RAILWAY JUNCTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4402, 12 April 1922, Page 2

RAILWAY JUNCTION.

Railway junction projects at Paeroa, as far as the East Coast-Paerca-Auckland line is concerned, would appear to be somewhat premature, but still it is better, to discuss these matters too early than too late. The arguments in favour of the junction being near Mill Road, as put before the Minister of Lands and Acting-Minister of Railways (Hon. D. H. Guthrie) by the President of the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the Executive of the Chamber, are certainly worthy of weighty consideration, as are also the objections that have been expressed against the proposal. The main advantage of the southern junction, as against the northern one, necessitating a railway bridge near the Puke traffic bridge, is that with the southern junction there, would still be a chance of bringing the Ohinemuri River back to something like its old state of navigability, whereas a bridge near the Puke structure would mean that the passage of vessels past wharf would be blocked for all time.’ Hand in hand with this ment goes that submitted to the Acting-Minister of Railways by Mr Geo. Buchanan, who pointed out that if the navigability of the river were improved there would some day be warehouses and manufacturing concerns along the river bank in the borough area. These are certainly matters needing foresight and cool judgment in the safeguarding of such important commercial possibilities. On the other hand, it is considered by some people that the chances of the river being made navigable to such an extent as to compete more severely than ever with railway goods traffic are nil. It is also held that with a southern junction there must necessarily be a bridge over the river opposite Wharf or Hughendon streets, as otherwise the traffic from the northern end of the town would have to go all the way round by the Criterion bridge to get to the junction. And it is contended that the Borough of Paeroa would, have to shoulder the burden of the cost of such bridge. Furthermore. it is pointed out that all the new and substantial buildings are in the northern part of the town, and that, therefore, it would be better to bring the East Coast-Paeroa-Pokeno line through the town to a junction at the northern end, where it would serve the interests of the commercial community much better, and bring traffic right into the town proper instead of diverting it on the outskirts. The above are just a few. of the arguments pro and con, but they are sufficient to indicate that the subject needs very full and free discussion before being put before a Minister of th? Crown as the considered opinion of any substantial portion of the community. The “Gazette” is certainly not prepared either to support or to condemn the proposal until it has been subjected to much closer analysis, and the views thereon of representative citizens have been definitely stated.