THE NAPIER=GISBORNE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 14

THE NAPIER=GISBORNE

v;::fe>';-i-.:'Yyv .'- »' r..^P^'!pi' VIEWS'OF MR; DAVID WHYT'Ei -} J ! ] J : pV--".'-.'-/fff/"-'".. r s ;; : -. • ■ . ' SOME, STMIGHT'SPEArnG;;? ■ •'; '-: MIK-'.iV,' '■-/'/ ; -' I -Vv : v;V--V: ' ' -'Vl:' ; ! ■; . V Those .■ who remember:■ tlie Continual; -figi-■ \ tation f£om Wellington .and. Auckland ; y with -reference to tlio/6qii9pJetioii.o£,:otte,'\ _ : ■ ; North find. a similar, turmoil ' ■. jvycilingtpn; arid HawkeV' . ; r^; : .ot the East CWt'raiLwny frbm-Napier ! to Gisborne.. 'A ;Government' r ii£/6'6ldpDl •' moved: to?action -an-d: ... ' .continued;-,agitation on ' of the ■ / '.V;:o general public. '.: This ' , yp .ia itaken. by . East j'Soasf;;;Pail- ! 'way League, .■ They :liave a' good j case, . .; -/■■ .1 ;nond better in;JJew. Zealan3i,^%^iiavi^..Y: ; •'.vjsetjtheir liands to''tho 'plouglij,>tKey ; ;]iaye : . ? determined- to. go on, for ysirs if-^iiece's-j . sary,- in order to achieve theirvend.'; .'A ; ■ glance at the .map, and th# kftofrledge ■; that millions of, acres . : Between .'.Napier./and',".Poverty,v J ßiylj*'aro 'v: P;PP* : : ': awaitingniiiiich-needeil.'*' ,is.J:a; • ' ' Kuliscient reason for. the wish".'that.. Vnc- — ' 'tlat . before .. T many. years . somelhiiia.-:>.'iv'ni" ''bo; ■-, - •i;'done ..bjvihe Government in r-tbei~way.:.-:of : , . the commencement of %.y ■•. In 'pr'tler. to . give .some "idekfofc-'what "has ;fi'en;''done .''already,;;^ 'p.-;. i. memorandum from llr.'. It.-. "W. "Holmes, . .' • Engmcer-iri : Chief or.the : tyfpjlzs -// ; ; .lijps!';, THE-ENGINEER'S EEPoM.' r ' :,/-/■ . - .. - ■.< •; ■~>• riJf -T--i'.vv -; '.The engineer s report • is as'follows:—' '-.; V:X : -.v; ■ f;/*flrf-' 5: 3^6^h03"1 a - V. ■ v^lic ; ;vW6rks' S l)epart]neint,;;. G::YB r nl&or'ppj'i . ;Esq:i? made via :;flying':examinatibn of :•>•.. ; > ."countrysbetTCieiin !anii.iV..Gisb|rfiM!; .v, ['■ ; ".and- iiraviously'-.Mri i: J.' .EochfortV ; iii'' i lSi'4' , '.also.' .;ma(lQ.- a..:similar t eSamiriationv: B&fli r .; ; thej'conntry i'ifcso 'IJr®eg • '. • that • .the.'cost. of • constructiiig^a ; railway." . would,'bo. very great.'. These..'ropoftt! •T- p weresubmitted to both, ndnses •; of;- Parliament'im .•■ and ..iio further, action '. ~" was'.'tW.n . taken. In. 1895,.' ,T.-; J[, : ' .. fi V 0 ' 'Hay^Assistant' :. •' to'examine 'four' probable .routes.."from ' . . . Napier;'to'Wairoa:— "':' v j".*;■ '-''l '. ,' • '•T.ijfiJ'-i*.'?" pp'y- ■ ' 4..lnland deviation of MrJvKnorpp'si;. coast'lliiie,: ,-Eo?h-n'T v >.' ■ -rfprC.<■>.'PpPr..i ; : -'vv2; •Mr/ ;Enorpp's.,: 2me :, ; al6ng l ;: 6ea:fv : ~ coast./'':,y' pp'z ivv ,3. 'line via iio'-'.'.. ■ • ■ \'p-.p'-:. .haka. : Valleys; and ' • 1 ' '\ ! ' J ; . Or:'^iv l i4rLiriorTia.,Ngaruroroc'JYalley'aridji . . /.. .v .. ' ; - across"'country to. the Tutaokuri '.Val-'iX' ley, to join No. 3 line. ; ' All. ..these routes v.-ouid-coaloscaAneay • Jfohaka.' 'i'he first three "start, -'from ' ' .i: :P . Napier, and No. 4 from Hastings. Ho accordingly explored these routes, and '■ '.'.arriy^.^afcp.the^fdllowing;, : - -'- "No. 'S i.is much- itmger- ; and--'ver}- ■ : • ;-. muih.-mo're); expensive . than .-No'v 1; or No., -v'-. ,V';v':'v ; '.' : ;2,'and : l it'vcari^ : .be,^-at-.' onco^'-left;.out .^f-fuifr:., :. ther'consideration. . No. 4 route, .which :> :pp : is'a variation of No. 3, may also..bo left v' -out grounds; ; : : tion : 'of , . 1 l which> route' .to- - lf , : ■ betweenC'No.'2 and-No. 1 routes.: f, :.'N'A'."2' -' " line - would ;be / the, shbrtef/ ; WS' : - . ■ ' . : same tifrLO a2O per cent, more expensive ' . line. It would rise and fall'more, and :.' . .. havo over 17 miles of lin 49 grade,- us ' V : ': against ; barely_ 10 miles ; of the:-same-Jon ' 'N&': No. lvalso iroiild' tajp the .A :; v.. . : country further back.'.:'- So,staking every-.":'.' ' ; - ~ thing into consideration, No. 1 line was - '" ~ ' U. lO hotter, one to .Gurvey and -'investigate. ; "This wds' .accordirigly. decided on. . ; ■ i -triM- survey was., then made .'to' .the, 'pP "--P Woiroa by tho No. 1 route as follows:— .■ v: It starts about 15 miles from Napier -■ • railway, 'station, on the Spit line. Kuns : alongitha'shingle bank to Petane,' then 'PPP;-: . along: tHS.coast .to the'.Esk'Talleyi r; Which' ;, --, , it : goes mp,-,,reaqhingitho.-tablerlandi-'at. ' (.-■~p: : ~: 'I'.o head.- of- this vallev. It-..thea,-rnhs : tho.';WailcaVe, Valley;:•.crosses;., tim-...'--. , - river;.' th& J tho AnoUra: and''. tlie" ! .'Ai:a-. . . • whata, till'it. reaches, the. lowSr~Jlohal;a . ■ ■■■' Valley, i'-whicli 'it: goes down-.-fer -'somb •. - - .. miles. this-river-and-.thej.Sa'd- : die,-it..runs. down:.the r Kiwi:Creflk-:,tij.:tlio .' : 'pp.;; crosses: : that: = and .., 'r-, '. ' : . then a saddle into :the J Ohihipaka,';Avliicli - ■ ; leads :iMo-' the- Wairoa; :Valley,':.* ; 'asid '. reaches"u'Eiasertown at: abdnt«ftp'. : mllißs. ' ■ 1 , A:-trial lino was then; put in hiind from ' -y. :- : " ; :Miere v to>Gisborne.'-- ' Leaving -Eraserto^ra, :■■■ : ' it.: goes iup; the VWairoa Valleyr W tho , . jTinctigjoi" ; of, tho' Jlangapoikcj'.: .then., up 1 ' ;.v,;that;,.valley 7for ' nearly '20 "miles..'to.' :its ' .. - source, then over the. saddla '' into'' Tu' ' - : .: ■ : Arai Valley, then runs down that val- .' ley for.-about 17' miles into'f lie Waipaoa, !•' . ; ; (frossas. that river,, and then., acrosa tho flats. at: about's2;'milSs from ■; Erasoftovli;.; However, 'tHis'.survey! ... , oaly Mxien ' partly . 'done, aiidi-'there'"lira ■ .still"about-20: miles:at. the iGisbornia''.end , : to liaisli, -some 'of -wliich -in'./the : .Te Arai * Valley; bB wbrkiyv:-:: . • Thecal- 'survey: work ;tlie ; \ whole :4ing; would, be - heavy ,andj expensive' - ta^'make^'and.-.there ..would' be, some t .-jery ' : . •: considerajjle- viaducts - over;- theE.deep.; yel? • ■' 1 v. : : leys" and .rivers several- . ; . turinels"St','tlie summit, pP'P : eides'ii'c'Jivy. earth-works, etc.f;' I MR. WHITE'S VIEWS. ; ' Interviewed 011 tho subjoct.on liis return'- .. from -.Wellington by a .ÜbmMqN.f.'irepre-: :; V, .* sentattyej' f ;..Mr. .Dand . <p.f ' . • Hastings',^pn' : member of .'[the-^eiit'uei^and 1 ' . .A. ono jhas, a' :first-class khoWledge lof . the" position':of things, "stajt&d .. conferencd not expect r ':tHat :i ffudh : A " would'"result'from ".their r.ecoht-. degutai . - -, ; tion: toS'thb -Priniei Ministef, ,S.ir- ? Joseph jS'i -"Ot i-j 1 -"?.' . ;... The? conferencoi said, MrA-Whyteii was a conference '.of chambers ,-.; of -rcommerco' . throughout the, North Island -a.tho, : ; iii-

vitation of tho North Island Eailiray -; League; The conference,., which , waited . ' - upon the Prime Minister,' was representa-.. ■ tivo -of the: southern half of-tlid North"'-V Island, from Stratford to Gisborne. ■ Be-.. foro waiting upon the Prime Miiiister, tho conference held a meeting, and : their policy. Every, point was clearly and " logically thrashed out, and the decision unanimously arrived at by, a .full -meet-.. ' :. -irig.was that -the .Government should be :. urged to accelerate that portion, of the : .E.ast Coast . Stain .Tnink lino, between,-Na-: pier, and Gisborne.. • ■ , : , . / The Government, as. represented by the ,>■ Minister for Public' Works', jin :;his; reply ' to thedeputationi 5 ; Vppo^' 1 -.'TM>d^'" ! Mri'• •' .AYhyte, to . have - a,'misconception- about, • .the proposed linijV , To. be asked .to place: , . upon: the Estimates, 4 ji' iunito ( .be ' de- ■, : voted to . the, 1 construction', of : the rsec- . ,tion, : .was 'not. aslcing-.the State:: t0...-"com-', mence" .a. !new railway,-:, but :,wasvmerely ■. -■-' -nsldng; t&e;<C^£^'enf : ', construction of a railway already pirtly . ■ , completed. , , . ; i- : - .-"Wo ..cannot.: accept'''siatements 'of/'the -' . Government on, thisvpoint. of 'commcnc- . 'ing":-: the. railway, said .:Srr. : ::TOyte;.-. : ''m l : -. . view of the/jfact. that during, the 'life --' : of tbe. present-Parliament,-the .State .-has.;. : .' ,: already 'eomteenced' v -of - tho. railway,.at Taurahgai.'jThere* was' : :a.*deep. ' - .' irony.about the whole ■'! Gisborne section of ;."the railway; hadj;been: .*',f • surveyed:. to^."within':■twentj^^.miles.: :^l!b'm': ••'■ l ■' : Gisborne (not a a'^rmaneht;:^^'. survey), and'.. the/-totar'a ' pegs were ■ there ■ to:, this. day. i They.' were: driven , over; ten. years ■ ago—the v work-. of .the.v.-Permanent; Survey, in" .\T{iurahKi.'' there was. - not :even ; . a ;.peg Vdnyeii,'-.;till*" -' shortly before, the date,"upon ..which, : the • first sod was turned a few months, back. The, conference' and/the ; general fijublicv .■ was:,also faced with this, astounding posi- .: ■' Hon; that although" the Government had: : been spending at the rate of .£130.000, "and ,£140,000 .per, annum-,;,upon!.tho littlo r.edt of land north <of > Arickland, -and •:..Had practically ; spent nothihg^soutli'-'uf,>. • --A'Stratford in ' the North :.:Tsland\'dnfing: :V the- last ten .or fifteen..-years, .the. public. , . now; found'that thftjState;: wasii-Sfjeiidihg;': ■ money -Tihy the.-,; : -;'tTie' ■, Au.cMand:.provifice,;i'and . Kt.Hlio : nf the .Hawke's Bav— and ; Wellington , districts'south of Gisbornev'v,This!'was''!lilt6-, vrise a national; ;brea(;h '■ of - trust. oiir'.'thp - : . . part' of the Governmtnt'j/ which./'-.wirilo.•- . fop-'"AatiotttOr-:'iEl<^onoe;-.^srais^ak;. the" same, time;leaving.'oheV.bfvttie..:finfet\' :.; stretches of the .coimtry.iafc.tbe'.,mercy; : |of :. a; possible enemy,' through' want;of-railway :; : ; -.'communication Ono of.'fchb secrets : 'bf ; :'th'e/stagnation:;: . -.-ih ; railway construction ,:.inv;/this; s "of;, the East Coast, :'-;cbhtihuM-; : Mr;i;AYhyte,':r;; : could, bo readily.■'■.'-'shaeted.'-i-hoine 1 to;;the .;.- Hon. James Carroll's Native-.land policy. . ::. It- had been, accepted. by promineiit:tßailway Leaguo. men ' as. 'fact, that;'tho." said honourable- gentlenian.-' \biirred the' ''.door;; :.. of.-:railway tb.e;lihe: ; between .', '. Napier and : . bo. summed up' in"a v few tf6rds:' '®hhahce .v, the , value of the Natiyeli'landsVati'Buro- : : pean. expense." :/•'.■.-;-■ ' p},i .- : ,-.'-'l»haye been closely associated with-'this ■ " agitation , since, 1890," vsaid;..Mr. ,Whyto.:: "it was licgun by ihy lato father,'; Ml'. ; Darid Whyte, sen., and he energetically .pushed'the;propecti;'.;lt'was'::thrdu'gh-. ; him;. " ;, that,l-becamb ..intimately:acquainted: witt;; V the ideaj and-:alL.-that::went: on .'to'tHat, ' . period.; I- know .how : ,Clfr. Carroll- en-' - dcavoured to get-.tho ..survey:-.-carried through.. theNatiye .'jlaffiJs: Via.; :Manga-: ; . -;; poika- and ; Te , Arai .Valleys, to Gisborne; . . : instead of up the.' HangaroaVyalley, ;wKich • > route taps' large, iireaK'p|;,'Eurpi)e'an?'and Government lands.''; •;; ' .'. 1 ;, , "A strange; thing;;happened,at the timo / of.the".election';of ;i903. " : continued .up,: toHbevtime ; bf ; thp"' election; ~ ■when-Mr:; Seddoii's:- Government] ; 're : . .- /turned :with 'such • 'mediately .-afterwardg ' , ; stepped,"! s altliough- s Only about ' twenty ! .: miles remained-to : i complete "the route;-to. ;' ' v Gisborne. .Since;that; . : time another,; ■ . strange,; thing ;ias' ;' happened, - -which -.- .1- ' ' thing, requires;.:some./..eslpanatibn;-,-;from" 1 . lieadquarters. ?•. of: ; ; l?ebruai7.;2s,..'i9o^;.sigried.,by : ;Mr.'®;iW. ~ ' Holmes, "Engiheef-iri-Chief.-;of^tlie;:Publio.i;... ;; Works Department, dealing'witji- the 'sur-':- '- :'vey of this" part of the -railway! : - ma.kea . '- .; the following statement;-"inter "alia':—'; n ;'. "'A trial line was then put invhand-'. from- here ; (Frasertown);;; toy;'Gisborne. Leaving Frasertown. it goes up tho Wai- ; ,'roa-:Yalley-.td' the -junction' 6f ;tlie.Mariga-. ; -.-/. . poike, then un that valley, for nearly - 20niiles to its source, then f ovor the :saddle- ■ into Te Arai Valley, then runs .down that valley , for about 17-miles into 'tho Waipaoa, crossing that - river,-r ,and- then " across the fiats to Gisborne at: about 52 ' miles from Frasertown. ' However, this survey has only been partly , done/' and . there are still about 20 miNs at the Gis-. borne end to finish, some of which in,the Te Arai Valley would bo: very heavy work.' -.;"This is ; a mdst..fiurprisiag)statemdnt'.-t'pV,:.' : : thoso who h'ave .been'.over tiie.-localityy da. . I havo done repeatedly...:' There'/ are:.np; ; . '- survey pegs leading up'; tho 'Mdngapoite-/' -. .' Valley, . 'I'iio route actually/surycycd-and; pegged'-.enters up the Wairoa Valiey. to To -iicinga, thence', up; llangaroa /Valley / west of Whnkapunaka ;;Mpuhtaiu, ; .;-;and; .: : stops in. the lato. KalpbYSt',;:Leger's pro-: ; jierty, about , twently; riules". :fl ; oni Gis-;, .; .. ijorue.' :In. the it .would . ; appear, that the survey-'went,,east;.of. :;, ■ mountain. (tbrough-JJative-Jands),-:,where--; .; :■ as it went west,;tewfepping----inltod?^A's'-;-a-; 1 - .: '• matter of■ factj ■ the., two,-routes .expand;:to : , a' point' at.teastr-^fiifeeii''., was, responsible for.ithe:report;?'jy''PP^... ; "All that; was. no'ir;',;'-' . asked for, by tho public wai that 'Mr. • Carroll, as a representative of'afEiiro- , pcan constituency, should' exercise'his.in-';; V iiuenco in the direction ,-of • encouraging-. ; tho railway, instead. of .-.following the : , •'tailioa" policy. ;; ; 'PpP . . "Wo as a league," concluded' - llr.: . Whyte, ."embracing;.thioiso.uth-.of'this. is-,. ■■ :; ;°.'iiahd"as far':n'orth •asrStTatford.;oiid ! 'GiS-'; -J - bdrnc,- .have banded ourselves .toother;v v and have-foi'mulated i oiir;;'policy: uiiani-' ': . mously, knowing;" that ;.w.o:, have a- just : cause, and we mean to go ftcadily . and .■ systematicilly ;to. work-. until, we;: sue-. V' :: - ■ ceed." ■