PUBLIC WORKS.—KAIPARA RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 87, 19 January 1872, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS.—KAIPARA RAILWAY EXTENSION.

(From the Dai/;/ Southern Crons.') A dkittation consisting of Mr Thomas Henderson, M.11.1t., Dr Campbell, Messrs Creighton, M.TI.Tt., J. Lamb, W. Graham, .T. M. Dargaville, Buchanan (Mount Albert), ,T. K. Taylor, ft. Cochrane, and J. T. Boylan, waited on the Minister for Public Works (Mr Ormond), by appointment, yesterday, for the purpose of urging on the Government the propriety of extending the Kaipara Railway to Auckland from Itivcrhead.

The interview was short, and the proceedings were altogether of a conversational character. Mr Henderson explained the object of the deputation, and urged upon the Minister the necessity for acceeding to their request. There was at present a large and increasing traffic between Auckland, Riverliead, and Kaiparn, and the line would open up a considerable extent of settled country. Dr Campbell quoted statistics of traffic, supplied to him by Mr Lamb, which, he said, he had reason to believe were considerably under the actual amount. The deputation would however, procure statistics, and forward them to the Government for their information. Mr Ormond stated that this would greatly assist the Government in coming to a decision. The law enabled the Government to make the preliminary survey, which would lie done in compliance with the request of the deputation. Of course much would depend on the action of the owners of property through which the proposed line would pass. It would not lie difficult to deal with them he apprehended, as in the ease of the Waikato line, the Government had not found it necessary to exercise their power of taking land, the owners, in nearly every instance, having given it free for railway construction. He supposed a like spirit would lie manifested by the proprietors between Auckland and Riverliead. This was a point, however, on which the Government should he satisfied. Another point was the quantity of land in the possession of the Provincial Government and natives which might now be available or acquired for settlement. lie understood that, should the extension he carried out, three miies of construction on the Riverliead end of the line would be saved. This would involve a modification of the contract. No time would, however, lie lost in making a survey of the proposad extension. In the meantime it would be well if the gentlemen forming thedeputa lion were to furnish the Government with ns full statistics as possible of population and traffic at an early date Air Lamb said the traffic statement submitted was kepi within the actual fact. No notice bad been taken of the passenger traffic, which employed a coach three days a week between Riverliead and Helensville. Mr Dargavilie stated that the traffic bv sea between Kaipara and Auckland, which now employed three vessels constantly, would be absorbed by the railway, were it extended to Auckland ; and Dr Crmpbell pointed out that much of the passenger

and goods lradio which now came by Mahuraugi, and other ports on the East Coast for convenience, would pass over the proposed line. With regard to the acquisition of land, Mr Dargaville said that there was an excellent block of about 200,000 acres in the Wairoa district, which the natives were willing to sell to the Government. Other blocks of good land might be purchased from the natives. Mr Creighton remarked that the Provincial Government had a large estate in the Ivaipara district, most of which was available for settlement. One of these blocks, the Ilotea. had recently been proclaimed open for settlement, under the occupation clauses of the Waste Lands Act. Touching the traffic, lie thought it important to show that it was a growing traffic. When the steamer Gemini started running to liiverhead five years ago, she went for a fortnight without carrying a single parcel or passenger. The traffic had so increased since then, as to require the Gemini to make two trips daily, in addition to the very considerable goods traffic by sailing vessels. Dr Campbell said the proposed extension of the Ivaipara railway to Auckland was not urged upon the Government with the view of an immediate return on the expenditure, but as a part of their general policy. It was for the Executive to consider whether it was not a proper undertaking to open up about live thousand miles of inland water communication, by connecting Auckland with the Ivaipara. Mr Ormond admitted the force of this remark, and said that in the expenditure of the vote for roads and works in the North, one of the objects of the Government would be to connect the Bay and other northern districts with the head of the Ivaipara navigation. Of course these roads would be feeders to the traffic of the proposed railway. Mr Dargaville remarked that the railway in question, if brought on to Auckland, would be an outlet for at least one million acres of land. The deputation withdrew, highly satisfied with their interview with the Minister for Public orks.