THE MOKAU ROUTE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 44, 19 January 1884, Page 3

THE MOKAU ROUTE.

-An old' Rangitikei settler, at present residing m the Hawera district, writes ia» follows :—^-A short time since, boing ■ on a visit to New Plymouth, I met Mr Carkeek, and had a chat with him about the proposed Mokau route for the trunk railway. I obtained the following information from him, which will doubtless be interesting to many of your readei's : — A good deal of the country consists of cliffs seven hundred feet high, mixed up with a lot of streams at the bottom of the ravines with cliffs running* up from them two hundred and three hundred feet. To make a railway would require a succession of tunnels through the hills, and bridges and viaducts^ across the: oreeks. The ranges are covered with black birch, a wood, as you know, al-, most useless. He only saw seven totara trees all the ; time he was; out.' Tins is a contrast to Mr Rocfhefort's splendid block of., twenty thousand acres. His idea is that the, railjvay must go by the central route, ; the other being impracticable. It was because he held the opinions, and could ] not alter this country which the Almighty had made, that the people of; Taranaki said he ought to be discharged Now, Mi Carkeek is one of the surveyors m the colony, and quite equal ; to Mr Rochefort for this particular 'par 1 - ! pose. So far as the land contiguous to theproposedlineisconcerned, he values it at — what do you think ?- one shilling for a 'million acres ! It took him ten dnys with picked men to go 15 miles. There is no doubt that the Taranaki and Auckland people are going to move heaven and earth to get the Mokau route adoptpd, and the advocates of the central line will have to take advantage of everything m its favour. Look how quickly a number, of surveyors are sent up at the wish of the Tarauaki people I Jf a surveyor is wanted for auy other work, what a long time it takes tq get even one, ' the department being so fully occupied /" I think; that when the House meets Mr Roohefort and. Mr Carkeek should be examined by commission, and that the results of their examination should bepublished and sent broadcast through i> the colony. There is no doubt that, if the Mokau route is adopted, ifc wilj , be one of the grossest aud moat glaring political jobs ever perpetrated this side the, line. The public throughout the ' colony - r should. be well informed on the subject, and let their voice be plainly heard.