THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913. THE WAIUKU RAILWAY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 150, 2 December 1913, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913.

THE WAIUKU RAILWAY.

' 1 We nothing extenuate, nor set down aualit in malice

We heartily congratulate members of the Waiuku Railway League upon the very distinct advance which has been made towards the fulfilment of their desires, in having the sum of £IO,OOO placed upon the Public Works Estimates for actual construction work upon the line. From the choice of words employed it may be presumed that the surveying costs of the present year will not be charged against this £IO,OOO. But the telegraphed report of what the Statement actually says is not as specific upon this point as it might be. It says " The small expenditure [for trial surveys] during the past year was charged to the vote for surveys of new lines, but for the current year a special vote of £IO,OOO "is proposed to permit of construction work being begun." This may mean that whereas last year's small expenditure on flying surveys was charged to the vote for surveys, this year's big expenditure on permanent surveys will be charged against the £IO,OOO. Of course tho Department may reasonably say that the permanent surveys and levels aro just as much a part of the actual construction work as the payment to the engineer who superintends the works, or to the clerks who enter up the time-sheets of the navvies. It is only a little time ago that Mr Massey gave £SO for clearing the Maungatawhiri stream and the Department swamped and absorbed the whole of this amount in the costs of an engineering report upon the matter ! It is to our member's infinite credit that as soon as it was pointed out to him what had been done he had another £SO granted to do the work. Similarly, the taking of the levels and the various surveying that has been in progress for months past may conceivably be found to absorb all the cash that will bo actually available from the Treasury this year. We trust that the people of the district will not build too much upon the immediate completion of the line. It is not a matter of this year or next year. In big projects of this kind (and especially with such an extensive railway-building programme on hand) very many difficulties arise which the general public cannot appreciate. First of all the route will have to be decided, and in this connection we desire to repeat our previous warnings. All the members of the League should combine solidly to discourage anything in the nature of a battle of the routes. Nothing will so inevitably delay the construction of the line as local controversies as to where tho line shall be put. Of course there will be no difficulty about the matter at Waiuku, but unfortunately for construction purposes that is not the important end. The day upon which the point of junction with the main trunk line is decided will be time enough to begin to estimate the date by which Waiuku's produce may lie railed to Auckland —and that day can be hastened only by discountenancing any dissension over the direction the rails will take, and by leaving it to the Department to determine which route will best serve the greatest number of people, present and future. In a district like this, too, where land is dear and closely settled the departmental difficulties are far greater than is the case in new country. A good deal has been expected of the member for the district, the Hon. W. F. Massey, in connection with _ the Waiuku line, and we do not hesitate to say that Mr Massey has done all that any member could do. In the face of financial stress he redeemed his promises by having the surveys of the line proceeded with, and now, against considerable opposition, he has succeeded in having the sum of £IO,OOO included in the Estimates. We join in complimenting Mr Massey upon what has been so far accomplished.