TURNING THE FIRST SOD

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 172, 20 February 1914, Page 2

TURNING THE FIRST SOD

AN INTERESTING CEREMONY

PERFORMED BY

Yesterday was a red letter day for the Waiuku district-such a day that the district had not previously seen. The occasion for the celebration was the turning of the first sod of the railway to Waiuku by the Prime Minister, the Re. Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C. The site of the function was on the property ot Mr C. Hosking, about li miles from Waiuku. A BRILLIANT DAY. The day was blest with glorious weather. Nature was made gayer by strings of bunting stretched across the roads at various places, while welcomes to Patumahoe and Glenbrook greeted the visitors. A number of motor-eaia were engaged and a big party left Pukekohe after the airival of the 11.20 train. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Mrs Massey and two daughters, and a number of Parliamentarians. WELCOME TO PATUMAHOE. Upon his arrival at Patumahoe cheers welcomed Mr Massey. Mr Kemp, speaking as vicepresident of the Mauku Railway League, extended a very hearty greeting to the Prime Minister.

Mr J. Henry, as representative of the riding on the County Council, expressed his pleasure at seeing Mr Massey there. They had looked forward to this day for over 30 years, and at hst they had got the right man in the right place and to-day the district was going to have what it had waited for. He was pleased to see Mr Massay restored to health to tight the battle of in? people and to continue to maintain law and order.

Kinging cheers were given foi Mr and Mrs Massey at the call of the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Parr. The Prime Minister thanked the company for their welcome. The turning of the first sod had been looked forward to for a very long time. He found it was 34 years since the Waiuku railway was first recommended by a Commission, and It was surveyed, and now they were going to get the railway as soon as the Government could provide for it.— Loud Applause.

The party, after being entertained, then proceeded on Its journey. AN ANIMATED SCENE.

The paddock in which the ceremony took place presented an animated scene. There were hundreds of horses and vehicles and dozens of motor-cars. A band from Waiuku discoursed music. School children were present in large force from Patumahoe, West Mauku and Waiuku schools, and their eager faces brightened an already bright gathering. The Public Works Department had erected a platform which was enclosed on three sides and attractively decorated. On the platform were a great number of members of Parliament and representative men of the district. When the Prime Minister onived bo was received with cheers by tbe cb'ldren of tbo Mauku, Patumahoe, Glonbrook and Waiau Pa schools, who were marshaled by their teachers. Mr C. T. Barriball, chuirman of the executive of the Railway League, presided. He said he had to extend a hearty welcome to the Rt. Hon. Mr Ma-sey, the Hon. Mr Hcrries and the members of Parliament. LOCAL SPEAKERS. Mr J. D. Chalmers, president of the Glenbrook branch of the League, said ho was proud to have Mr Massey there that afternoon. He only hoped they would all be there to see the completion of the railway.Hear, hear.—lt had been long promised and he hoped it would not be lung before the line was finished and they had some other subject 10 discuss. This was the finest district in New Zealand and the line would be a paying one from the start.— Applause.—They owed a heartyvote of thanks to tne Prime Minister fur this railway. If it had not been for Mr Massey they would not have had it and he was sure Mr Massey would du his best to have it completed. He thanked them for having the survey made to Glenbrook and he hoped that the Government would agree that the route through Glenbrook was the best one.-Ap-plause.

Mr Melvill Crispe, president of the Mauku branch of the Knilway League, said he had been looking forward (o this day for the past fifty years.—Laughter. —He belonged to the descendants of those who had been waiting for that period. -

Applause.—He had been looking up the records and found that his grandfather and his father had taken active parts in connection with the Waiuku railway and now they had put him into ollice.—Applause.—For forty years this question had been talked of. They had had Ministers here and the district had Riven them a good time. Then other Minister! would come through and the same thing would be done. That had been going on for 40 years. Luckily they had got the rieht man nowand he told them the same yarn! (Merriment). When »hcy saw the Authorisation Bill they did not fully appreciate it, but as soon as they saw that £IO,OOO was on the Estimates they knew Mr Massey meant business. -Applause.—They had been at a disadvantage in not having the supiort of the Auckland Railway League or of the press. But thev were pushing people out tbat wuy and would not take No for an

answer. He referred to the good work done l.y Mr Finlny (secretary) and Mr .). Henry. There was no doubt the loading problem had got

OF THE WAIUKU RAILWAY

PRIME MINISTER

beyond the powers of tho local bodiei and for that reason alone the railway was perfectly justified. The butter-fat produced in the district was worth JITti.OOO a year now; when this railway came along the production would be eaßily trebled, and he was satisfied the line would be a paying proposition from the start. He hoped the members of Parliament present would, from what they had seen, be convinced that the country would at once get a return from the money expended.—Applause.

Mr Barriball said those who had preceded him had taken the words out of his mouth. For years they had had deputations going to Wellington. They had been told that if they put in a Government sup-

porter they would get the railway, but if that was tho cost of the lino they would not throw Mr Massey over for all the railways in New Zealand.— Applause.— They had stuck to Mr Massey and Mt Massey would stick to them, and thev were going to get the line, The speaker concluded by referring to the difficulties that had been encountered by the Government since it took office—tho strike down south, the floods, the small-pox, and last of all that beastly strike which spread throughout New Zealand. But these difficulties had been well met by the Massey Government.—Applause.

THE FIRST SOD TURNED. ■ There was much cheering when the H Prime Minister, with his face H wreathed in smiles, took off to turn the first rod. Into *m* H varnished rimu whecl-barrrow that find been provided Mr Massey put I half-a-dozen spade-fulls of iod, H wheeled the barrow up the inclined plank and tipped the earth out. Mr Barriball thanked Mr Masicy I ! and presented him with the handsome gold spade which baa already I been described in these columns. I In doing so Mr Barriball expreised I the hope that Mr Massey would I continue to represent Franklin for H many years as ably as he had done I for 20 years past. MR MASSEY SPEAKS. I The cheers were renewed when Mr I J Massey lose to reply. Tbe sod, ho I ! assured his hearers, had been well I | and truly tamed in a workmanlike I , manner, and about which there was I Ino Government stroke. That sod I | would be tollowcd by- others very I ; quickly and they would hear the I train's whistle from where tbey I I were that day.—Applause.—He very H j heartily thanked the people of I I Glcnbrook, Mauku, and Waiuku for I ! the very fine welcome they hmtl | given him on this momentous oc-H casion. It was said that all fume to those who wait; wcll.H Waiuku had waited a lung time forH this railway and nuw it wuuld snonH be an accomplished fact. ThirtyM ' years ago a survey was made. TheH line would go to l'atumahoe andH join the main line near the PncrattiH station atlhough he was not I"ijJ pared to indicate the exact sixtftfl Thirty years ago Aka Aka and Otausfl were unknown; those districts wcruH nothing then to what they arc nowfl and were nothing now to what would be in the days to come. Hefl had been asked "where the K r n(W and the passengers would cumefl from.'' Sweeping his hand acronH (he crowd. Mr Massey said: "I nnfl satisfied about the passengers; I anfl i satisfied about the goods." C'ontinH uing, Mr Massey raid ho hoped hifl parliamentarv friends would be alilfl now to express the same opinion al hi ins: If that the line would pafl handsomely from the very first >!»■ it was opened. His colleague, tliH Minister for Railways, had told thH speaker that he was perfectly Kdifl lied that the line would pay. Nofl : that he had seen this huge gathefl i ing Mr Massey hoped that MH Herrlee would join with him fl bringing pressure to bear upon thH Minister for l'ublic Works to ha\H this line built, in order to bring ifl tbe average returns of those othfl railways in New Zealand by trfl handsome profits from the Waiulfl line. He expressed his pleasure fl the great work that hsd been dotH by the leagues of Mauku and W'ifl uku. He was quite certain that whH they were doing to-day was for tfl good not only of Waiuku but fH the whole of New Zealand, ifl wanted to construct branch liml he wanted to open up tne rmintrH His work was done when he the it H^nild^^l came yd Applause. HhV PRESENTATION TO MRS I Mr Barriball said tbe ladies I Waiuku, Glenbruok, Mauku aH other districts could not Ist ihH opportunity pass without makinirH presentation to Mrs Massey. ■ Mrs C. T. Barriball, supported ■ Mrs Ciispe, then presented H beautiful epergnc to Mrs MasiH in an appropriate little spefl Mrs Massey suitably replied. *■ Mr Mawey added that it w« <■ to his wife that he was uicmH for Franklin. Therefore It whs H to her that hs was Prime MirisH and that they were getting the rH way, so that Mrs Massey desrrß Bounds of cheers were givrnß Mrs

MAYOR OF AUCKLAND. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr C. J. Parr, gave a message of congratulation from the city to the country. TUB citizens of Auckland wtre awakening to the fact that the city could not do without the ccuntry—even in strike time. The P.ime Minister was absolutely correct when he said that this line would pay handsomely, and he hoped that a new period for this important district had dawned. He hoped that in three years' time, when the first whistle blew, that the Prime Minister would be there on duty. Mr Parr concluded by paying a glowing tribute to the splendid work which the troops from this district did in Auckland during strike time. MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS. The Hon. Mr Herries, Minister for Railways, explained that it was sometimes thoußht he was the man who constructs the railways. That was not so. His unfortunate position was to administer the lines whether they paid or not. Some brandi lines did not pay, but so far as this railway was concerned it was quite apparent to everyone who had been to the district that this line would pay from the very jump. When the line came he would give them a good time-table and plenty of trucks to carry away their produce.—Applause.—He hoped to be here in two or three years' time with the Prime Minister to open the railway. OTHER SPEAKERS. The Hon. F. W. Lang (Speaker and M.P. for Manukau), Mr J. S. Dickson, M.P. for Painell: Mr J. G. Coates, M.P. for Kaipara; Mr A. E. Glover, M.P. for Auckland Central; Mr J. A. Young, M.P. for Waikato; Mr A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata; Mr Frank Lawry, exM.P.; and Major Lusk were the remaining speakers who joned in the general congratulations to the district.

Major Lusk mentioned that it was 46 year ago since the then chief engineer made a trial survey for this line. Sir Julius Vogel had the money aod the line would have been made 40 years ago if there had not been difficulty over the route. Locally that difficulty did not exist now, but it ought to be a lesson for other parts of New Zealand. Refreshments were provided in marquees and there was tea and cakes for all, while the children had a really good tims filling their pockets with sweets in the scrambles.

Mr Massey was entertained at a banquet in the evening by the Waiuku Railway League.

History of The Line. In 1880 the Railway Commission appointed by Parliament to consider which of the suggested lines throughout New Zealand should be undertaken by the Government, reported that the proposed branch from Pukekohe to Waiuku was one which in their opinion should be constructed when funds were available. Towards the end of 1883, the Government of the day, in response to repeated representations by Major Hamlin, Parliamentary representative for the district, authorised a trial survey of the country, which was duly carried out by a party under Mr C. R. Vickerman, until lately superintending engineer in the Public Works Department, who located a route about twelve miles in length, leaving the main line at Jamieson'a farm, near Pukekohe, and running via Patumahoe to Waiuku. The line was at that time estimated to cost £59,000-about £SOOO per mile. In the same year three petitions were presented to Parliament by Major Hamlin, all urging that the construction of the line should be commenced. In 1884, Major Atkinson, then Premier, in reply to strong representations by the local member, declined to authorise the construction of the line that year, but promised to include the; branch in any future general scheme of new works. Later in the year a permanent survey of the route was undertaken to permit of the land required for railway purposes being acquired from the owners. Some threatened difficulties regarding land compensation led to an alternative route leaving the main line north of Paerata Btation being examinei and practically adopted in preference to the Pukekohe connection. Complete plans for construction were prepared add bitfge sites selected. There had been vague promises by sutlers to give the land required from their holdings for the railway free of cost, but definite requests made to them in 1885 to sign agreements to this effect met with but little success.

There appears to have been no definite action in the direction of urging the Government to proceed with the line from 1885 until 1898, when a petition 6igncd by 364 settlers and residents of the district, urging the early construction of the line, was presented to Parliament. The petition came before the Railways Committee, who referred it to the Government for consideration. The Cabinet of the day decided that no action was to be taken. In 1899 Mr W. R. Wright, chairman of the Mauku Road Board, wrote urging the Government to authorise the line and proceed with its construction. The reply was to the effect that the matter would receive Careful consideration. There was a lull in the agitation until 1905, when the settlers again petitioned Parliament urging an early commencement of construction work. A similar petition bearing 660 signatures was presented in the following year. Both petitions came before the Public Petition Committee, which merely referred them to the Government for consideration. No definite action followed in either case.

In 1906 a League was formed at Waiuku to advocate the construction ot the line, and towards the end of the year a deputation consisting of Messrs Massey, Kirkbridc, Kidd, Baome, Bollard and Mander, members of Parliament, waited upon Hon. Mr Hall-Jones and urged that the Waiuku line should be included in the next Railways Authorisation Bill The Minister undertook to note the request for consideration when an Authorisation Bill was being prepare! During the session of I'JOY a petition signed by 210 settlers and others, urging the claims of the line, was presented to Parliament, and was referred to the Government for consideration.]

In March, 1908, at Auckland. Mr Massey introduced a deputation to Sir Joseph Ward, which urged that the construction of the line should be authorised, The Prime Minister promised to give the request his consideration. In the session of the same year a petition bearing 117 signatures came before the Committee of Parliament, which reported that it had no recommendation to make. It was stated that in Parliament this year Hon. Mr Hall-Jones promised to have a fresh survey made of the route suggested, but there is no record io the Public Works Office of such a promise. In 1911 Sir Joeeph Ward was at Patumahoe, and an address presented to him by the residents urged the early construction of the line. The request was referred to the Minister of Public Works, who directed that the matter he noted for consideration when the next Authorisation Bill was being prepared.

In October of the same year a deputation from the Waiuku Railway League and settlers interviewed Hon. K. McKenzie, Minister of Public Works, who would not promise the immediate authorisation ot the line, but said it would be con* sidered when some of the main lines then in progresa were completed. In April, 1912, the Mauka branch of the Railway League forwarded a resolution advocating the construction of the line. Consideration of the representation was promised. In August following Mr Massey introduced to Mr MacDonakl, Minister for Public Works, a deputation from Waiuku and Patumahoe, which urged that the line should be authorised and construction commenced. The Minister said he would see if it was possible to have the line included in that year's Bill. There was a change of Government before the Authorisation Bill was submitted to Parliament. The line was included in the schedule of the Railways Authorisation Bill of 1912, and a fresh trial survey of the country, to ensure the selection of the most favourable route, was commenced in March, 1913.' „ . On the Public Works Estimates ot 1913 a vote ot £IO,OOO was provided to permit of construction work being started. Three trial lines have been run by the party now engaged on the work, one from Paerata, one from Pukekohe and a third from a point between these two stations, about half a mile from Paerata. The mute to Patumahoe and on to Waiuku is common to all the line-. The middle connection is shorter and less expensive than either of the others, and has finally been adopted.