WAIUKU RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 8

WAIUKU RAILWAY.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. The need for a branch railroad from the.Main Trunk line to Waiuku was urged to the Minfster for Public Works yesterday morning. The deputation, was introduced by the Prime Minister, .as member for. the district. .He explained that it urged tho construction of a railroad from tho main line to Waiuku. The original survey proposed u route .from Paerata, two miles north of Pukekohe. : The line would be about 12 miles in length, traversing country that presented no engineering difficulties in the way of bridges or -.tunnels;. It was closely settled by an industrious people. Waiuku was a flourishing town,, dud the residents of the district were satisfied ■ that the. line . would pay from the day it was opened. 'A .commission some years ago reported very strongly. in favour.of the proposal; but the policy. 'of ; the.Government'at that time was-to complete, the main--lines,.■••especially , .V the Nprtli IslandiMain: Trunk -line. , .' but as that had now been completed; thopeople of. Waiuku..were'-very properly-urging tte construction of this branch. Mr... Mnssey . added that, he hoped..the ■; Minister would visit .the district next summer, and he felt . sure that Mr. Eraser would then have no doubt as to the advisability and justice of having the line authorised. I Mr A. M. Barriball described himself as tho representative of a patient and long-suffering peqple. He said that tho line had been promised by Mr. Mitchelson when he was a member, of.tho Atkinson Ministry, and by Mr: Hall-Jones when-he was Minister for Public' Works. ', ; Mr; J. Schlaeffer, representing; thfl , residents of Patumahoe, said that district was very closely settled. There, was a heavy cream traffic, and in certain seasons ' it was difficult to carry the goods over l\ the roads. ■ The Minister replied that he believed Cabinet, intended to bring down a Eailj ways Authorisation Bill this session. . From his superficial- konwledge of the ! country, he thought the proposed line 1 would be profitable, and ho thought it was very probable that the request would j be favourably considered by Cabinet. The j dejutation had made out a vory good case, and it the line was authorised, it i • .would then be possible to obtain surveys . and an estimate of the cost, so that next f session the Government could decide 5 whether an appropriation should be made to commence the construction. •