EAST COAST LINE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 170, 7 June 1940, Page 8

EAST COAST LINE

RAILWAY TO THE RANGITAIKI HOW THE ROUTE WAS CHOSE* 30 YEARS TO COMPLETE TASK (Continued from Wednesday) In 190G the Auckland Railway League, which had been formed bj a few enthusiastic people to advocate the opening-up of wealth-beai ing land by railway construction convened in Auckland a conference of delegates sent by fraternal bodies and local authorities from Gisborne to the Waitemata for the purpose of reaching common ground with respect to the proposed railway. Through the earnest efforts of Mt P. E. Cheal, president of the league, the late Mr H. C. Tewsley, vicepresident, Mr R. R. Hunt, secretairy, Mr D. Donaldson, of WaihL, and Mr G. A. Ward, of Tauranga, unanimity was obtained on the question of route and influential petitions were presented to Parliament in favour of , the coast .route Waihi, Katikati, Tauranga, Opotiki. The Ward Government, which was now carrying on where the Seddon Administration left off, declined for three years to respond to the pressure, pleading that lines already in process of construction, including the North Island Main Trunk", Avhich was still ungapped between Ohakune and Waimarino. must be further advanced before new authorisations wWe made. Thv?

Premier insisted that Cabinet, ivas doing the right thing in "resisting demands .entirely, beyond the, resources of the colony.,' . The late Sir William Herries insisted equally ; as forcibly.: that if unpayable lines in the South Island could be the subjcqt. of appropriations the same could be done for the Bay of Plenty and East Coast. Thus developed the classic fight between the North and the South, with items of disproportionate railway expenditure as the principal bone of contention. Final Adoption 6f Coast Route, Out of the combat the North Island antagonists won belated concessions. The united, front persuaded the Government in 1908 to obtain a trial survey of the country from Waihi •to Taufffnga and Matata along the route demanded by the railway league, jami the ; new Minister of Public (Works, the Hon. R. McKenzie, announced in the following terms the, Administration's adoption of the plan in its widest and most complete form: "The Government is strongly impressed with the necessity for a trunk railway through the important Bay of Plenty district, and that will eventually connect Auckland with Gisborne and the whole of the East Coast settlements, and considers the time ha? now arrived to make a commencement with the work."

Government has its Way. Next year the Main Trunk Railway was completed, trains were run ning between Auckland and Wellington, and the Government was free to launch the new East Coast main trunk line without sacrifice to its declared principles. A work which was to run into a million and a half of- money and take the best part of 20 years to complete was begun in its first year with the initial expenditure of £10,000. A fresh controversy immediately broke out respecting the manner in which the work Avas to be put in hand. The decision of the Public; Works Department that work should begin al Tauranga instead of at the Waihi end met with unsuccessful opposition in Parliament from th;> members for Ohinemuri and Bay of Plenty. Mr 11. Poland and Sir WitHam Herries, respectively. The argn inent that the job should start at the ends and not in the middle was overruled, however, by the department's contention that the easiest portions of the line should be commenced first and brought into paying order. It was explained that whereas the rough country south of Waihi would cost £10,000 to £12000 a mile, east of Tauranga the cost would be only £4000 to £5000 a mile. ; So the Government had its way. and on April 12, 1910, at Tauranga, Mr McKenzie. turned the first sod of the new railway..

Sanguine Words. In the following sanguine wordsthe Minister of Public Works, the : Hon R. McKenzie, turned the first sod. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, you liave the construction of your railway honestly and fairly started, and I hope it will be honestly and fairly pushed through and finished in the quickest possible space of time** Speaking at Te Puke he said:— "The people of Rotorua and Waihi have expressed disappointment at a. start not having been made front those places, but I can assure them they are likely to get connection with the East Coast line much soon er than they expect." With what relucta.ncy would the* ensuing cheers have been given had the assemblage known that 18 long/ and wealy years were to elapse before the assurance would be fulfilled.