PROPOSED RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1584, 30 October 1912, Page 12

PROPOSED RAILWAYS.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. [BY AEGUS.] Te Awamutu to Putaruru: About 30 miles. Route presents no engineering difficulties. It would serve to open up thousands of acres of present waste lands, aud would give access to a vast amount of excellent road metal, "is reduction in present distances, resultant upon the construction of this proposed railway, would bo:—WellingtonJßotonia 40 miles, Auckland-Rotorua 10 miles. To Awamutu to Kawhia: Distanco

about 40 miles, passing through rich pastoral country which, if properly developed, would be capable of great output. It would servo to give access to best harbour on West Coast of tho North Island. Kawhia Harbour is about 200 miles nearer Sydney, than Auckland or Wellington. In no part of the Dominion are greater possibilities, offered by the construction of railways. Te Awamutu, owing to its geographical situation, is admirably situated as a junction for branch railways. Its back country is second to none in the whole of the Dominion, and is capable of yielding a great return to settlers. Its development is retarded owing to the lack of a ready means of communication. Metalled roads are indeed scarce, ond as metal is not "getatablo" the only solution of this important national problem—tho development of agricultural lands—reste in construction of railways.

Proposed Putaruru Railway: Some 80 miles distant, over a route which presents no engineering difficulties, is Putaruru. The present railway route places 70 miles between Te Awamutu and Putaruru, so that, by the construction of this railway, a. saving in distance between Wellington and Rotorua of JO miles would be effected. The lino would pass through Kihikihi town district (population 300), touch on the Wnikerea Prison Reformatory, and the Tokanui Mental Hospital (about five miles distant), a block of f>ooo acres, acquired by tho Government on which to provide accommodation in' connection with its proposal to centralise the Mental Hospital and Prison Reformatory systems, and where ,£25,000 is now being expended upon the preliminary buildings. It would (ouch on the Whareptihanga block (2-1,000 acres), Tautari Settlement (17,000 acres), crossing: the Wnikalo River at Waotu, about ten miles distant from Putaruru. I'or about five miles only along this route are the roads in any degree formed. The rest of the distance is traversed only over clay tracks, only too mnny miles of which are fit only lor pack-horse. At a very low estimate this railway would bo the means of 'developing 350,000 acres of rich agricultural land, all of which is capable of a very vast output, once its possibilities are fully availed of. At about equidistant from Te Awamutu and Putarurn is a very valnablc deposit of metal. This proposed line would touch on this locality, and the opening of quarries at this point would do much to solve the problem of reading the back districts. On a comparison of distances between tho present and prospective routes Hio Te AwamuluI'litnruru railway commends ifself. It is of paramount importance to the traveller visiting New Zealand's wonderInnil— Hotoruo-- hf n saving of rli»to,n«> must necessarily msaa & sarins °*

WELLINGTON TO BOTORUA. Miles. Present route:— Wellington-Frankton Jn 341 Frankton-Hotorua 86 127 Proposed route:— ' Wellington-Te Awamutu 320 Tc Awnimitu-Putaruru 80 '' Putaruru-Rotorua 31 387 Saving in distance 40 AUCKLAND-ROTORUA. Miles. ' Present route 171 Proposed route:— Auckland-Te Awamutu 100' Te Awamutu-Putaruru 80 Putaruru-Eotorua .' 31 161 Saving in distance 10 Kawhia railway: Politicians for many years have- realised the desirability of linking up Kawhin. with tho Main Trunk railway, and it is now only a matter of comparatively little time when this railway will become ttn accomplished fact. , That this railway will junction at To Awamutu seems assured. Tho coach mail route is from Te Awamutu, it being the best and most advantageous route. The country for tho greater part is closely settled. Further settlement is retarded owing to the lack of a ready means of access to tho markets so necessary for tho well-being and progress of the producer. It has cost many a settler a gTeater sum for cartage of fertilisers to his holding than the cost of the material in. the first instance. Under euch conditions the Dominion's staple industry must suffer, and each succeeding Government realises that the Kawhia branch railway is in no wise a luxuy,, but. a very evident necessity. Kawhia Harbour is the only harbour on tho West Coast of the North Island where overseas communication can be established. It is deep enough at all times to make intercolonial and international shipping possible. As a ready outlet for tlie produce of the central districts of the North Island the utilisation of this harbour would be an incentivo to a greater output because of tho ready and speedy conimunication provided. The distauce . is about id miles, and the construction of this proposed railway presents but little difficulty froni an engineering standpoint. It would pass through Mnngapiko Settlement,' Pirongia. Township (300. inhabitants), Te Rau-a-moa, and Oparau Settlements, and on to Kawhia, and would serve to tap fully 500,000 acres.

The average mill; production per cow in Ureal Britain is 55001b.,- and 43701b. for ench cow and heifer. At, 3.5 por cent, alone this gives an average butter return of 111251b. and 1531b. The basis of all improvement in dairy herds is the bull, and a farmer should 'pay well for a good one. ■ Hay caps made of canvas (0 inches square, with a J-.W.. woight tied to eacli corner by a string (i-8 inches long, are being Übed in .America to protect tho lucern<l hpy t'l'UW l'i>iu UUll RUU while cuiljUSi

The personal equation counts for just as much, on the land as in a town business. A farmer needs energy, ability, pluck, and, aboYO all, common 6eiise.

Japan purchases more sulphate of ammonia from Great Britain than any other single article. The loss of nitrogen from stable manure may be diminished by covering it with a thin layer of earth.

Tho cost of keeping a cow in Northern New York, based on returns from ten different herds, ranges from £9 lo Jill per annum, and the yiold-vnluo per cow from .£8 to .CIS. Diseases of stock arise- from improper fcod, impure water, poor sanitary conditions, over-work, or lack of work. All these are controllable by tho owner of the stock. One of the elements of farm success is the proper organisation of the work, mi Hint tnott and hoi'scj are used with .the Kieatwt tiwnomi.