PROSPECTIVE RAILWAY ROUTE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 February 1914, Page 3

PROSPECTIVE RAILWAY ROUTE.

MANGAPAI TO KAIWAKA,

VIA WAIPU,

A FEASIBLE PROPOSITION

STRONGLY SUPPORTED IN DISTRICTS CONCERNED.

" Do not be surprised if the following route for the Link Line is decided upon —Mangapai, via Ruakaka Valley to Waipu, thence to Kaiwaka."

The speaker was a we^ known settler of the Waipu district. .

. " But what about the proposed light line from Waipu to One Tree Point ?" quried a " Northern Mail " reporter. " Gone by the board," was the reply. " You see, it was this way," he went o.i, " Waipu wants an outlet badly —as a matter of fact the coasters can only get into our river now at spring tides. Well, the trouble is an old one, and that was the result of the One Tree light line proposal, a movement which the Ruakaka settlers joined in with, and the consummation of a desire that led to the establishment of the Wai-pu-Ruakaka railv/ay league. Of course at the time it was believed that we had no chance of the main arterial line or any of its links or branches coming our way, but the decision to take the connection from Kioreroa to Mangapai, a move which was afterwards backed up by a trial survey to Waipu through the Ruakaka Valley, has completely altered the, position. It was a case of the " half loaf," but now the " whole loaf " is materialising, and we are beginning to see things with a clearer geographical vision."

What is the .railway League's attitude ? >

Well, no official statement has been made as yet, but I know that some of the members quite realised that to bring the link line through Ruakaka and our district would be a splendid proposition, also a payable one. Waipu as a terminal point would be useless, and to ask a settler to travel from our township to Mangapai. thence to Tauraroa (the present suggested route) and back to a point opposite Waipu —about 50 miles in all —on' his way to Auckland, would be too absurd to receive consideration, Compare this with a route linking Waipu and Kaiwaka ! That would mean that we would have direct communication with both Auckland on the south, and Whangarei to the north, the latter point being 24 miles away and our nearest trading centre. There is at present strong influence at work to branch the-Main Trunk line from Kaiwaka to Pukekararao, where there is an unlimited supply of the best metal in the North, and which is shortly to be exploited by a big company. •

" The Minister of Public Works stated in Auckland that the light, line to One Tree Point was still in favour."

Publ'.o opinion our way is changing-in fact, the whole aspect of, things has changed. If we have a chance of connection— not in a roundabout way, of course —with the Main Trunk line, you can taka it for granted that we will work towards that end.

In conclusion he admitted that a very big question was opening up, and he added that the whole matter would be brought under the notice of the Premier on the occasion of his probable visit to Waipu in connection with the Diamond Jubilee gathering at an early date.