NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 212, 1 September 1908, Page 3

NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation, comprising the Auckland members of Parliament and about jweaty representatives of local interBsts in the Auckland district, waited Oa the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. \V. Hall-Junes, to-day uiguig the speedy construction of the North Auckland Ongaruhe-Stratf ord and Aucklandjtjrisfcorne railway lines. They asked tor a vote of £IOO,OOO to extend the Heleneville line northward to MaungatuWto, and a vote for further surveys of the Gisborne or East Coast line. The latter wM put forward as a national jttork, and the deputation favored a route via Opotiki, Whakatane, Tauranga, Waihi and Paeroa to Auckland, Iwhieh would tap the great Piako

(tramp lands. la reply, the Minister said tfhe deputation had mentioned six separate lines. He agreed that a great deal of iwork remained to be done in the 'Auckland province. The most important was the North Auckland Main Trunk, but when the deputation ashed for £IOO,OOO he would remind them that the North Island Main Trunk was not yet completed. As to the extension to Maungaturoto, the Government jeould increase the number of men employed on the line now if the men were available. There would be a vote for that line that would satisfy Mm (the Minister) though it would probably not satisfy the deputation. He hoped to see a larger vote for the Gis-bor.ie line, hut exhaustive surveys as to die best route' had yet to be made. A l * Boon as an officer was available lie would lave a trial survey made of the Kawhia line. Nothing could be done xegarding the StratfordOngaruhe line iill the surveyors' report on it was Available. The Whangarei-Kawakawa line should he pushed on, also the norjthern surveys. Mr. Hall-Jones took occasion to dwnv that the railway fares were higher than" those in the CommonIwealth, and quoted figures in support Df his argument.