The Railway Route.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 170, 16 June 1884, Page 2

The Railway Route.

MR MITOHELSON'S REPORT. [Special Correspondent Auckland Herald.] There is no longer any room whatever for doubt as to the route Mr Mifcchelson recommends for the North Island trunk line. In a former telegram it was stated positively that it would not be the coast route, Uut the Minister's words, on which that telegram was based, left a doubt M'liether it would be the central route, asrordinai Uy understood. It is now known it will not be the central route, as ordinally understood. Is is now known it will not be the central route striking inland southward of Wanganni, but a line considerably differcut, and joining the preseut Southern line at Stratford. The route Mr. Mitchelson recommends will start from Tc Awamutn and run io To Uira, about four miles north of Te Kuiti, and 25 miles from Avnmnta. From Te Uira it runs to Mokauiti, a place not shown on most maps, which is 55 miles south of Te Awamutn, then-kpcping to the eastward of the high Mokau country, and" running about midway between J,ako Taupo and the West Coast. The lines follow the direction of the Tnhua Valley until where the Wanganui River turns suddenly to the southeast}; from where the railway line will continue south-westward till it debouches at Stratford at the back of Mount Egmont. The line therefore will practically run through the whole length of the King Country, but from the Upper Mokau instead of trending to the West Coast, and so co Waitara, it takes a central, direction, and runs parallel to the line formed by the western comer of Taupo, Tongariro and Ruapehu, and as nearly as may be half way between that line and cost line. A glance at a map, especially if it shows Mokauiti, will make the course quite clear. Drawing a line from Te Awaumtu to Wellington, it will be seen that the proposed route will not be the moat direct possible, as such line would strike inland from Wanganui and run to about jMokaniti, "whereas tho course followod will make a bend m the direction of" Egmont, and the point, Stratford, will be as the apex of an obtuse angled triangle, of which the line Wanganui to Mokauiti is the base. The course taken will virtually connect Taranaki and Auckland, though not m so direct * linn as by .the route up the terribly mountainous Mokau country. All the reports of the engineers on the several routes are m print, They state emphatically that the West Coast route would traverse a large amount of rough an. I broken country, where the land is poor and generallyworthless. They all agree m opposing that route. Mr Mitchelson's line has t'»e merit of traversing good land all the way fidm Te Awamatu' to Stratford, though some of it is heavily timbered. Taking Te Kuiti as a centre, there is a radius of twenty-five miles of rich open land, the edge of which would reach Mokauiti. From there to Stratford the' land is all of high class, especially at the Stratford end, but there is much timber. The line taken will open up the coal country from Mokauiti southward, samples of the coal having been bvought to Wellington. Mr Mitchelson's report will create ihe greatest interest here, and is of enormous importance. It may be mentioned that Mr Mitchelson's re-r. port will appear m his own exact language, and unencumbered . by engineering technicalities. He has formed his judgement on the most ■mature consideration, based on ocular 'inspection; of all the routes, andhe is prepared to uphold and adhere to his chK>issn against any opponents.