STRATFORD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16795, 20 July 1920, Page 3

STRATFORD.

PROM OUK OWN CORRESPONDENT. July 19,—A letter written hv the Minister of Public Works to the Unworn Farmers’ Union amusingly illustrates tho view the Aucklander takes of tho speeding up of construction on tho Stratford-Okahukura railway. The union is of course interested in getting at tho suppies of coal that exist near the railway route a few miles beyond the present rail-head at Tahora, blit the Hon. Mr. Coates seems unable to realise any other view of the matter than that of pushing on the work from the northern end as quickly as possible. If oue did not remember that tho Minister was over tho whole route only a few months ago one would infer that ho was unaware of any work going on at the southern, end. He says the lino is to be pushed on to Churn as quickly as possible from' tho Main Trunk, but beyond Ohura, tho country, ho says, is very rough. It strikes mo that wo shall hear a very great deal about this roughness when the Ohura country is once served by the railway from Auckland. Mr. M’Villy, when hero a few months ago, talked of five years ae nott being too short a time for making tho Strat-ford-Main Trunk connection. If Mr. Coates’ letter is an indication of how the Public Works Department regards the prospects, ! should not like to give odds on tho line being through in fifteen years. There ajn reports of sales of cheeseoutputs at fourteen-pence f.o.b. This would mean about 2s 9d for butor-fat if storage and interest charges are reasonable. Oue wonders if this means another big rise in land prices, or has tho landowner already got tho benefit of this last great inflation of producevalue. Tho quickness with which surplus produce-valuo is capitalised gives weight and point to Socialist arguments and is not adding to tho permanent prosperity of the district. Wo don’t feel the effects as yet because tho profit from working tho land continues good, thapks to higher and higher returns for produce, and we may not fcol tho reaction so soon as will somo districts for tho reason that so many of us are both users and owners of land. But there must come a time'when falling prices will raise the, question of who pays. The borough council has decided against a, proposal to place the new bridge before the ratepayers separately from the general loan, .which is to be voted upon in about a month from now. It is perhaps unfortunate for the success of the loan proposals that the rate-cards are in process of distribution. The message they bring is not veiyexhilirating.