THE EAST COAST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2157, 13 August 1907, Page 1

THE EAST COAST.

CLAIMS FOR RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. INTERVIEW WITH Mr. DeLAUTOUR.

“The proposed railway connection between Napier and Gisborne lias been discussed spasmodically during the last fifteen years,” said Sir. C. A DoLautour to a Gisborne Times representative. “When the line was being made between Napier and Welington, working from both ends, the proposition was first mooted, but the Napier people have never taken the question up whole-heartedly. Gisborne had a Railway League and the League's idea was always jn the first instance to develop the interior, our roads being so hopeless. Then the Government conceeded us a few miles of railway connecting Gisborne and Karaka, which was subsequently recognized as a main lino and called the Gisborne-Rotorua branch. Instead of striving to have the lino connected up, some inclination was then mani-

tested among tlio peoplo of Gisborne t) keep the good things to ourselves, with the trade centralised in Giborno, but on more mature consideration I don’t think that was seriously considered as practicable or desirable.” The reporter referred to the corresi>ondenco published in the Hawke’s Bay dailies. Mr. DeLautour explained that the subject was revised by Mr. Hill, with whom he had discussal! the question recently. It was quite correct, as Mr. Hill mentioned in this correspondence, that ,he had expressed an opinion that the time was ripe for an extension on the East Coast. He recognised that it wcnld take at least twelve months’ agitation befoi'e Parliament could be got to move in the matter. “By that time,” continued Mr. Deßautcur, “tho Main Trunk line will probably be near completion, arid the time will be opportune to press home the claims of the East Coast. The North Island has a very strong case in asking for the development of the East Coast. The West Coast has no better claim on tho country than tho East Coast, yet it has received all the attention. New Plymouth is within a day of Wellington, and there is no reason why Gisborne should not have the same advantage; tho distance mil permit it and possibilities of the country Justify the line.”

Mr. DeLautour in advocating the Napier-Gisborno connection does not look upon it as ill the slightest degree antagonistic to the Northern connection with Auckland. He considers that each is quite distinct from the othor, does not clash, and stands on different merits. There can be no difference of opinion thtat tho Northern lino must come eventually. “The magilificient tract of country .exetnding southwards from the Bay of Plenty right through the East Cape areas, must necessarily be developed fiom the Paeroa-AVaihi end,” Mr. DeLautour pointed out, “and this is recognised by all our public men, Mr. Herries in particular. Tho two schemes are not rivals.”

Incidentally Mr. DeLautour said lie could not understand why Napier does not make a raid on tlio splendid country; at Wairoa, and also open up the tourist traffic to Waikaremoana, where is situated one of tho greatest lakes in the colony, uniquely different from those in the South Island as it is surrounded by bush as .well as being in high country. Hawke’s Ray is one of the wealthiest parts of New Zealand, and there is nothing to prevent it, if its people choose, from lending the money to the Government to construct the line, exactly the same way as the Waihi people secured their line. No doubt-, he remarked, it was of greater magnitude, but the proportion to population would not be greater. As to the balance of. the . work, that would not bo a serious matter for tho Government. “Why, the money Gisborne is proparel to. expend in its harbor ; experiment would complete the line. “Apart altogether from any -private enterprise, such as is referred to in the case of .Waihi, the North Island has a perfectly sound claim on the colony for such a railway,” the interviewed gentleman continued, “I

have given up much hope of Auckland public men over doing much. Though iv.' have been agitating for the last fifteen years, or thereabouts, until last year Auckland hardly raised its voice, and the public men there seem t) be pulling in different directions. If we rely too much upon Auckland, wo may be in the same position as the Israelites who called on Pharoah and found him a broken reed. . If Wellington and Hawke’s Bay determ-

inedly work for tlio extension northwards, no doubt they would seo it through.” The complete East Coast railway, in the speaker’s opinion, would be cpiite as much a main line, as the West Coast line to New Plymouth. For through traffic of course the central line would be the quicker route, but it traverses much poor country. Tin secondary object of a railway, and most important commercially, is to open up and settle productive country, so the East Coast line would be a valuable asset. “There is no better country in the

North Island,” Mr. DeLautour declared, with respect to the. greater part of the route. On the south sido, the great value would lie in the neighbourhood of Wairoa and inland from Wairoa towards Waikarcmoana, and north to Mahia Peninsula and

Nuhaka. Further north., in his opinion, the country by the inland Waiapu route to the East Caj)c, and inland from Tuparoa for 50 miles and along the coast to Capo Runaway, would justify the creation j of any railway, “No railway in Now Zealand would have hotter justification by the country it traversed,” he do.dared, “I know both Islands intimately and there is nothing to surpass it. . Otago, and South Canterbury do not compare with it. I. don’t know tho route of. the Midland railway, ] but I have no reason to suppose it is any, bettor;” j Tho newspaper representative drew attention to the statement made at Napier by Mr, McMillan, the Government road engineer, who said “The line would be- something like 140 miles long, and would cost, at a rough estimate, about £BOOO a mile, or a total of £1,120,00(1. • This of course, is only guesswork, as I have not gone into the figures sufficiently t} render it a reliable estimate.” “We don’t want a line te cost us £BOOO a mile,” ‘ commented Mr.

DeLautour. “I hope the Dejiartment wil! como to its senses about the extravagant cost of railway construction, and adopt some cheaper method.

This has been advocated hero for many years by Mr. White, of Tiniroto; lie, with with engineering knowledge, advocated that some use' should b i made of the roads for railway purposes. Sinco Mr. White’s agitation an immense step forward has been made in scientific discoveries. The gyroscope monorail system, I particularly refer to,, which, many believe is going to revolutionise the railway development- of the colonies. It is not a fad of an unknown man, but the work of the man lirennan, who invented the famous torpedo. Of course, I am not saying this will be -the solution of cheapening our railways, but it- illustrates what an ample field there is for colonial engineers to work upon to develop some system of construction far cheaper than we have had in the past and probably more suitable for our needs.

“Sir Joseph Ward lias let drop some hints that would lead one to hopo he is going to inspire the Public Works Department with some ideas on cheapening railway construction by the adoption of different methods. I believe that system will

bo the ultimate solution of the extension of our own ICnrnka railway to AVaiapu to the north, and Motu and Taliora. with Karaka as the point for branches, or ‘feeders’.” Have these bandies ever been advocated ? “No,” replied Mr. DeLautour, “There lias been an impression that some scheme of the kind wquld leeeivo .Departmental approval, hut locally a fear has rather been expressed that anything of this nature would weaken the" extension of the main

lino. At the pace the line, is proceeding now.” he laughingly added, “il would not- be very material if it weakened a bit.” In his opinion the suggestion made by the “Napier Telegraph,” to the effect that t'lio Midland line construction would effectually block the East Coast railway from being undertaken. was not very weighty. “T

have never understood Sir Joseph Ward to make any statement that VO fresh work would he undertaken until that line was finished,” Mr. Der.autour said, “and even if he lias done so, statements of this kind by public men are always open to reconsideration when reasonable requests are advanced.”

The possibility of the district’s timber resources being an additional argument for tlie line, was suggested by the Times reporter. Mr. DeLautour, however, did not rely to any extent upon this as an argument. In practice it rarely happened that the quality of timber accessible to any given point “panned out” to correspond with the estimates made beforehand. This applied to general timber —of course there wore some exceptions like the totara forests in the north and the Kauri areas. There was said to bo very valuable timber in the Motu, which Mr. Whim-ay f had so loyally advocated. In Mr. .Delumtour’s opinion timber should only be regarded as a minor accessory; the line was justified by the value of the country for settlement. If there were large tracts of timber all the better.”

Seeing that Mr. DeLautour has been in tonch with the railway movement for .-.many years, the reporter asked him liis view of the public opinion in this district. “There is practically no feeling whatever,” Mr. DeLautour replied. “It is hardly fair to call it public opinion. But undoubtedly there has beei‘. an opinion that somehow or other we shall be ablo to centralise the trade of this district here, and that anything in the way of tapping the district from the outside would do us harm. That idea does not commend itself to mo as either reasonable, practicable or desirable.”

Asked as the best means to adopt in the agitation for extension, Mr. Dejiautour pointed out that we are only a small population and cannot dj very much more than in the past. To he influential it would be necessary to foster a well sustained movement at Wellington and Napier in t’n south and at Auckland in the north. “If the North Island members stood together,” he remarked, “there is no reason whatever why the East Coast should not be developed from Napier to Paeroa. within a reasonable number of years. The North Island population is in excess of the South Island ; its membership i* stronger; its public men are quite as able; all that is needed is united action where the public interests imperatively demand it, and the sink; ing of minor political differences In that way, and that way only, will the North Island ever make the progress it deserves. This is rather an arrogant statement, but I have pondered over the subject for a long time, and believe that is the true position.”

Reverting to the financial position, Mr DeLautonr said that if the people interested were prepared to lend the Government money it would pave the way; it would pay very well to do so. On the other hand it is a colonial matter; the colony is growing richer every year; its capacity for public expenditure is increasing; the claims of the North Island are more patent every year, and the strength of the North Island to oarr.v out what it reasonably demands is more assured every year owing to the growth of its population. Nothing but some coio-

ilia 1 set-back that we cannot foresee will prevent the fair development of the North Island and the Bast Coast. Another phase touched upon by Mr DeLaiitour was the effect on the values of Crown and native land. “The native land must be alienated,” he opined, “and if it were enhanced in value by public works development could bear some share of the burden. Of course it was not within the scope o! the Native Land Commission to consider this question, but there is no doubt millions of acres will be doubled in value by the railway, and I might justly hear some share of t-lie cost.?!