NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11285, 20 June 1904, Page 5

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Visit of M'a.H.R. to Taihape. Great Possibilities of Trade with Wanganui.

On Friday Messrs A. I>. Willis, A. E. Eemington, F, Y. Lethbridge, and J. Vile, M.'sH.E. respectively for Wanganui, Rangitikei, Oroua, and Manawatu, together with the, (Mayxjnof "VSftmganui and a representative of the "Herald", Mid a visit to Taihape tyy-nofce^he' progress being made with the line to that township. The inclement weather prevented the member for Palme^stpn. '^nd others if torn .-JSaaJdtng }&he trip, The" local members of ihe" party left Wangariiii by the 7 'o'clock train; 1 and were joined at Mar ton. by Mr "VilV, and' further along the line' were met by Messrs Remington, and Lethbridge. On reaching Mangaweka, beyond which the train, services db' not at' present; fcktend;' the- visitors ■ pro- 4 "' ceeded in a ballast waggon to the mouth of tho Taihape tunnel, about half a- mile- this side of the township. They were shown over the line and through .the • tunnel >^by Mr Fraser, engineer, in charge of - works, who informed them that the rails would- be laid into the township next week should- th&' weatner not interfere with operations. About two miles of the line liaye yet to be ballasted, and so. soon as this i&- done*: the station .yards will be proceeded , with. The line should be ready for traffic by;Sepsembor, and will prove of immense .benefit to settlement in that district. Between Mangaweka and Taihape the road is in a deplorable conditiony being more like arnafVow sea of mild?' than a public , highway, vehicles- frequently jinking 1 axle deep in the cuts,, with. which ,the road abounds. . . » . ■_ '„* l The, opening up of the Hunterville-Tai-hape district is of immense importance to Wanganui, as this town is the natural cutlet for .its product and corisjemioijfcl-p'the base for-it3 -.-Tie'timbers-indus-try alone promises great things. , Already there are no lees" than thirteen saw *nuJ Is in and about . TJtiku and Taihape, sonic t of them just in* course of erection being of large -proportion.- Mr Gribbsr, for instance', has a 38 h.p. boiler and a 30 h.p. engine at work, aaid last week sent away his,,first:.cinr signment of timber. He intends to gci-mio the sa-w-milling business in a bi^ and systematic way. He has already, secured-*, ut. ting rights in a magnificent forest of-ISGO' 1 acres on the east bank of the Rangitikei at 'ibrere, and will shortly call for tenders for the erection of a. suspension brides cf 240 ft span across the river, 197 ft above the river bed. The factthat Mr Gifobjs is prepared to go to- such an expsnje to facilitate the handling'of the timber will give all indication of the importance of the -industry. Already • several workmen's cottages ' have been built, and these will be increased to "at least a dozen. When in thorough working order, Mr Gibbs expects the output of his mill to reach over 10,000 ft per week. - ' The point of importance to VVangitaui is that Mr Gibbs hopes to send the greater portion of his timber through here for export to Aiistraiia and he has already arranged with the enterprising firm of Messrs Horsley and Co. Tdr, several* 1 Blirj*-'* '• lnents of white pine. Indeed; the, Jiaugitikci SawmiUers' Association, conqirisiiag a very large number of "mills. are-'piiejjaroid to engage in a large export tradeothrough Wanganui to the -other side, provided' return freights in coal and general merchanise can be arranged- The supply oT, white pine is practically unlimited, and there is a big demand for this timber in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Ijf we remember • T aright, Mr Smithies, the gas engineer, reported very favourably on Newcastle coal for gas-generating purposes,- and if 'some arrangement"can : be made with the borough re return freights, undoubtedly a big 'industry will be fostered, which, as we have said, must prove of material advantage' to the Taihape-Hunterville district, as also to Wanganui. The chairman of the Saiwmillers' Association is coming into Wanganui on. Monday in connection, with the export question, and we would suggest that the Mayor, who we know is thoroughly imbued with the great possibilities before the Wamganui-Taihape district, should make a point -of consulting with h^m on ; the question. The Wanganui and Aramoho Freezing Companies consume a large quantity of coal, a-nd if Newcastle is suitable for their requirements and can be obtained at a satisfactory figure, ...return freights with timber and coal would be as- ! sured. If the Mayor could arrange a con- ! ference of the 1 larger coal consumers, and • exporters, who we feel sure would dot everything in their power to foster trade,' some practical and beneficial arrangement might I be made. Mr Knight, who already possesses several • sawmills in the North, ( Island, proposes erecting' two more at Utikuy one of wpch is already in course of construction. He proposes to lay down a tramline for a distance of about seven miles to tap a valuable block of' sawmilling timber he has secured^ Mr Knight has contributed J2450 toward© | the construction of ar siding at Utiku? alid has also guaranteed the Railway Department d£2ooo per annum in freights. - Messus Basher Bros., ofTorere, have also guarah-1 teed d£soo per annum in freights." Othen mills are owned Messrs BarthoJoTriewV i (about a mile from Taihape), Pefham, Tiaa> | sent and Co., and Gardiner Bros.

WhUe' referring to the timber industry,] it must not be forgotten that not many miles north of Taihape, , the Waim,armo i forest commences, and here there isa niag-, nificent supply, estimated at not less than" 2,000,000 acres, of milling timber. And all this is to be served by the' -railway', 'witli Wanganui ,aa the distributing base. It is surely, therefore, not too much to say that the importance of this particular brarieh"*>f trade cannot be overestimated.

In addition to the timber industry; dairy factories and creameries are going up in ail directions, between HunterviTle and Taihape; and the output of these must eventually bo through Wanganui when thetime is opportune to agitate for the .establishment of a' grading port there. The coun.try all round Taihape is very- suitable/, for sheep-farming, and the wool, etc, already -finds its. way here,. - v When the large, itracts - of country are fully opened, up ,sheep-'gfow-ing will not be the least important feature, of the district; and Wanganui musV-bone£t greatly- by the export trade in this-direc-tion. In .this connection, we are pleased to pay that Mr Willis, as chairman of $ie. Harbour Board, is fully alive. to' the neces-' sity of ,the. Board encouraging, the .export, trade -through Wanganui by 'affording snip-, pers every possible - facility, iii which we are stirp he will, have.^he ? hearty CQ7Pp3ra» tion. of'ih'e Boardi 'v ■ ' . •'> : sti \ - Then there is the flax industry, >which v >is in full swing between Mataroa (six-m'Ues north of Taihape) and Turangarere,- : and' when the line is constructed to Mataroa ; other mills will commence operatins'. • ■" The Railway Department has already un,der consideration the question of arranging a more convenient time-table for the in the district now being opened up ,It is intended, we believe, to expedite the services, and run faster trains on the Mar-ton-Taihape section, enabling settlers at the Taihape end to come into Wanganui, 'transact their business, and return, • the same evening, -passengers from ths.,end-be-ing enabled likewise to mak6 the 'Return trip the same- day. We may" add^rhafc ihe distance frdm Wanganui to- Marion is 35 miles, to Hunterville 51, to Mangawek.a 67, to Utiku 75,. >and,to Taihape 80. . : Mr Remington, 7 ever solicitous .for \the welfare of his constituents, has 'been ij,gi-

tating in the matter of providing either a dining car On, the line or the establishment of refreshment rooms at' the Marton junction, and the Department has consented to adopt the latter suggestion, which will prove a great convenience and comfort to passengers. .,

While at Utiku a deputation of Torere and Utiku settlers waited on' Mr Remington in connection with the erection of Station buildings. Utiku is a native township, about six miles from' Taihape, in which settlement appears to be progressing at a rapid rate. When .the leaseholds, with a. 21, yeairs' terfure, "were first' taken up, the- plan of the township showed a "proposed raij'way station.*"" Anticipating that the Goyr erii'ment' ! w6uTd" adopt the plan, selectors freely took up 'the"se(sti(mk, and, a boardinghouse ; and several/fairly substantial buildr. inga were erectedin the vicinity of the proposed site for the station; .The Government have 'laid .out' station, yards; etc., butif, is Jtow proposed to erect the station' about, half a mile; nearer Taihape — at Tprere. The latter locality is the centre of a fine apiece of- country, suitable either for dairying or slieep-farming, and there are several saw mills'-'-in the Vicinity, as also a dairy factory. ' Naturally, the Utiku residents strongly object to the -station being erected at Torere, but, as Mr Remington pointed out, the settlers must not take a selfish view of the matter. They must eonBiacr it from tne point of the- greatest good. for the greatest number. The Hon. Mr McGowan (acting-Minister- for Public Works) recently went over the district for the purpose of satisfying himself as f o the best- site* for: the station, and to-mbr-; row- a deputation, will lay the respective claims of both townships before the Minister. It is sincerely to be hoped that a settlement satisfactory -to both paries will be effdetsd, and the erection of Ismail viaduct at ,8; coßt of about .£6OO, -connecting the two places, should get over the difficulty. . ' *

The weather at Taihape on Friday was fine, but- cold, not 'quite so cold, towever, as was ..fexperienced atMataroav.jll^nTilea, inland, where over an.- inch of eno-w fell the previous day. It is not surprising that .on,', the, journey the much vexed question of leasehold versus freehold as applied to Grown -landA 1 * . should'- be* discussed, andJEJie jnemb"er,for.!! Wanganui- found little ,'sympaithy' from' fiis fellow members .; when; protesting^ against^ ;the alienation of the* l'aijds^of .the- colony. It; "'was somewhat of a surprise .to.. Mr 8 to, be informed by Mr, Remington that the >Government 'waa scarcely consistent in its advocacy of the leasehold, v.seeing that at Taihape the- freehold of the township see-tions>-was sold, and no opportunity was afforded the man, qL small means securing^an ■ allotahent, some of the sectioaa., bringing the extraordinary price of' per quar-ter-acre. On the other "hand, at Manga-weka'-the sections were all offered under the leasehold system. .In the course of conversation -about -m- 1 terior roadß, Mr Willis could not iref rain from introducing the question' of the Wan-ganui-Parapara highway, ' ' and he was pleased to hear his^fellow members iv Parliament e'xpresS'theirliearty sympathy-wifh the efforts-now being' made to 'push fortrord tliis important work. Mr Vile was Jvery'enthusiastic about the excellence of the coun--try the road .would open up, and said that he was surprised ti» find, during- a recent visit, such fine'Bheep'country.* "There ought to be,-- he said, at least 300,000 sheep on the land the- road would open up. Mr Vile further informed the party that several sections had recently taken up between Aberfeldie and- the Warnganul River, aar also on the other side of the road between, the • Mangawhero . and • the Wangaehu .Rivers. The lsjid.has been, leased under' the Bush and Swamps Act, passed last session, wliich. exempts selectors- fro'm the payment qf. rents — after the first half ' yeaf'«— for a period of 4J years. This very wise measure enables men .possessing but a small Capital to secure a home for themselves, and the provisions of the Act will no doubt be largely availed of. The members of- the' party wer* much gratified at the marked signs of the progress of settlement throughout the districts they passed en route. They are unanimous in the opinion that there are greatprospecta before this part of the colony, and are agreed that Wanganui must benefit by the opening up of the country. • -- ■

The above was unavoidably" crowded out of our columns on Saturday. We are pleased to add that Mr Harris (representing Messrs Horsley and Co.), had a consul'{tation this morning with- the Mayor, EnIgineer Smithies ,and Mr Creswell (manager ; and secretary of the Wanganuir Meat Company) on the subject of coal '. freights, and as a result a conference will 'he held, as suggested, with! the chairman^o^ the Bongitikei Sawmillers' Association? Messrs Horsley .and Co. have for, % lo r hg time past been endeavouring ta arrange with the Association for the export- of their ;timber and also for return coal freights, and have been in commji»lcation with several'shipping companies with the object of chartering suitable ves^efls.. We.;ioperßhortly to be.dh a positiofrto announce that' i a satisfactory agreement has been entered "into. -\ *'•