STRATFORD-MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 88, 7 November 1932, Page 14 (Supplement)

STRATFORD-MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

COMMERCIAL POTENTIALITIES <#; ... ' ' (By J. McAllister, Junr., in the N.Z.' Railways Magazine) DURING recent years a great deal has been said concerning the part played by the Railways in the economic life of this Dominion; hence it is of interest to consider the possibilities offered bv a new railway—the Stratford-Main Trunk—as a factor of "importance in the field of transport. Although the rlline has taken well over thirty years to reach a stage of virtual completion, the original purposes for which it was mooted are still of patent significance to both Auckland and Taranaki. Ihe commercial potentialities of the connection have not always /received enough attention from those who should be especially interested; the question of the future, expansion of mterproW Vincial business has, at times, been entirely ignored; but now, on the eve of the completion of a work which was commenced in 1901 there are, despite the handicaps of the past, many enthusiastic supporters who have unbounded faith in the project.

A Return to the Rail In outlining- those points which ensure the success of the railway,, one notes, firstly, that throughout the country there is o£a definite "return to the rail" and a marked abhorrence of U, .wasteful duplication of tran?t>ort services. The turn of popular favour cannot he denied, and public opinion is behind the Recently enacted lesnslatior to coordinate and stabilise road and rail haulage.. This fac. makes every rail route capable of catering for all the transportation needs in the area traversed. The Stratford route has no serious competitor, and its completion comes in days when the prospects for the railways * v aVe dacidedly bright. 1 The District's Resources f Popular favour, however, will be no more important' ,„ - than the support; to be found in the realm of heavy haulage. The section, Ohura. to Whangamomona, penetrates a coal area of vast extent and hitherto scarcely touched. Oil, too, is in evidence, though its presence in commercial quantity has never been proved. The timber industry will undoubtedly find the Railway an essential factor in the expansion of tra jh- One firm with a plant capable of producing 20,(TOO,000ft. "'";of timber per year hopes to utilise the new railway for the of at least 25 per cent, of its output as well as for V, 'an extension of its white pine business with dairy companies. fKJien there is the stock-carrying, facility to be provided in an area JSpl&ich,' in its present, undeveloped state, forwards in one sea pare most unfavourably with the Jow cost of railing such stock. Bullocks, also, even at the rate of five to a truck, can be transported more cheaply by rail. Although the future value of the valine is not to be found primarily in the country which is traversed by its-middle .section, the carriage of fertilisers will rnaterially benefit this -area, and ultimately ensure the pros%^^er j t y 0 f many a struggling settler. The h*tge extent of coun„jtry between Poro-o-tarao and Tangiwai, and the whole of the SSohura section, embrace numbers of valleys and hilltops which will respond profitably to treatment with suitable fertilisers. It has been stated by one well qualified to express an opinion that the productiveness of this central area of the route, em- • gracing most of the King Country, will increase by ?t least 300 W per cent, within fifteen years after the line has been in estab- * lished Working order, and the right fertilisers have been in use. The Smart Road manure works will be the closest to all stations within this area. It is said on good authority that a _ -great refrigerating and meat packing concern, operating in both Australia and New Zealand, is now contemplating definite alteration of existing plant and extension of facilities, in order to cope with increased business to be brought to its works by this new route.

Confidence in Future of the Railway m ■••,:-/ £• I * In referring to a letter from a leading faranaki manager of this brahoja of industry we quote this passage:— "We feel that the iine -will benefit the Auckland district considerably by bringing cheaper coal and timber to the Taranaki district—two items which are largely used in the running of the freezing works. ... The position, as viewed by -jus, is that it will certainly give the port of New Plymouth ■ wider trade. ... It may be found on referring to Railway tariffs, that it would be cheaper to rail wool from parts of the Taihape district to New Plymouth, rather than to Wanganui ■'SSjttH Wellington." The writer has consulted many business ""people who are in a position to stab- facts and make shrewd ;..estimates. In both Auckland and Taranaki the optimism . eoncerning this railway is spreading apace. The port of New Plymouth will undoubtedly benefit from increased trade due to the wider development of the whole of Eastern Taranaki and the greater part of the King Country. /The san»e point,, applies to imported necessities as to / prbduce, Moturoa being the for this > '^^W^y~ t^^S^'%. tllea ' leads to a further consideration. By (fri|Pl&w«®£ea.land to Sydney p.6r£ and the new * railway,, cwerpas mails and passengers could reach Auckland "-fully half a day earlier th&n at the present. Such deep-sea shipping facilities at its tenninus open up many possibilities to ike line. • ■ M J 'GK.V ;•- Of Benefit to Auckland The advantages offered by the Stratford-Main Trunk from an Auckland viewpoint are to be foun'd not only in the increased market for coal and timber, but also in the more exfertsiye use of all merchandise in an area which can be fully settled" and developed only through the use of railway transport. If good metalled roads are constructed at right angles to the railway at certain points on the line, it i 3 undoubtedly true that the back country will develop extensively. For Taranaki business which must be transacted in either Auckland or Wellington, the latter city will be the Joser to the formers' advantage, because all the improved transport facilities in the newly-

developed area will lead toward the nearer centre. For passengers, too, the Stratford line will provide a useful stand-by for rapid through-transit in the event of mishap on the Central Main Trunk. From a scenic viewpoint the new railway will rival, if not excel, the older route, especially in the Tangarakau and Central Taranaki areas. For many miles the rails thread their way through a Forest Reserve of giant rimus and totaras, greater than those in the Egrnont National Park. There they stand in towering majesty calmly overshadowing the neat new track with it's modern artistic steelwork and gentle curves. In the Mangaone and Mangatete Valleys particularly, the railtraveller will view a wealth and variety of shrub and fern growth even more prolific than that in the nearby Tangarakau Gorge. "Should Inaugurate a New Era of Prosperity " That rapid and adequate means of inter-communication between the two great provinces of Auckland and Taranaki are essential if commercial interests in both areas are to expand to the full, is being quickly realised by thoughtful and farsighted business people. That the new Stratford-Main Trunk will provide for a long-felt want is recognised by all but the most sceptical. With the general reaction against the wasteful duplication of transport services and with the general return to the rail, the opening of the line should inaugurate a new es?a of prosperity and profitable inter-relation between these hitherto separated districts. Road communication has gone only some of the way toward providing for this need. Now that the rail is here, cheaper, safer, and far more rapid haulage of the heaviest of merchandise will not only be possible, but will rapidly become an element of growing importance. It may be said here that with the awakening of popular interest by bold advertising, the prospects of the line will be further brightened. It is from the Great Public that the real backing will ccme. By far the greater portion of the population of the North Island can and will be served by the new trunk route. It is in the interests of these people and of taxpayers generally, through the Railway Department, that the possibilities and the capabilities of the line as a part of New Zealand's National Transport System has been explored.