WAIAPU RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1537, 19 August 1905, Page 2

WAIAPU RAILWAY.

ROADS VERSUS RAILWAY.

In their reply to the Cook County Oounoil re a light ratlwau from Te Karaka to Waiapu Valley, the Waiapu County Council fefrained at the present time from identifying itself with the proposal, and deolinod to 00-pperate in preparing data to lay before a publio meeting. Though fully alive to the advantages generally to be derived from the construction of rail-

ways, the Waiapu Council doubted if the traffic to be expected on the line would justify its construction at present. The agitation would tend to divert publio attention from more practical requirements, The most pressing needs of the countv at present were the construction of roads and the opening up of its large areas of unused native lands. The roads most urgently required were along the coast, from the interior to the shipping piaoes, and the oonneotion from the Waiapu Valley to Hick’s Bay. The railway oould not possibly take the place of any of these. As far as the question of settlement of native land was concerned, practically the whole of the unused areas were in the northern part of the oounty, beyond the Waiapu river, and it was not suggested to carry the line to that part of the district. The railway, therefore, even if constructed would fail to meet the most pressing of presont requirements. Again, the authors of the proposal did not appear to have given sufficient consideration to the difficulties, or to have taken care to ensure the accuracy of assertions made. It was very j improbable that a line would be built at £2OOO a mile over such country, bb stated, and there was scarcely 50 acres of milling bush within ten miles of either side of the line during tho whole distance it would traverse in the County. In the absence of a definito scheme, it was reasonable to assume that tbo mouey would •have to be providod from one of turce sources, private enterprise, local governing bodies, or the Government, and the Waiapu Counoil could not sse that there would bo sufficient prospoot of traffio to induce private investors to go into the scheme. The looal bodies certainly could not afford the means, and if the scheme were adopted by tne Government, judging from the rate of progress usually attained, it would take over 20 years for the line to reach Waiapu. If one fourth of the money which the lino would oost to construct and equip were spent in forming and metalling tho district roads, an infinitely greater benefit would accrue.to the settlers,