RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 177, 29 July 1898, Page 2

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

CONNECTION WITH WELLINGTON.

THE STRATFORD ROUTE

PUBLIC MEETING OF CITIZENS.

PARLIAMENT TO BE APPROACHED

A largely attended meeting of Auckland citizens, convened by the ActingMayor in response to an influential requisition, was held yesterday afternoon in the City Council Chambers in order to urge on the Government the imperative necessity of establishing railway communication between Auckland and Wellington by completion of the line from the Poro-o-Tarao tunnel, in the King Country, to Stratford, in the Taranaki province. Those present included Messrs Trenwith, C. C. McMillan, J. Savage, J. H. Upton, F. E. Baume, H. C. Tewesley, J. C. Macky (Mayor of Devonport), W. Leys, Waliis (Rev. Dr.), Courtney, A. J. Allom, Peter Oliphant, Callnan, J. Elliot, J. M. Shera, C. S. Wright, Gray, P. A. Philips, Ledingham, R. French, Myers, Carl Seegner, J. McLachlan, C. Williamson, Choyce, A. Dewar, J. Garland, John Shackelford (Mayor of Newton), R. Farrell, John Wiseman, R. R.I-lunt, E. Harow, E. A. Clarke, Rev. Mr Larkins and others. On the motion of Mr C. C. McMillan, the Acting-Mayor, Mr J. Trenwith, member of the City Council, was appointed chairman. He said there could be no two opinions but that this question was of vital importance to the city of Auckland, which was completely isolated from the rest of the colony. It had been said that the local members of Parliament were asleep, but he hoped that what would be said that afternoon would thoroughly awaken them to the desirability of having rail connection betwteen Auckland and the southern part of this island. He thought it was a shame and a scandal that Auckland should be in its present position. Mr J. M. Shera moved the first resolution of the meeting. He said that this question had been before the public mind for many years. He moved, 'That this meeting of Auckland citizens is of opinion that Parliament, as a measure of justice to Auckland, should authorise the construction of a line of railroad from the Poro-o-Tarao tunnel to Stratford, and that the Government should raise a loan to be strictly ear-marked for this purpose.' The resolution went on to say that Sir G: M. O'Rorke be requested to call a meeting of the Auckland and Taranaki members of Parliament to take united action and urge on the Government the construction of the railway as an act of simple justice. Mr Shera went on to refer to the advantages of the Stratford route, and said that it had been said by Mr Maxwell that if the line were constructed via Stratford

an express train could run from Auckland to Wellington in 18i hours, and if certain, grades were improved between Eltham and Marton that time could be lessened by 2J hours, so that if needed troops" for instance, could be transported from Wellington to Auckland, and vice versa, in 16 hours. The route would open up valuable coal deposits and fertile tracts of country, and it had very many advantages as compared with the Central route. The cost had been estimated at £1,145,926 for the 103 miles 75 chains of country between the tunnel and Stratford, so that in asking for this they were asking for a definite sum, and not for some unknown amount. He was strongly of opinion that a loan for this amount should be raised. Mr H. C. Tewsley seconded the motion, and referred to the commercial advantages which would accrue to' Auckland as the result of rail communication with Taranaki. He thought they should hammer away at the Government till they got this measure of justice to Auckland, and if they did not get it from the Government now they should insist on a pledge from the Auckland candidates in favour of the Stratford, route. They should go into the matter thoroughly and energetically, and let the Government know that as far as Auckland was concerned all other measures would be blocked until Auckland got justice in connection with this railway. What was more, they could, he thought, make a compact with the southern members and say to them, 'We will help your Otago Central Line if you will help on our railway to Stratford.' Mr C. C. McMillan, speaking in support of the motion, urged the Auckland people to elect a strong committee and canvass the town for funds to carry out the agitation in favour of this route. They must insist on local candidates for Parliament promising to oppose the Government until such time as they did something definite in the direction of constructing the Strntford route. 'They should have a paid secretary in Auckland, and the committee should, in fact, do all they could to place before members of Parliament the necessity of this work. He was opposed to borrowing foi* this work until the country had decided on the construction of the Stratford route. He did not agree with the suggestion of Mr Tewsley that a bond or agreement should be made with the Otago members to support the Otago Central route, which was in his (Mr .McMillan's) opinion a scandalous job. They should go to Parliament simply on the justice of this claim for Auckland. They should raise funds for the agitation in favour of the work, prepare for a general election, and make this railway a rallying cry, and insist on the Auckland members seeing the matter through. (Applause.) Mr Peter Oliphant, who was one of the original Railway League members who went over the Stratford route some years ago, spoke strongly in favour'of the necessity of train coramunicationh with Taranaki. The country between Ohura and Stratford was flitted for close settlement,but this could not be said of quite 100 miles of the Central route, which in a great part lay along a bare mountain side, crossing pumice country, which could not be settled at all. Since 1892 only six miles of railway had been finished on this end of the Main Trunk Line, although some six millions of money had been borrowed by the Government in that period. The. Rev. Dr. WalJis supported the motion and proposed that a political committee be formed, and that a pledge, lie extracted from every Auckland member of Parliament in favour of the line, nnd make it a condition of election that each member should bind himself hand and foot to oppose the Government, on every point until the Government, consented to construct the line. He suggested that the business men and rich men in Auckland should join their energies and purses and try and construct the line for themselves if the Government would not do it.

Mr Gerald L. Peacocke spoke to the motion and urged that Aucklanders should unite and sink political differences and all insist on this line, making it a condition at the next elections. This railway was a colonial and not a provincial work; it should be put on that footing. They should not ask the Government to borrow or not to borrow; they should let the Government feel that the work must be done and let them do it as they could, either by borrowing or without a loan. The Government had practically ignored the report of the Railways Committee in favour of the Stratford route. They should be made to feel that Auckland was united on this question, which was not only a local right but a colonial necessity. He thought that if Auckland took united action the Government would be forced to alter their present attitude on the matter. The land on the Central route, he had been told by one man who knew it, 'would not feed a grasshopper to ten acres.' The land on the Stratford route was infinitely better, but it was broken and would not be fit for anything but pastoral purposes for many years, so that no syndicate would be likely to take it up—referring to a suggestion made by Dr. Wallis—and construct a private railway. The Manawatu Railway Syndicate had the advantage of very rich land and the profits from its' sale; the circumstances of the Stratford route were very different, although of course the land was infinitely superior to that on the Central line. In conclusion Mr Peacocke counselled, energy and unity of action on the part of the Auckland people, and if they were united and went to work properly they would get the line. Applause.) Mr A. Dewar moved that a show of hands be taken of those in the room, and that if the feeling was in favour of the Stratford route or of the Central route those present should take action accordingly.and insist on the railway. The Chairman ruled this proposition out of order, as the motion before the meeting covered it. If the motion were carried that would be all that would be necessary. Mr J. H. Upton favoured the campaign proposed by Mr McMillan, and said that this railway would not be constructed in a hurry. It would not be a matter of a day, and they needed to go about the agitation for the. line with care. Steps should be taken to prepare for the next Parliament, for this one was practically moribund. They should go to work on the lines laid'own by Mr McMillan; but he feared that Mr Shera's motion if carried would only give the Government a new lease of life, if they contracted a new loan, and they must remember a loan could not be raised for this railway alone; the Southern members would want their share of it. If the whole of the people of Auckland thoroughly made up their mind to get through communication with Wellington, they would attain their object, but they would not do that without properly combining, and bringing the strongest pressure to bfear on the

Auckland members and through them on the Government.

Mr R. R, Hunt said any amount of. money could be got. in London to construct this line, aitd if a bargain could be made with a strong firm to construct it the ■Q'ork would go on in Spite of changes of Government, He did not think this Government would do anything; they must look to the next Parliament for whatever wa.s to be done. . Mr Elliot, of Taranaki, spoke in favour of the Stratford line,, but thought the paragraph regarding borrowing should be deleted from the motion. He thought they should call on the Government to produce the money originally borrowed for the construction of this line. Part of the money had been spent in buying native, lands and part in clearing the Wanganui River for navigation, and the money accruing fi..m these lands should now be made available for the' purpose of constructing the railway. Mr F. E. Baume moved as an amendment 'That in the opinion of this meeting of Auckland citizens the connection of Auckland and Wellington by rail, via the Stratford route should be made without delay; that the present members of Parliament for this district be urged to impress on the Government the importance of the work, and that means be taken to secure the return to the next Parliament of members who are pledged to the construction of the railway; also that a committee be appointed to carry out this resolution.' Mr John McLachlan seconded this amendment, which was carried by a large majority, only three or four hands being held up against it. Before the amendment was put Mr H. C. Tewsley said that he was inclined to support it in preference to the* original motion. Mr Shera declared that it was impossible to do this great work without borrowing. It was resolved to forward the resolution to Sir G. M. O'Rorke, and the Auckland members of Parliament.