THE OHURA.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1920, Page 4

THE OHURA.

OPENING THE COUNTRY. ADVANCE OF RAILWAY URGED. COAL AND TIMBER AVAILABLE. (By Telegraph—Own Corrsepondent.) Wellington, Last Night.

A deputation representing the commercial and dairying interests of Taranaki interviewed the Prime Minister and the Minister for Public Works to-day, in, order to press for the early completion of,.the Stratford-Okalnikura railway. The delegates emphasised the importance of securing railway communication through to the timber and coal measures of the Ohura country.

•Mr. C. A. Wilkinson introduced the deputation, and explained its objects to the Ministers. He said that the railway was a trunk line, and its early completion: was of national as well as provincial importance.

Mr. J. Quin, chairman of the Taranaki Fanners' Freezing Company, said that' •the line was required urgently by a large body of producers. Much stock had to go through to Tauraarunui under the present conditions, and the loss to the. farmers was serious. Mr. Quin mentioned also the lack of telephone communication between the OhUra district and the rest of Taranaki. The gap was only twenty-four miles long, and it ought to be covered as quickly as possible.

COAL PROM THE OHURA. 4 Mr. A. Morton, representing the dairying industry, urged the importance of securing a supply of coal for the dairy factories. Some of the Taranaki factories were disposed to produce dried milk, but this could not be done without an assured supply of co.al. A factory capable of treating 10,000 gallons of milk daily would want about fourteen tons of coal daily, and it could not safely depend upon sea carriage.

There was an immense coalfield in the Ohura country, whence some of the settlers were already drawing supplies of fuel. Coal could be got seven or eight miles beyond the present public works terminus at Tahora, but seme fortyseven miles of line were required to open -the main field. The labor difficulty was not insuperable. Mr: Morton'protested against the high charges made by, the Public Works Department for the carriage of stock on the portions of the line not yet handed to the Railways Department. Sir William Fraser said' that the Public Works Department was losing money on the carriage of *this stock, and any increase in the traffic would interfere seriously with construction work.

. LINE NOT NEGLECTED. Mr..Newton King, chairman of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, spoke of the need for completing the , telephone connection. The expenditure involved was not large, Mr. Massey: Cost-is not the trouble. Mr. King: I don't know what is the trouble, but the people have felt for a long time that their grievance should 'be remedied. "

Sir William Fraser: The Department cannot get wire.

Mr. King: Last time we heard that you could get wire, but it would cost too much.

Mr. Morton referred to the purchase of timber lands in the Ohura country by, ■the dairy, companies, and said that the cost of getting the timber out by a round-about route was very high. Sir William Fraser denied that tho Stratford main trunk railway had been neglected. The position was that by the end of March every shilling of the vote for the southern end would have been spent, and a very large part of the vote for the northern end. Of a total vote of £50,000, between £46,000 and £48,000 would have been spent, and a liability of some £BOOO incurred. He had done the best with the means at his disposal.

SHOPvTAGE OF LABOR. The shortage- of labor was a serious matter for public works. He had about 3000 man on public works throughout New Zealand at the present time, and he required 2000 or 3000 more men. So:ne people said that if he offered the money he would get the men, but if he had paid the wages required to attract all tho labor he needed the ordinary wage payable by private employers would have been sent up to £1 a day. The Government would have come into competition with the primary industries and the other industries.

If the Stratford line was to proceed more rapidly in the future the vote must be increased on the estimates, but he would not have the arranging of the estimate for next year. Sir William Fraser added that an active immigration policy was essential for New Zealand. There was room in the country for many thousands of additional people. The labor required for necessary public works, was not available at the present time. He felt that he ought to have 5000 or 0000 men on railway works, but he had no chance of getting them at present.

BETTER ASSISTANCE RECOGNISED.

The Prime Minister said that he could endorse what Sir William Eraser had said. He knew that the arguments advanced by the deputation for the speedy completion of the Stratford Main Trunk railway were sound. The country to be served was worthy of a railway, and the line was really a trunk line. As a matter of fact it was working almost up to its full capacity already, and the increase in the traffic was continuing. The 'Stratford line would relieve the Main Trunk line to some extent.

Ho felt that sufficient provision would have to be made during the next session of Parliament. The great difficulty was the shortage of labor.. It would be better perhaps if the Government would concentrate labor on one line and finish it, rather than carry on several works at a slow pace, but the members of the deputation were aware of the difficulties in the way of such an arrangement. No district was prepared to abandon its claim to consideration in favor of another district.

"WILL Not BE NEGLECTED." Mr. Massey added that he recognised the importance of giving Taranaki a rail connecting with the Ohura coalfields. H a few miles of construction would bring coal to Taranaki the work ought to be hastened as much as possible. The completion of the telephone oon-

nection with the Ohtira country was not as simple as had been suggested. The real difficulty was that the line at each end was fully loaded already, and a metallic connection right through from Stratford would be necessary. He recognised the importance of the railway, and while the Government had to be fftflL, to the whole country, the deputation -sj could take it from him that the line wag not going to be neglected. Mr. Wilkinson, in thanking the Mln< isters, assured them that their immigration policy was approved right through the Dominion. '