Page 1 Advertisements Column 3

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4631, 28 November 1923, Page 1

The recent discovery, by the officers of the Public Works Department, of a shorter route by 100 miles between the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay, is likely to upset plans in a. good many quarters (states the Whakatane Press). In the first place, the Railway Department will have trouble in fin ling passengers and frieght if the route by the big bend towards the East Coast is adhered to as proposed, for the tendency would be for passengers and consignees to use the easy graded motor road, when it is opened up, the Waimana River, and then down along the chain of lakes to Wnikaremoana and Wairoa. Again the Telegraph Department has under construtcion a trunk telephone line for long distance work, from Auckland, south through the Thames and Bay of Plenty to Hawke’p Bay, ■which is a fairly big undertaking, and includes a mile of submarine cable across Ohiwa harbour. The shortening of aerial by 100 miles and the elimination of a mile of cable, would save thousands of pounds to the department in construction and maintenance, besides giving service with better hearing between Auckland and Hawke’s Bay and intermediate stations. Perhaps the knowledge of this shorter route has some bearing on t lie persistent postponement of construction w'ork on the East Coast raiiwfay eastward of Taneatua bj’ the Public Works Department.