KAWHIA- NAPIER RAILWAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 482, 13 July 1912, Page 5

KAWHIA- NAPIER RAILWAY.

MINISTERIAL REPLY. In pursuance of the decision arrived at by the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce to advocate an East and West Trunk railway for the purpose of opening up the large extent of undeveloped country in the centre of the North Island, an outline of the project was suggested to the then Prime Minister, the Hon. T. Mackenzie. The matter was referred to the Minister for Public Works and the following reply has been received by Mr Mostyn Jones, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce: —

"In reply to your memo, of June 6th, forwarding a communication received by you from the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, advocating the construction of a line of railway from Kawhia harbour, through Te Kuiti to Taupo and on to Napier, I have to state that I have consulted the engin-eer-in-chief, who is acquainted with most of the country which 'would have to be traversed by the suggested railway, and he expresses the opinion that the line would be a difficult and expensive one to construct, while "the traffic likely to be carried over tne greater portion of its length would not for many years to come be anything like sufficient to make the line a profitable one in operation. The best portion of the country adjacent to the suggested route is that between the Main Trunk line and Kawhia, and will probably be served by the construction at some future date of a branch from the projected main line between Mangaroa and Hangatiki, but even this main line has not yet been authorised. lam advised that the only practicable route for railway communication between Te Kuiti and Taupo would be a branch from a point on the Main Trunk line near Poro-o-tarao, keeping to the high country from that point to Taupo.—W. D. S. MacDONALD."