RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1970, 4 January 1907, Page 2

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Si AMAK U-TE PUKE SURA r EY COMiAIENCED.

(N.Z. Herald.).

Ihe trial survey of the proposed railway between Mamaku, on the Kotorua line, and To Puke, on the liay or. Plenty coast, has been commenced, and the woric is to be gone on with speedily, so that prior to the opening of Parliament, and in all probability ere the next visit to Auckland of the ‘Minister for Public Porks (the Hon. \V. Hall-Jonesh tno surveyors reports on the projected route will be in his hands. The route of the proposed line follows a natural and easy grade from Mamaku, which is 158 miles from Auckland, down to the old and wellsettled district ol Te Puke, a distance of from 25 to 30 miles. Nature almost seems to have specially dosigned this country for a railwav route, as one grout loading spur nns right from Mamaku to Te Puke, and a line woidd have a grade of 1 jn .30 at the most, with no cuttings or embankments of any note more than would be necessary to regulate small surface undulations, and without a budge until tile Waiari stream is reached. The Mangaorowa River would be missed altogether, its course u ‘ a deep valley to the right of this leading spur. Moreover, it. is Staten by engineers that a railway 1 lom Mamaku right, down to Taillanga would cost £3OOO per mile it a good estimate for earthworks and m'un/vs -° lunation, so that with £.IOOO per mile for rails, sleepers ballast, etc., tile line could ho expected to cost under £GOOO per mile, whereas the average cost per mile of in New Zealand is XoOOO. The le Puke district is exceptionally rich country; its higher slopes are all of beautiful soil, while its vast swamp lands along the water 11 out have.some of the richest areas in a province noted for fertile soils and tb-3 country will pioduce in abundance any product of the soil that can be grown m New Zealand —fruits, root crops, flax, rich pasture, oats, wheat, or maize, and tlieie is no finer ihurving country is Auckland. Then again the hue would tap vast areas of splendid timber. Over .7000 fat cattle are s»l.t out of the neighborhood of To 111 per annum, and an average of 3000 acres of turnips are grown tor stock. The country is eminently ariaptoa for close settlement, and Horn the great ridge of the Paparoa range, which runs behind Te Puke ami Taunuiga, there is a grand reach of 20 miles of splendid land, widening out to 30 miles and over, between Maketu and Matata, and then from Mamaku to Tauranga there are some -vi miles ot very rich country Tim proposed line would jrive an e-jsi('r communication with the East Coast i r. v 1 fcnty districts, until the i.ast Coast system is completed via Mercer, .1 aerpu, and Tauranga. Co nstruction works are proceeding on the Gisborne to Gpotiki line, and if the U . Pu.ce hue is taken along to Opai.M, railway cominunieation with the whole of tlie East Coast will i H . gained, and wdl serve good purpose until such time as the Mercer to 1 a cron to Tauranga line is made, wl.ieb, of course, is the ical East Coast route. Te P„ke will become undoubtedly, the market garden for Rotorua, supplying the touiist ros.nt with fruit, l.utter, vegetables, poultry, eggs, meat. etc. .iu an interview at the time of bis u M n t° t,lu district, the Hon, \V Hall-3 ones Staled to a Herald representative that the Tauranga and Te I like district was one of the moat v idclv settled >n the colony so far ahead of a railway, and be saw great possibilities in the country for close settlement. He bad been surprised arm delighted to find such a m-eat stretch of rich land, and had decided to have a trial survey made and an estimated cost cf a line from Mamaku to le Puke prepared for Parliament. Ino survey now commenced is the outcome of that tour of the Minto pressure of work tin. riddle Works engineering staff has been unable till now to undertake the work, but having regard to the impression Abe district made on the Minister’s mind, there scorns every reason for the settlers to hope, provided the survey, report is favorable that the Mamaku-Te Puke line will be on the list of uuthoiised railways jpext session 1