THE RAILWAY ROUTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 352, 11 October 1898, Page 2

THE RAILWAY ROUTES.

A crowded meeting was held at Marton on Saturday evening, for the purpose of urgiug upon the Government the desirability of pushing ou the construction of the North Island Main Trunk Railway by the central route as speedily as possible. There were fifteen members of Parliament present.—The Mayor of Marton took the chair.

Mr Stevens stated that the Stratford route would cost £1,227,000, and the central £1,050,000. The totara forest which the latter would tap was estimated to contain 16,524,000 ft. of timber, which, at a royalty of one shilling, would' giva £8,262,000, and, dividing this sum by four, the Government would receive over £2,000,000 as soon as they put a railway into it. He moved : " That in the opinion of this meeting, it is urgent in the interest of settlement and the development of the interior of the North Island that the central lme of railway should be speedily constructed. That this line, in addition to being the, shortest route to connect Auckland and Wellington and extending to botn cities equal advantages from the country opened up to settlement, will immediately serve a valuable and extensive district, especially at the southern end, where settlement is further advanced, and will also afford access to a lar»e area of exceptionally superior forest, land at Waimarino. Further, its construction would admit of a more certain and speedy distribution of the San Francisco anil Vancouver mails " Mr Duthie said that during the last 14 years only IS miles of the line had been constructed, and Auckland and Wellington wore still quarrelling over the routes. Wellington people were not plotting and planning in the matter, yet they were being interfered with by the agitation in Auckland. He did not understand the cause of this feeling towards Wellington. Perhaps it was chat the Auckland people felt they had a prior claim to the trade of Tarauaki, but even if the line were made to Stratford the trade would go by sea to Manukau. The people of Auckland were standing in their own light in endeavouring to get a coastal line running through a comparatively small area instead of the Central line. The agitation in Auckland was a political agitation carried on by men who used a cry of this sort to play upon the feelings of the people in the hope of getting into Parliament. If the people of Auckland would only take the advice of impartial men of sound common sense they would take a more reasonable view.

Mr Lethbridge said he was prepared to block the estimates until a fair share of money was voted for the viaduct. Ho moved : " That this meeting appoint a deputation to wait on the Government and urge the necessity of prosecuting the construction of the North Island Central Main Trunk Railway with greater rapidity than hitherto, the deputation to consist of the members of the House representing the provincial district of Wellington, and the Mayors of Marton, Waogauui, Fielding, Palmerston North and Wellington, and the Chairmen of the Chambers of Commerce of Wellington, Wanganui, and Palmerston North." The resolution was carried and the meeting terminated.