THE STRATFORD ROUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1892, Page 2

THE STRATFORD ROUTE.

PUBLIC MEETING

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE

GOVERNMENT,

The public meeting organised by the Norbhern Railways League of Auckland in order to consider the advisability of urging on the Government the opening up for settlement of the country traversed by the Stratford railway route, and recently travelled over by an exploration party from Auckland, was held in the Lorno-street Hall last evening. There was a large attendance of citizens. Mr W. Crowther, Mayor of Auckland, presided and opened the meeting. There were on the platform Messrs F. Lawry, J. 3J Siera, Jackson Palmer, W. L. Rees, 9?, Thompson, M.H.R.'s., and several other gentlemen, including a number of the members of the' Railways League; and Messrs W. Kelly and J. Carroll, M.H.R.'s., were also present in the building. The chairman read the following telegram, which had been received chat day from the Mayor of Patea : — " Patoa, February Bth. Secretary Railways League, Auckland : Convey to your meeting thab this town and district recognise the profound importance of your movement, and the powerful influence it will have in forming public opinion. Personnel of exploration party will silence cabala. I believe result will be that tx strong tide of settlement will set in. I would suggest that pamphlet be issued, so that information obtained by exploration party may be widely disseminated. —W. Cowern, Mayor of Patea." The Chairman said that the report of Mr H. M. Wilson, C.E., on the Stratford route, which had been distributed amongst the audience in leaflet form, would serve all the purposes of a pamphlet. He went on to say that public thanks were due to the Northern Railways League for their exertions in the matter, and especially to Mr P. Oliphant, who had undertaken the journey through to Stratford at considerable inconvenience to himself. The League had, amongst other work, organised deputations to Ministers on the subject of the route, and they could say that they had pushed the exploration party through to a successful issue. Mr Frank Lawry, M.H.R., moved the first resolution of the evening, which waH as follows :—•' That in view of the report ofMrH. M. Wilson, C.E., issued by the Northern Railways League and confirmed by the unanimous opinion of every member of the Stratford routo exploration party,, including the Native Minister, it is the! urgent duty of the Government to im-' mediately open up for settlement the large and fertile districo lying between the Onparuhe Vatioy and Stratford." Mr Lawry said he had travelled over both the Stratford and Central routes, and he felt he was in a position to judgo fairly of the merits of the two. He could bear witness to the excellent quality of tho country traversed by the Stratford route, and he could, as a layman, cordially endorse all that Mr H. M. Wilson had said in his reportontheroute. Therecould be no doubt that these lands would all eventually be thrown open for settlement, though there were ab present several disabilities in the way. He could sincerely say that he had no ver seen a finer tract of land than that travelled over by the Stratferd exploration party, and ha was strongly of opinion that it ehould be thrown open for settlement at once. He did nob think th 9 Government, strong numerically though they were said to be, could afford to ignore a set of resolutions such as were to be passed that evening by the people of Auckland. Tho Hon. Mr Cadman, in hie speech at the banquet in Stratford, had eaid he thought he expressed tlfe sentiments of the colony when he expressed himself against any further borrowing. The question of cost of constructing a bridle track through this fine tract of country would, however, not be a very great one, for Mr Wilson had eetimated the cost of cutting a good track through this territory ab a comparatively email cosb of about £10,000. He had very great pleasure in moving the resolution. (Applause.) Mr Jackson Palmer, M.H.R., seconded the resolution. He said it was beyond denial that the country over which the Stratford route travelled was very rich land, and from his own observations in travelling over this territory he could say that it was as good and as fertile a tract cf land ac any they had in the colony. Bβeides its evident great capability for purposes of agriculture, it was, he believed, also rich in mineral treasures, at any rate in coal, of which they had seen abundant traces in the Taungarakara gorge and elsewhere. He referred to the Hon. Mr Seddon's late pronouncement in favour of the central route, and waa strongly of opinion that tho large area covered by the route they had recently travelled should be opened up for settlement with as little delay as possible. He concluded by complimenting Mr Wilson on his excellent report. , Mr James Mackay here briefly addressed the meeting with reference to the quality of the ofb-quofced Waimarino block, on the central route, etating that from his personal experience he could affirm that the land in this block was of very inferior quality. The resolution moved by Mr Lawry was put and carried unanimously. Mr T. Thompson, M.H.K., moved the second resolution, which was as follows :— « That in accordance with the last resolution, the bridle road, already partially constructed over this route, should be completed without delay." Mr Thompson said the question of the railway routes should be left out of the question here. The demand for land L the colony now exceeded the supply, and there was pressing necessity for the opening up of this great tract for settlement. Mr Adam Porter seconded the resolution. He spoke of the jealousy evinced by the people of Wellington, as far as the expenditure of money on the railway lines was concerned. His own idea with regard to the at the disposal of the Government for the railway line would be to go beyond the modest £9,000 or £10,000 for a pack track across the territory in question; they ehould ask that a decent driving track be constructed over the Stratford route. This would not cost an extravagant sum, and the Auckland members should do all they could to get a proper road. From his own experience he could say that a 6ft bridle track would be very little good in bush country. . The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr J. P. Campbell (in place of Mr A. Kidd) moved the third resolution as fol- , lows: "That so soon as financial conditions render it advisable, a railway should be constructed between the point of divergence at the Kawakawa (Ongaruhe Valley) and the New Plymouth-Palmerston railway line at a Doinb uear Stratford. He thought that this resolution was a very moderate one. For years paeb Auckland had been as much isolated from the rest of the colony as if it were a separate island, owing to the want of a through railway line. In considering the question of the through railway route they should banish altogether any thoughts ot provincial jealousy, and ask which line would be the best for the interests of the colony as a whole. From the standpoints of both quality of land and cheapness of construction, the Strabfosd route was undeniably the best,.and the proper one to be constructed. In whatever manner the funds for the construction of additional railway lines might be raised, the money should primarily be devoted to the completion of the main line, which would connect the Auckland province with j the rest of the colony. Mr Gerald Peacocke seconded the motion. <K> prevent in the mean-

time was the diversion of an enormous sum of money to the construction of a useless lino over the central route, which would cost such a sum, and open up worthless country. He endorsed what Mr Campbell had said regarding the necessity for" constructing the Stratford line whenever the requisite funds were available.