NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 7

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY

A MINISTER'S IMPRESSIONS

' (BT 'TELIOKirn—Sj-KCI» I. rmui "SVfiMIKS'T V.';

: ; ; i:''i'r:: • v Auokland, February 25. .-The. Minister for Public Works 'and.Mines (tbe)'Hon. : ;,R. ', M'Kenzie), .in.'., the.; course. of an. interview, gaye an: interesting, resume of .his. impressions ■of his recent trip north. V. ;. ■-.'.-'Jfrbin■; my •:point '. of ./ view,',' "Mr. M'Kenzie,'.."the:.trip generally has been very; satisfactory. \Vo passed;through some very fine ■ country,; ;and some very ,poor •couii;trj.:.bj]f.: there' is no doubt'.that-the, north will' carry, a very.' big population in..the future. ..Its;'prdductiTeness is capable of .being .increased manifokl.: '■■ ;.Son* .parts' -of .the north-passed .through' will compare favour-j ably .with.-.any, part of tbo 'Dominion, and ■fruit-growing in ■ tho -.Port 'Albert district: is.'capable', of: unlimited .extension,- that-is for'■certainiclasses of fruit." ■ '- ■ I '/.Ae to- the northern Main Trunk, line- Mr M'Kenzie / said.-.that ;about .£4000.a inontjrj was being: spent on .the construction-works at..; present. Tho -'.'engineers', were... at'..work 1 on the. seotion , to. Topuni, and another:sec-tion.of-about ;three!"miles-was,.almost ready for■';plate-laying.' ; !Now, jthere: ought,to.\be another: extension,of about sis miles;,ready for, traffic, by. the.end of the present year. :■•}lncidentally,; while speaking, of: the railway- route, ho expressed, an .'opinion of the roads lie had. passed, over during. His northern 1 tour. r ' .''There .■- are numbers 'of-'--roads in. , the■ south' as. bad. as. those -in the North Island,",'.he.,said, "and some of them worse. I passed "over , many' long', stretches..of ,exoelleut. road .-daring this trip:" ■ , : ..;.■-, '~ The,engineer-in-chief,(Mr. W. R. ; Ho]mes)i who accompanied the Minister right .through, the .tour,:' says:. ."1 am■.-perfectly■■>satisfied that ;the ioonstructioti of ■ a railway... tho.., north:.will-, not 'present .any . great• eri-1 gineeiing"'difficulties. There' : are-several routes quite practicable for the purpose. ■'• .It remains to bo ; :deoided as to which of .these , two routes will be'.the. cheaper, , cost least tomaintain,: and be ; likely -in the future, to Berve the greater interests, arid ■ therefore provide .the greater-.revenue." -..■ ,;' .-.';• ■