EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 187, 8 October 1906, Page 3

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

- AN AUCKLAND DEPUTATION. STATEMENT BY MR HALL JONES

(Special to Times); Welling r on, s ■<t ard ".y, A deputation consiatsec; of r«preson'S' ivcs of the Auckland lv ■ I■’ wr»> a Lo ’guu and the Waibi, Pasroa and Id '.y of Plenty districts, waitod upon Hie Minister for Pnblio Wo'ks in connection with thn proposed East Coast Railway between Auck land and Gisborne. 'lh’rj were present Messrs G. L, Peacocks (chairman cf the Auckland Railways Lesgu-) M A, Clark (a mtmber of tbs above ieagce), Gil mcnr, D Donald.-on and Nowth (Waibi), S. N. Westney (Whakatano and Opotiki oouDties.) The deputation was introduced by Mr F- E. Baumo, M.H R., and several other Auckland membets wore pres n f . Mr Peacocke said there were about 21,000 European settlers wbioh might bs easily inoreasr d to 100,000 between Kati kali and Mr to Btid Kaiaka. There were rioh Crown and ut t vo lands all the way and in rrgard to the la'trr thn p-es»nt difficulty in respect to such lands might bo got over by charging them on the betterment principle with a percentage of the added value given by the railway. He did not wish to prejudge the question of routes, but he pointed out that a con' neetion between Gisborne and Auckland via Waihi, Paeroa, and Pokeno would represent 262 miles of additional line whilst the connection via Opotiki and Rotorua would mean ISI miles of con-

struetion. When the tine was completed, however, the total distance between Gis-. borno and Auckland would bo only Sid miles by the former, as against 1152 miles by the latter route. The first mentioned routo would tap the whole of the East Coast districts, and as soon as Waihi was reached (necessitating 218 miles to make), connection with Auckland would be established via Te Aroha, thus entailing a journey only seven miles longer than via Opotiki and Rotorua. What was now desired was exploration and survey work necessary to determine the question of route, and the placing of the railway route on the list of authorised works. They did not ask for a vote at present. Mr Herries : Except for the continual tion from the Gisborne end.

Mr Peacocks: Yes, of ooorss they wanted that. He also spoke of the isolated position of Poverty Bay and its difSoulty of aosess by water. Messrs Donaldson, Gilmour, and Newth referred to the large and growing popnla' tion of Watbi, and the benefit that would aoorne to that town and the Bay of Plenty district by the railway being made by way of Waihi, Katikuti, TuuraDga, and Opotiki. Mr Westnoy spoke of the importance of Ihe work to the counties of Wbakatane and Opotiki, the centre of whiob was about 80 miles from the nearest railway sta ion, although they had been settled for aboat 140 year?. He was sorry the Gis borne representative bad not come down to j lin the deputation, Mr Hall-Jonea : They have taken some of the members up there to show them the importance, I suppose, of pushing on the line from that end, That is a very good idea. Mr Herries: But the Gisborne deputation wib be coming down eventually. Mr Towsley (now of Wellington), as the late chairman of the Auckland R.ilway League, said ho bad noi the slightest hesitation in askiog the Minister to allooato a very considerable amount of money for the continuation of the line from the Gisborne end toward Opctki, He would also like to see something done towards a commencement from Opotiki towards Gisborne, Waihi, and Opotiki, and he urged that the line Bbonld be started right away, and then make a start towards the completion of an East Coast truck railway.system between Gisborne, Napier, and Wellington. Mr Heke strongly supported the construction of this “ great eastern” line, and Mr Baume assured the Minister of the eympatby of every member of the Auckland province with the report of the deputation.

THE MINISTER’S REPLY. Mr Hall-Jonee, in replying, said be realised that the East Coast distriot was capable oi great development, bat be would like to get seme information from bis .own offioers.- At present he had got extensive end rather difficult survey works on band from Gis borne towards Opotiki, and alio in oonneotion with tbe Helensviile north" ward line, Qe bad also promised one or two other surveys in the Auckland province, and these promises of coarse must be fulfilled before any other sutvoys were undertaken. In oonnection with the East Coast lioe, tbe first thing to be done was to get a preliminary report from ao experienoed officer oo tbe probable cost of tbe work by the alternative routes. They mast of ooarse consider which route would be most convenient to rattlers generally, and which would give the be <b return. As soon as he could spare an officer ho would obtain a preliminary report on the alternative route prior 10 undertaking any eurvejs. The report would em'oraos the description of the country, however, as well as tbe probable cost.