THE CENTRAL ROUTE.

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

THE CENTRAL ROUTE.

Elsewhere will be found some very impoftant^inlbrmation with re ference to the central railway route to Auckland which (he Wellington cor respondent of the Auckland Herald has by some means managed to *• fossick out," though it was generally understood that no information would be given as to the tenor of the report until it was laid before JParliainent, and the Herald has probably obtained it through the inability of one of the Ministers to keep a secret. According to the information sup plied to the Northern journal Mr JVIiTCHELSOjf will .ask Parliament to sanction a double- line, or rather a line having a large loop with the double portion converging into a single line at the north end at Te Kuiti, and at the southern end at Marton. The western of the two lines will really only go as far as Stratford, near Mount Egmont, bub the completion of the loop will be effected by the line already constructed. The report emphatically condemns what is known aa ihe "coastal route, the Minister being of opinion that a ccast route and a trunk lino are contradictious m terms, a trunklino- implying opening up inkud country. If Parliament will not sanction the double line, the cost of which is estimated at £2,422,000, the report is m favour of one line from Te Awamutu to Stratford. The proposed line from Te A wamutu to Stratford would be 148 miles long, and the estimated cost is L 1,022,000, The other line would start from Marton, follow the course of the Kangitikei for nearly forty miles to wh."i\j it turns off jilmip to the East. From that point the line would make a sweep, and then run almost due west to Murimutu, From thence northwards to Tuhna, and thence up along the Ongaruhe River,. through the Te Taraka Plain till it joined the other line at Tv Kuiti, running at one p dnt within twenty miles of the other Hue at Ohura. This line would be about 214 miles long, aud the estimated cost is L 1,400,000. It would open uj) an enormous area of magnificent land, iv fact, along nearly the whole length the land is of the highest class, and at many points the rail way would tap vast districts. In his report Mr Mitchelson lays equal stress on the urgency of both lines, and will strongly advocate the making of both as being amply justifiable from the land it would open up. The correspondent goes ou to say : Thi*, it will be apparent, is a bold and striking proposal involving tyro and a half millions, but Mr Mitchelson i» convinced that the hugely-enhanced value it would give to the vast areas of laud would fully justify it. In any case, whether one or both lines are sanctioned, he will urge that the Government should securo the land on both sides of the route, so as to receive the increment of value which the railway would give them, instead of the natives or speculators getting an immense unearned increment. If Parliament will not sanction the Minister's proposal for both lined, ho will stick to the one from Te Awamulu to Stratford only. The coast route from Waitara to some miles north of the mouth of the Mokau will be emphatically condemned, and the mistaken policy generally of railway lines along the coast may be pointed out. At any rate, Mr Mitchelson will contend that a coast route and a trunk line a,ve contradictions m term*, a trunk line implying opening up inland country, while m this case a coa v t route would run for nearly 60 miles through tho mo*b difficult and worthless mountain country, many thousands of pounds having been apent m endeavouring to find a reasonably practicable route through it. It is rather early to discuss the probable reception Parliament will give to Mr Mixohklsoh's courageous and original policy, but m the meantime it is worthy of much appreciation as a policy whose realisation (which m any case is only a question of time) must have on ihe progress and de- ' velopmcnt of the North Island, an \ effect that is difficult even to conceive j without much reflection.