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APPENDIX I. Care of Head Office, Railway Department, Wellington, sth March, 1921. a _ Palmerston North Railway Commission. I have been directed by the Royal Commission which has been appointed to inquire regarding railway facilities at Palmerston North to request to be informed whether any survey has been made by or on behalf of your Department at any time of the deviation which has been suggested from time to time of the Wellington - New Plymouth Railway between Levin and Marton or Greatford. lam also directed to ask whether you have in your Department any plans or estimates of cost of the proposed railway. The Commission would be glad of the favour of an early reply hereto. I have, e&c, H. H. Sterling, Secretary. Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department, Wellington.

Public Works Department, Wellington, 9th March, 1921. o _ Palmerston North Railway Commission. In reply to your letter of the sth instant, I have to state that no survey of the Wellington - New Plymouth Railway between Levin and Marton or Greatford has been made by this Department, although I understand some survey has been made of which we have no particulars. At any rate, if the survey was made it was many years ago, when the conditions were very different to those of the present day. The only plan we have is forwarded herewith [Exhibit No. 10], and is a copy of litho which the Department did not prepare originally. Such estimates as have been made in the past will be of no value at the present time. In 1904 the then Uneler-Secretary estimated the cost at £300,000, but this, no doubt, would be greatly exceeded to-day. Yours, &c, F. W. Furkert, Engineer-in-Chief. The Secretary, Palmerston North Railway Commission, C/o Head Office, Railway Department, Wellington.

Approximate Cost, of Paper. —Preparation, not. given; printing (650 copies), Including maps, &c., £2135.

Authority : Maim'us F. Macks, Government Printer, Wellington.—l92l.

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