The Northern Trunk Railway

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 39, 13 September 1884, Page 2

The Northern Trunk Railway

AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

STRATFORD ROUTE ADVOCATED

(PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION,)

Auckland, This Day. The Chamber of Commerce has passed the following re the Trunk Bail way : — " That, in the opinion of this Chamber* the North Island Main Trunk Railway should be carried on with all possible expedition, and that the Government be requested to take steps for approval by Parliament of a line this session, in order that the one million loan, authorised by Act of 1882, may be at once raised for the purpose specified ; that this Chamber 13 definitely of opinion that the route via I Stratford-Preston line is the best in the interests of the colony, and claim with the utmost confidence — (I) That this route will develop a greater area of fertile, agricultural, and pastoral country than any other proposed" line, thereby rendering vast tracts of rich land easy of access that would not otherwise be available for settlement ; (2) facility would be given for the development of coal and other minerals known to exist along the western line; (3) that the cost of construction would be about £400 (?) less than the central line, and that the working expenses and net revenue must be largely in favor of the Stratford route; (4) that in the important matter of distance the Stratford line is actually shorter, and that the proposed Marton route can mean nothing less than shutting off the West Coast settlements from commercial relations with Auckland, thus diverting the whole trade elsewhere, while the Stratford line would leave Wellington a share of the West Coast trade." Wellington, This Day. The committee appointed for the pur- ; pose of enquiring into tne North Island railway are issuing summonses to a number of witnesses to give evidence before them.