THE RAILWAY DEVIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8053, 21 February 1906, Page 2

THE RAILWAY DEVIATION.

QUESTION OF ROUTI'

Mr It. Cock, Mayor of New Ply. mouth, has been inteivs.inij himself in the matter of the route for the proposed deviation of the railway line in New Plymouth, and recently interviewed the Hon. T. Kelly, M L.C , and Messrs Smith and Jennings, M's.H.H. These gentleman have taken the matter up, and, as a result, the following letter has been forwarded to the Minister:—

;>(] 11 Hon, Colonel Pit( f id Acting Minister for linil\v ( iy> f l '' u- ' lllve ' )w '" liv >ll KH'littril Cock, K*i(., Mayor of I lie U. Borough of 2fow Plymouth, to express to you our views with respect |o tin- „ best route of the proposed deviation of ■j| the railway liue, now running thromsh flew Plymouth. Having seen the alternative routes, we have come |„ to tla> inclusion that the route aloii" the foreshore, below AVoolcombc Ten-ace,

until it reaches the Hcnui lfivcr, ami crossing that river with a low ] CVI .] . bridge, to enable the line lo pass underlUMth an overhead bridge mi the main *} or '" i-tevon-road, and merging into ■j. the present line near the Waiwakailio d •' 1 v , Lr ' ls nl - o!it desirable. This route will, once for all, do away with level crossings within Hie borough, and thus |)revent accidents to life and limb to which level crossings on streets with considerable traffic are liable The j adoption of this route will also have ■1 110 ® JEcet of prcTonting the erosion of t the foreshore, now going on, resulting m the gradual hut continuous umler- ' mining of Iho soft cliff, of which Molus- . worth Terrace is composed. Even if the inland route was adopted, it appears to us that it is only a question of time that route would have to be pro-

• tcetcd by a sea wall to prevent the slow but sure encroachment of the sea 011 ' the laud at this point of the sea bench. ■ lhe foreshore having a shell ing beach | tor some distance seaward, the protect- ; ing wall will not be subject to the impact of heavy seas, as if it had to be constructed in dee]) water, and there, loie would not be costly -in construction A considerable quantity of stone could be obtained fqr construction jlloiig this line of route, which would have tho effect of reducing the cost " " o ( opinion, however, that the question of cost of eoiistruction should not bo a determining factor in the route. The avoidance of accident to human life and limb, and the preservation of public property from devastation by tile sea, should be tin* primary considerate. Wcjtijcrvfqrc,, strongly i'ecQinmei| | (he (ioveptimenl to construct tlio line along tlie foreshore, iu the inter.'us of the inhabitants of Now 1 lymoutii, and of the colony. (Signed) T. Iviai.v, M.L.C, K. >l, Smith, AY. T, Juxxixcis,