THE WAIUKU RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2323, 3 December 1914, Page 6

THE WAIUKU RAILWAY

PISTpRY OF THE LINE APPROVED BY ALL PARTIES ' REPLY TO ALLEGATIONS? [ A well-known resident of Waiuku, Mr., A. M. Bnrriball, writes to' the ' Auckland 'Beraid".—An endeavour is ) being made to prejudice tho interests .. of the Prime Minister in his own electorate and throughout the Dominion ■ by allegations that the construction of the branch railway from, the main line ' to Waiuku 'is a piece of political job- ' bery designed for the personal advanL tago of, tho Prime Minister and some of >. his supporters. As a matter of : fact, ' this railway enterprise originated 30 p/ years ago, long before Mr. Mnsscy en- ■ tered Parliament as tho representative of Waiteinata. The identical project is ; mentioned by the engineer-in-chicf, Mr. John Blaokett, in his annual report'at- '.' tached to the Public Works Statement . of 1885. "A 6urvey has been made,". ;: the report states, "of the proposed i branch railway from Piikekohe to Wai- . uKu.. ,It commences at the Paerata i Station on the main line and terminates at the Waiuku township ; the total distance being 12 miles 5 chains." In his report of the following year the engitieer-in-chief , reported that "the survey of this line has been completed. , '.. Views of Past Ministers. ; The proposed railway was warmly approved by the Hon. E. Mitche'lson,' then Minister of Public "Works, and the settlers understood that its construction would shortly be authorised. The work'was, however, delayed by the defeat of Sir Harry Atkinson's .Ministry. The value of the railway has always been recognised, and a promise was given by Sir William Hall-Jones, when of Public Works, to a deputation , , which he received in Wellington, that the line would be included in Iris next Authorisation Bill. His departure to assume the position of High Commissioner in London prevented the fulfilment. of his undertaking, hut the project was regarded with equal favour by his successor ; the Hon. H.. M'Kenzie. During a visit to the district, Mr. M'Kenzie was entertained at' a banquet in Waiuku, and on that, occasion' declared x tliat as soon as Ihe Main Trunk railway was completed, favourable consideration, would bo given to fcho claims, made for the Waiuku branch, explaining that the construction of- this line was delayed onlr by tho condition of the Public Works' Fund... Shortly before last election, Sir Joseph AVard visited Waiuku, reaching the, township on the 'evening of November 23. % During his reply to the welcome given by the. residents, Sir Joseph Ward declared, that he had always approved the proposed railway, as reference to Hansard would show, and ■thai as,soon as the money was available the construction of,the line would bo authorised. '.-.'" ' -. /, The Scheme Commended. Equally emphatic . commendation to tho scheme was given by Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. M'Kenzie during the debate in the House'of Representatives on November 5, .1912, on the Railways Authorisation Bill, introduced by the Hori. W. Fraser, providing'for the Waiuku and other railways. Aec'ordug to the. Hansard report, the Hoii. R. M'Keuzie stated: "Though tho Waiuku railway is'iu'the Pririie Minister's district,- I do'not call that a political railway—in fact, if I had been stll' at the head of the Department it would have been authorised this session. . It will traverse a lot of excellent land which is closely settled, and I am satisfied that the lino will pay the country for its construction,- In point of fact, it would probably have been made some years ago, but for the necessity of financing other more urgent and important railways that, were under construction." . Sir J.pseph Ward added his endorsement hi ; the following words':—"l congratulate the Prime Minister upon having -the Waiuku railway, which will run through a good district, and personally I. shall support it. I really do not know How far my support may be necessary, but I do. not want the Minister of Finance to block , ,it ,witli his' railway."' The latter reference was, of course, _to a. proposed railway in the Bruce district. These statements are surely convincing proof that Sir Joseph Ward and the responsible members of hie party are fully satisfied that the AVaiuku railway is a genuine work of development for the benefit of the Dominion., ; '.•■■;.-' The Last Survey. The allegation designed to injure the private reputation of Mr. Massey is that a now survey has oeen made with tie ohject.-of enhancing the value of the Helvetia ostrich farm. I have lived in the; Wsiiuku district for's4 years, and am sufficiently conversant with the facts to contradict this slander without qualification. The route fixed by the original survey, mentioned in Mr. Blackett's report, passed tirough the . middle of the property which now forms the ostrich farm, and had the railway been constructed along that route, 'the value of the farm might have been increased. However, a new route has been adopts ed, as reference to the report for 1913 J of. the engineer-in-chief, Mr. R. W. Holmes, will show. He then stated that "six and a half miles of tho old survey have been revised" and "trial surveys to locate the most favourable route have been put! in hand." Since that report was written, the'surveys have'been completed and the construction of the line begun. The selection of the route was entrusted solely' to the engineers, arid the work has been done by Mr. Hall-Jones, a son of the former Minister of Public Works. Instead of crossing' the ostrich farm, as the original route did, the lino merely cuts off one corner, and the coustructiown of the-line will not enhance the value of , the farm by one farthing, for no , part of the property will have a more accessible point of communication with the railway than the existing main line station at Paerata. This statement should boa complete answer to the wild charges against Mr. Massey, but if the Opposition Party is not satisfiod, will Sir Joseph Ward, come to Waiuku and publicly condemn the railway as a political job manipulated by Mr. Massey for the profit of himself and his friends?