TAUPO TIMBER LINE.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1397, 26 May 1923, Page 4

TAUPO TIMBER LINE.

CONFERENCE OF TIAIBER OWNERS. OPPOSITTO N DEV ELOP S .t (Bv Telegraph.— Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Putaruru Railway Board summoned a conference of timber land owners to express an opinion on the offer of the Taupo-Totara Timber Co. to sell to the Board its railway and plant for £67.000. The Hon. J. G. Coates. Alinister of Public Works, and Air Alorris, secretary of the Post Office, represented the Government. Dr Rayner of Auckland, presided. The object of the conference was to ascertain if the owners were prepared to pay 1? per 100 feet of standing timber to provide an amount for debentures. At the outset it became evident there was a misunderstanding somewhere, as it was alleged -that the levy was to be on sawn and not standing timber. Air Blair, representing various owners, entered a strenuous objection to the rate being struck on standing timber and pointed out that if the settlers could not pay their land would eventually get into Die hands of the company. He til so urged that Die Royal Commission was agai'hst the acquisition of the line and estimated it would cost £6OO c OO to convert it into a proper railway. There were only 200 subscribers and they could not be exacted to take over such a huge liability. The chairman expressed disappointment tit the attitude taken up. They would pay on sawn timber only. The conference then terminated.