NORTH AUCKLAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 479, 11 June 1890, Page 4

NORTH AUCKLAND.

TOUR OF INSPECTION. VISIT TO THE PROSPECTORS. KAMO - KAWAKAWA RAILWAY. WItANGAREI, June 7. 2 On Tuesday, I rode to the confines of tho Hukerenui village settlement, near to which point the railway line has been surveyed, as I am informed, and working plans prepared for an extension of the lino from Kamo, thus tapping tho Whakapara, Wairiki, and Waiotu creeks, by which it is thought most of the Puhipuhi timber could bo got out. Coming back along the road as far as Edwards’, we made for the air-line track through Puhipuhi forest to the silver mines, A shorter lino could be found, perhaps, to the Prospectors’ ground, bub nob so serviceable for all the claims. The track has been made entirely by the miners and people interested in the mines. It is a good one as far as Cowan’s store, about two miles before you reach the Prospectors, after which the track is very bad, and in some parts dangerous for horse travelling. At the Prospectors Mr James, the manager, is working to open up the ground and has about 30 tons of good silver bearing stone in the paddock from No. 3 reef upon which a winze has been sunk. Where the reef is cut by a drive to intercept the winze, it varies from three to six feet in thickness. Good stone has been obtained from several reefs on the ground, and tenders have been called for packing out 10 tons of stone to be sent for treatment, which quantity should fuirly test the value of the ground. From 50 to 60 men are working in the various mines, there being about 25 holdings in ail. If the ore can he profitably treated, I saw enough to show that these silver mines will be very valuable, as the reefs are so numerous and well defined. There are nearly 200 gumdiggers now working in Puhipuhi, and the timber is being sawn for the erection of a hotel near Cowan’s store. A license was applied for yesterday at Kawakawa by J. O’Brien, of Kamo. We stayed at the Prospectors on Tuesday night, returning to Hikurangi yesterday late in the afternoon, The kauri timber in Puhipuhi is estimated by an expert employed by tho Government at 135,000,000 feet, of which 75,000,000 are burnt trees and must be got out at once to be utilised. The Executive Committee of the Puhipuhi Railway League held a meeting at Whangarei on Wednesday evening, at which Messrs Hobbs and Thompson, members respectively for Bay of Islands and Marsden, were invited to be present. The former gentleman had arrived that day from Kawakawa, where he had attended a meeting of the Kawakawa Railway League, and therefore was in a position to explain the views of the Bay of Islands people with regard to the proposed connection of the Kamo and Kawakawa railways. The Whangarei County Chairman, Mr Peter Brown, presided. The Chairman said that it was a matter for regret that the Auckland members who had been invited to make a tour of inspection of the district had been unable to accept the invitation owing to He was glad to see, however, that representatives of the Auckland daily press had accepted the Committee’s invitation and visited the districts which would be traversed by the proposed extension of the Kamo line to the Puhipuhi, as also the Puhipuhi forest and silver mines. They would be glad' to hear from Messrs Hobbs and Thompson anything which would enlighten them as to the intentions of tho Government with regard to the proposed work. Mr Hobbs said it was very unusual for the Government to divulge what they were going to do, even to their supporters. They, at all events, were not in the confidence of the Government with respect to this matter. However, he thought it very likely, in view of the fact that Mr Blair (the Engineer-in-Chief) had recently been sent to inspect the through line of route from Whangarei to Kawakawa, that tho Government had some intention of making some proposal relative to this work which would not be divulged until the Public Works Statement was brought down. He might say that he had attended a large and satisfactory meeting at Kawakawa on the previous evening, at which there was manifest a unanimous feeling in favour of the construction of the through lino from Whangarei to Kawakawa. The friendly tone of a letter which was read at the meeting from the secretary of the Whangarei League was remarked upon, and produced a good feeling in Kawakawa, where they were now convinced that Whangarei did not intend to act selfishly, but were prepared to aid in promoting the through line to Kawakawa. He had himself always been a strong supporter of this work, which, he thought, would benefit Whangarei as much, if not more, than Kawakawa, as itwouldenable theformerdistrict to ship fruit, produce, and coal to the Australian markets by the large Union steamers calling at Opua. He was glad that the people of the Bay, who were once opposed to him on this question, were now friendly. He thought that the Auckland members should be interviewed to secure,if possible, their co-operation, and to induce them to see that it was the interest of the whole provincial district to push ahead the North. If the Auckland members were approached in a proper spirit he felt sure they would assist in this direction. The Kawakawa people were getting up petitions on tho subject to be presented to Parliament.. He believed that altogether, irrespective of the silver mines in Puhipuhi, the line would prove a profitable one owing to the opening up of the great coal and timber resources of the district it would traverse. The Wellington people bad got their Manawatu line, tho Canterbury people their West Coast line, and Otago would probably get their Central line, and therefore the North should be allowed to have their railway. However, he would not supDort the scheme on the basis of future borrowing, but he thought it might be carried out on the principle of setting apart a block of land or something of that sorb for tho purpose. He would cordially co-operate with their member (Mr Thompson) in promoting the construction of the through line.

The Chairman said that the meeting would like to know whether Messrs Hobbs and Thompson would themselves, in the House, urge the undertaking of the work upon the Government, Mr Hobbs said they would have to wait to hear what proposals the Government might make. They might have to oppose the Government scheme. He believed the Government would move in the matter. Mr Thompson thought the through line meant further borrowing, and therefore he could not support it. The extension from Kamo for 13 miles might have been clone without borrowing and would be a veryuseful work, butthe through line would cost nearly £200,000, and was, inhisopinion, impracticable in the present state of the country. If the country once more adopted the borrowing policy he would take care the North gob its share of the expenditure. He felt sure the present House would hot support a through line to Kawakawa.

Mr Harrison, in moving a vote of thanks to the representative of the press who had come up to inspect the country, said the Whangarei people were pained to.think that directly a movement was on foot for tho extension of the lino from Kamo as a section of a through line, the Kawakawa people should begin an agitation for a through line, thus probably stopping anything at all being done. Messrs Carruth, Rolleston, J. Wilson, and others also spoke, and delegates were appointed by the League to interview the Auckland members and go up to town on Monday.