["Cossack Tramway", The Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA), Saturday 31 August 1912, page 4]

COSSACK TRAMWAY

PROTEST AGAINST TAKING UP.

A fairly representative meeting of Roebourne residents was held in the Road Board Office on August 20 to protest against the contemplated action of the Government in taking up the tramline from Cossack to Roebourne. In the unavoidable absence of the chairman of the Road Board Mr. H. J. Watson, the chair was taken y Mr. A. Waugh.

The chairman called upon, Mr Vessey, one of the convenors of the meeting, to explain matters, and in doing so the speaker referred to the decision arrived at by the Minister for Public Works during his to the Nor'-West to take up the tramline from Cossack to Roebourne when the jetty reconstruction at Port Sampson was finished.

Mr Shaw stated tint if the line was removed as suggested by Mr Johnson, it would be a bad day for Reobourne, as residents would suffer very much thereby. He moved:--"That in the opinion of this meeting, taking into consideration the damage sustained by the Point Sampson jetty during the last hurricane season, and the possibility of similar damage being done in any subsequent hurricane season, the proposal to remove the Cossack-Roebourne tramway is ill-advised and if carried into effect will prove detrimental to the interests of the whole of the Roebourne Magisterial District."

Mr. Davies, in seconding, endorsed the remarks of the previous speaker, and explained that in the event of fire or storm destroying the jetty, Point Sampson could not be used as a landing place, and as goods would have to go to Cossack the additional cost of transit by teams would be great. No good purpose could be served if the line was taken up, but good may eventuate if it were allowed to remain. Five months ago the jetty was demolished, and as it was not yet reconstructed it was only reasonable to expect that valuable time would be wasted if no line was available to convey goods from the seaside to Roebourne. If the same blow occurred at the seaport as happened at Balla, the jetty would be completely demolished and the time lost and the money expended for reconstruction would be great. The attitude of the meeting was not antagonistic to the present Government, but was simply a protest. If none were raised the Minister would naturally think that his decision to take up the Cossack line was a good one and would meet with the wishes of the district, but if residents took the matter in hand and explained the inconvenience that would be caused by its removal he (the speaker) felt sure the Government would allow the line to remain in case of emergency.

...

[other speeches in support]

[motion carried]