NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2759, 14 March 1910, Page 2

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS INTERVIEWED.

[Pku Press Association. I WELLINGTON, March 12. The Minister for Public Works, Hon. R. McKenzie, was interviewed by a representative of the “New Zealand Times,” in order to secure some information regarding the deviation of the North Auckland railway, in regard to which there has been so much agitation. 1 The Minister briefly outlined his reasons for re-opening the route question, as a result of which a line considered to be much more beneficial to the country was planned to the westward. Preducing a map of the rival routes, the 'Minister pointed out some of the ’inportant differences between the 82 am!

89 .mile points on tlie old line. It runs through precipitous country, ineluumg a narrow gorge, and would serve *< 7 y lew people for about “20 to ‘25 rules it has on its eastern side the W aipu mountain range, where there can be no settlement. Tlio new route, avoiding the unprofitable parts, goes through the Bickerstaffe estate, owned by the Government, containing about 46,006 acifts. , “When I visited the country lonowing the session of 1903, when scores of petitions wore received, and as a usull the Public Petitions Committee re. eon-ended the Government to make a trial survey of a western route, c-aul the Minister, “I saw that the country was verv easy, and recommended a M’ r _ voy, which was to follow a line drawn from the point of deviation as straight as possible, consistent with reasonable cost of* construction to IMaugalcahia. It was contended that this would make the line longer, but the result is more likely that, it will be shorter. The trial suivey brought out the distance by the new route as a little longer —a fraction of a mile. A fairly easy lino can be got on the lie,w route from.MoCarroll’s Gap to the point of junction with the ><ld route at the 185-mile peg. An important reason why l wished to keep on the western side of J angihua was the iact time the line will be able to cross -lie Northern Wairon, a big navigable river at Tangiteroria. The \\ airoa will be as good a feeder for the railway as a branch lino, but we would have lost this advantage by keeping to the eastward, as the point of crossing would have In;ei above the navigable part.’’ The Minister spoke in an interesting fa-! on of railway developments in that (fi.'iii'ot, which may not come to pass many years, but are none the less ji.velv. “No doubt,” he said, “a branch line will run from about this point c< ! c- nuect with the Mhnngarei line, au<l if the connection is made above Kamo, the lino would run through fiat country. There is not the slightest doubt that if the main line went to the eastward to whore if was originally authorised m Mutingotapore. it would be connected vdth the Wheugaroi line as quickly as possible, r.ml that line used as n conti iuniioi: /.I tiie North Auckland railwav to Navakawu. That would mean that fin- v.d.ub- of the western distret wovM reerive u > advantage from the railwav. c.n ! wi u!d add from 30 to 40 nines to the length of the' journey from the north of Kaitcke.” A deed what ho had to nay to the criticism that the Government was survc viii.u on the work beyond tlie deviai;:,• i, -e as to commit the country to the western route, the Minister denied that the work was being rushed, and pointed t.-, the fact that while surveys were bejug unde’ taken, the number of men had to be reduced, the total dropping to 4 i i in April, 1009. hut as soon as the route was definitely decided 1 by the Government. the men were taken on in greater uumbers and progress made, so that the usual rate of expenditure, could be maintained. About 550 men were earning their living on these railway construction works, ho added, and if every, thing had to he suspended until a Hoval Commission reported, and its recommendations had been considered oy Parliament, it would be. a very serious tiling for the men, and he saw no good reason for it. The complaint bad been that, votes were always underspent in Auckland, and to do as bis critics urged would mean a very considerable underexpenditure. , “The Engincer-in-Chiof favored the eastern route,” said the Minister, bur when that opinion was first expressed there hud been no trial survey of the western route, while the local engineer, who is on the spot, is an advocate of the new route, Tlie expert engineering advice on which tlie advocates of the eastern route rely for condemnation of the western route places the cost of the bridge over the Otamatea River at about £60,000, whereas some of the Public Works 'Dcapfitment engineers do not think it higher than £26,000, and. I believe it will be built for about £1.6,000 to £17,000, but that will depend to some, extent on the design. As far as the relative cost of the rival routes is concerned, from Ross’s Hill to McCarroll’s Gap. there will probably b e very little difference between them. In my opinion, judging by the data available, the western route ought to be the cheaper apart from the superior ad van tnges it will provide for the country. These matters will be submitted to a Royal Commission of experts, and, afar as I can judge, there is not much doubt as to how any impartial men will decide this question.”