THE EAST COAST RAILWAY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1711, 30 March 1906, Page 1

THE EAST COAST RAILWAY

STATEMENT BY MR HALL-JONEB TRIAL SURVEY TO BE MADE. The Hon, W.Hall-J ones, Minuter f r Pablio Works, having now seen the greater portion of the district between Mameku and Te Puko, I (a New Zealand Herald representative) interviewed him at Rotorua on Saturday with regard tohisimpreaeioDS generally. He said the district was very much better than be bad expected to find it His experience of this part of Auckland province had net hitherto extended beyond.Rotorua, and he was very much surprised to find Buoh magnifioent country as the Te Puke district.. He was much impressed by its- possibilities. Tho coun try he bad come through on Thursday and Friday was one of the most widely settled districts in the colony so far ahead of a railway/ Thero was a great belt of that rich land so eminently suited to maizegrowing, fruit culture, aud other forms of industry—the .belt extending from the Papamoa Hi-ls. to. tho sea, a distaDco of over twenty miles, and from behind Mamaku to Te Poke—and he onsidered these facts pointed to great, possibilities, and one oould realise the grear di°advantages that suoh a district must labor under in the absence of rai ■ way communication, He bad been astonished and delighted with tho Te Puke country. Hitherto he thought it was only a small patch of land instead'of, as he found, suoh a long wide belt of rioh soil, and he understood that good country went right down beyond Opotiki, inoluding ' Matata district. It wbb indeed satisfactory to find suoh good country, and he was sure it had a great future before it. The engineering staff had a pressure of work on hand'at present, but he was goiDg to. have a good trial BUtvey made, and an eatima'e of the oost of a railway prepared. He would, np.t s.ay anything at present about placing the East Coast of Auokland railway on the list of authorised lines; but, baviDg regard tor.the impression the district had made npon Mr Hall Jones’ mind, and the fact that is really ,no other diatrioti in ‘the ooldny bo widely and suooessfully,settled: bo. far' ahead of railway construction, there seems every reason for the' 'settlers ip. the district to hope that their railway l will be found on the list of authorised lines.