was only natural that the Ohura people should desire to'do their business over the shortest route and with the centres which suited them best. Re thought the Government should give settlers every facility for getting into touch with their nearest trade centres. When people went into the hackhloeks they underwent hardships for many years, and it was ■not generous for the Government to withhold facilities which were now regarded as necessary. A man, said Mr Kirkwood, who went into the hackhloeks should bo granted the freehold of. his land, and he was entitled to every farthing of unearned increment he could get on the land. The people of Taranaki desired that the railway go right through to the Main Trunk—they did not desire it to stop at Whangamomona or Ohura. The present line was undoubtedly one of the most important Tines under construction at the present time, and he hoped the Government would use the greatest expedition in pushing if through. He thought the Government should give every help in facilitating communication in the hack country, and in the present ease the coach service would greatly help communication.

A COACH TO HUN. Mr Mooro intimated that ho was prepared to run a coach service from Whangamomona to Oliura whether or not he pot a mail contract. Ho intended to start the service neat month UNDESIRABLE ISOLATION. Mr McClenaghan said one of fl. n chief uses of the mail service was to enable Oliura settlors to he brought into close touch with the business firms of Taranaki. Many people were not aware that Ohura was in the Taranaki province. Through outlet being given at the Auckland end the impression was created that it was in the Auckland province. Up to the present there had been no movement on the part of the Taranaki peonle to secure the Ohura trade. They had been left very much to themselves. The Ohura County was one of the most fertile in the

Taranaki province. Its extent was |525 square miles, and there were be--1 tween six and seven hundred rates I payers. The stuck taken from Ohura jto the Taranaki railway had increased very much last year over previous years, and if communication (with the Taranaki firms was facilitatjed the stock sent through would still further increase. With a telephone, (buyers and sellers in the Ohura could I easily 'make their wants known to Taranaki firms. At present Ohura people could speak by telephone with ! Waikato firms, but could not speak | with New Plymouth. If they desired ,to communicate with New Plymouth I by letter the letter had to go to Tau- . marunui, down to Marten, and thence ;up again by train to New Plymouth. (The Government objected to the cost ( of tlie telephone line, but along the whole distance good posts could be got from the hush, and the line would easily last for ten to fifteen years. By j that time the railway line would be j well advanced, and proper posts could j he railed to the line without too much cost. He assured the conference that tlie Ohura people were anxious to have a telephone and mail service instituted.

TOWN AND COUNTRY Mr Richards said the Stra'J nd Chamber of Commerce always kept in view the requirements and necessities of the settlers on lands adjacent to Stratford. The Chamber was not a mutual admiration society nor was it entirely disinterested. They frankly stated that they were acting in heir own interests, but it must bo understood that the Chamber realised that the interests of Stratford depended entirely on the welfare of the people on the land. Because they realised that they were always looking out to do anything they could to benefit the settlers , He said this in all sincerity, and he trusted the actions of the Chamber would bear it out. The Chamber should always help the settlers to get means of communication,’ because such conveniences were necessary for the production of the country that the towns depended. He would go further, and would be emphatic. He would say that the Government should give settlers Ticilitios, no matter what the towns •epresented their interests to be; and if the settlers got what they wanted the . towns were dissatisfied, well, the Devil take the hindmost. As to the mail service, t should not be forgotten that if it were instituted there would be a very considerable tourist traffic over the •oute.i The Department seemed to think the service would be expensive, but the fact that Mr Moore was prepared to start a service without a mail subsidy- showed that he was-'satisfied that pit- -was, a paying concern. The man who wis putting Ips! money and ’ahor into a thing should be a good judge-of its merits.

TELEPHONE LINE WANTED. Mt Richards then mhved >—That this conference urges' on the Government she desirability of establishing a telephone service between Tahora and I’atu and points -out that this line io\ild he a yaluahle means of con> rufnication to settlers in the district ' ind between Taranaki and Waikato. Mr McCutchan seconded, and the notion was carried. AUCKLAND RAILWAY LEAGUE. Mr Currin moved: That this conference protests, against the action of the Auckland Railway League in attempt--1 ug to have work on the Stratford j md of the Stratford-Te Koura railway ! ninimised and this conference strongy urges that no efforts shall ho reaxed at the Stratford end of this railway. * A NATIONAL WORK. | Mr Currin said the Auckland Railway League had always supported the Ohura people, hut in their latest resolution they had gone rather too far. The League supported the Ohura people, hut the line was only third on their list of works, i Because of the I tine land and the close, settlement in L he Ohura he thought the line was one which should he constructed as , ->arly as possible, and the best way ,<) ensure that was to push work on Tom both ends. It was a national s well as a local work. The Ohura ample would always battle for comnunication with Taranaki, although here had not previously been any novement on the part of Taranaki jeople. The interests of the Ohura vere identical with those of the rest >f Taranaki.

A WRONG IMPRESSION, j Mr Richards said Mr Currin had ;aid that no movement in favour of the I Ohura people hy. the people of | Taranaki had previously been I unde, and the reason for that was |that they were under the impression ( that the Oliura people wanted to go j nit the other way. If they had wanti al to go out the other way, Stratford vould not have made efforts to help diem, hut certainly would have taken no steps to stop them getting the outlet they desired. It was indeed a pleasant surprise to find that the Ohura. people desired to have an outlet hy the west. The motion was carried. IN SEARCH OF SUPPORT. Mr McCutchan moved that copies of the resolutions he sent to Messrs Wilson, Hine, Wilkinson, and Okey, M.P’s., and to all interested local bodies and Chambers of Commerce, including the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce.—This was carried. The conference concluded with a i vote of thanks to the visiting delegates. COUNTY COUNCIL ACTION. CORROBORATIVE RESOLUTIONS. Later in the day at the meeting of the Whangamomona Countv Council,

further reference was made to the matter.

■The following letter from the Assistant Secretary of the General Post Otßce, under date August 18th, was r#atl; Jn reference to your letter ol th# 13th i.nst ■ requesting the establishment, of direct telephonic communication between Tahora and Tatu, 1 hag, by direction, to express regret that the request cannot be favourably conaidered at present. It would be necessary to erect twenty miles of now lino between Tahora and Tatu, and it ,i« estimated that there would bo an annual deficiency on the working ol the lino pf £4l. Even if the proposed line .-fffrO erected it would not be an efficient- ringing or speaking circuit, as there are five offices connected with the line at Tatu and . twelve with the line; at Tahora. the circuit would have to b.e .kept divided and be joined through as needed; and as the wii es to and Tahora are alreaody fairly busy, there would not be .much room for additional bureau work.

Qn the motion of Or. Meredith (chairman), seconded by Cr. McCutchan, it was decided to inform the Government that this Council is willing to guarantee the loss on the telephone line asked for provided the Ohura . County Council guaranteed to pay its share, the shares of the Counties to be in proportion to the valuations 4in each County. A covering latter ivill he sent to the Minister, pointing put how tjie lino could he cheaply constructed by the use of timber,on the ground.

,TJ)e following letter, under date September 18th, from the Assistant Secretary of >the General Post Office, *»• yead: In reference to your letter •f th» 13th tilt. asKing that a mail Jjo established between Ohnra nnfl Tajiora, I have the honor, by direction, to inform you that for mail purposes such a service is not required lor any places except those between Whftngamomona and T.ahova. As the •ontractor ; would 'have little beyond th« mail subsidy to depend on for tho upkeep of his plant .the cost of tho ■•ft ice would he considerable. The •ffcimated revenue derived from corCMpondonce posted at Ohura for New Plymouth district is only £7 per an■um. It is reported that the road might he passable in supimer, hut that in winter it would he impassable for a coach. It is clear that the expenditure involved in establishing a •saeb .mail service is not yet warranted, and /it is therefore regretted that tenders cannot be invited at preMai. It was decided to endorse the resolution passed in the .morning by thi’conference. On the motion of ; Cr. Roberton,' ■•conded by Cr. ‘Bacon,, it was decided to endorse the resolution of the Stratlefc} Chamber of Commerce regarding ixpandilWh oh the branch railway.