RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1902, Page 5

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

SIR JOSEPH WARD INTERVIEWED

REASSURING PROMISES

WORK TO BE PUSHED ON

A larg-e deputation of leading citizens of the Auckland district waited upon Sir Joseph Ward this morning at tlie Customs Buildings for the purpose of impressing upon the Minister the urgent need for the completion of the Main Trunk Line connecting Auckland with Wellington, and v the extension of. the Kaipara line northwards. The Hon., E. Mitohelson introduced the following members of .the deputation: Messrs R. Monk, M.H.E., .-John Bollard, M.H.E., F. Lawry, M.H.It, W. 11. Massey, M.H.K., Alfred Kidd, Mayor of Auckland, E. T. Warnock, Mayor Grey Lynn, H. Symou, Town Clerk, T. Cole, G. L. Peaco.cke, A,. Dewar, Lester, T. Hodgson, H. Goulstone, secretary Chamber of Commerce, Parker, W. Colbeck, E. 11. Hunt, secretary Railway League, D. G oldie, Coates, J. J. Macky, Mayor of Devonport, C. Seegner, W. Beehan, S. Reid, Andrew BelL Moss Davies, J. H. Upton, F. Boole, john Eeid, A. H. Nathan, M. Clarke, L. Bag-nail, chairman Education Board, A. M. Myers, Leo, Myers, John Burns, M. Niccol, S. Vaile, John Brown, W. B. Leyland, J. H. Witheford, and' Graves Aickin. During the progress of the interview a large number of other gentlemen also joined the deputation. Mr Mitchelson said the deputation waited upon Sir Joseph Ward because he was Minister of Railways, and also would be practically the leader of the Administration during" Mr Seddon's absence, and would therefore have control of the public purse. Their object was to urge upon the Government the necessity that existed for railway communication with Wellington being completed. Mr Mitehelson briefly recapitulated the past history o-f the Main Trunk line, referring to the loan authorised in 1882, and how the unfortunate differences of opinion on the part of Auckland people had tended to delay the completion of the work. He contended that now when Parliament, had determined the route there was no need for further delay. They were told two years ago that' the line would toe completed in four years, but unless there was a very large expenditure there was little chance of that being done. He thought that both the House and the country would authorise a special loan for the compJetion of the Main Trunk line, as it would facilitate the mail service, lopen up land for settlement, and give access to an area of timber computed to be worth more than the cost entailed in making the line. He also contended that railway communication with Wellington •would greatly encourage tourist traffic. The deputation thought the time had arrived when vigorous action should be taken to complete the line. As a large portion of the original million loan had been used for purchasing land, draining, and roading, he considered they "were entitled to special concessions regarding this particular work. In the past 'he South had a large excess in expenditure on railways as compared with the North, but he did not wish to go into that matter. All they asked was for a fair expenditure now xipon railway works.

Next came the question of the extension Northwards of the Heiensville line. That district had always been neglected, because it was considered a waste of money to make a railway. At that time it was thought there was little hope for the North, but he had always advocated such a railway, and he considered now that, it would pay better than even the Main Trunk line to Wellington, as there were 40.000 people North of Auckland. During his visit Sir Joseph ,no doubt saw some of the possibilities of land in the North, but tJiere was an impression that the water way was sufficient. Such, hiowever, was not the case. Tf that line was continued, say, to Maungaturoto, it would tap very good land, and g-reatly encourage settlement, People beyond 'there would insist upon having a railway, no matter what Government was in power. The railway to the North was commenced over 30 years ago, and it had been pushed ahead at the rate of H miles per annum. He was sorry to "say that until recently the' commercial people of Auckland had not realised the value of the North, but they were awake now. PROGRESS OF AUCKLAND.

Mr J. H. Upton said outside of comic opera it seemed absurd that connection by railway between the largest city in the colony and the capital was not yet an accomplished fact after thirty years. It was an absolute necessity that the gup in the railway between -Auckland and Wellington" should be filled up. Mr Upton then quoted Government statistics for 1900 to show that the imports into the North Island, that year totalled £5,883,000, while those of the South Island only amounted to £4,675,000. lid contended that showed which end of the colony was progressing. He spoke not of' Auckland, but of the North Island as a whole. People only imported goods when they knew they were needed. It showed there was more activity in the North than the South. Auckland had the biggest population, and the most enterprising place in New Zealand. (Laughter and applause.) The line •was also a necessity to encourage tourists to visit the colony. A great agent had expressed the opinion that New Zealand had £500,000 spent each year by' tourists, but if they only reckoned £250,000 it showed the importance of encouraging- tourist traffic. Rather than leave this work undone it would be better to borrow a million if necessary. There was no more profit-able thing for a country than tourist traffic. Then, too, there was the question of defence. If they were attacked they should be in a position to move men and munitions to various portions of the colony with celerity. Mr Upton then referred to the fact that the -works asked for were part of the scheme propounded

by Sir Julius Yogel in 1870, on which the £10,000,000 loan was obtained. It was for a Main Trunk railway from Invercargill in the South to Hokianga in the North. That the line was not completed was a great breach of faith on the part 'of successive Governments. It was a gross breach of faith that any sid^ lines should have been in the South or elsewhere until the Main Trunk line was completed. It was the bounden duty of whatever ; Ministry was in power to complete that work. If the North could not get what it wanted from a sense of justice perhaps now that population was growing" they might yet get it by dead weight. Mr Upton, in conclusion, referred to the fact that New Zealand must'be recognised as» an agricultural country. Their manufactures were ' nothing as compared with their raw products. The total export of manufactured articles was £150,000 last year, while the value of the raw products was £12,500,000. They had to face great competition from the Argentine and elsewhere in the markets of the world, and to enable agriculturists to do that they must have the best and cheapest methods of getting produce to seaports by railway communication. Let them have the Main Trunk line completed first and then branch lines. In conclusion, Mr Upton said that Sir Joseph Ward could not clothe himself with greater honour than by completing* these works. A COLONIAL WORK.

Mr G. L. Peaeocke said he was deputed to speak regarding the completion ;of the main line northward. He knew the difficulty of a Government in this matter, but this line was part of the original scheme. Therefore it was a colonial work, as well as a local one. For many years pioneer settlers had worked strenuously to. make homes almiost without roads, and no railways. He must admit this Government had done bet ter than previous ones in the matter of roads. Even now the roads were only available in the summer time. Years ago a line was made to Helensville, which turned out to be one of the most profitable sections in the colony. If that line was now carried on to say Maungatoroto, it would pay almost as sloon as it was opened. As a mere business undertaking that line ought to'be extended. To complete that line the Government would be supported in any reasonable scheme of raising the money. The district Was one of extraordinarily varied resources. Mr Bragato had expressed his astonishment at the capabilities of the North for wine production alone. It was the railway to a great extent that had made the Waikato, and the line suggested would make the North.

SETTLERS' DIFFICULTIES. Mr F. Bodle (N.Z. Loan and Mercantile) spoke regarding the great need for this railway North of Auckland. He knew the disabilities under which settlers there had laboured for years past. Great credit was due to the settlers of the North, who had borne the heat and burden of the day. They hoped the Government, recognising that a wrong- had been done in the past to the iNorth of Auckland, would ivow try to remedy the injustice. An important point to be considered was that this work would not benefit a few large estates, but thousands of small setlers. THE BAILWAY NOETH.

Mr R. Monk, M.H.R., spoke strongly in support of extending the railway North of Auckland. He said 20 years ago, when he fought for the making of the Kaipara line, he was told it would not pajr for grease. Now it was one of the best paying lines in New Zealand, and- it ■would pay if it was extended to Waimate, and would open up splendid areas for small fettlers. There were capable riders and good shooters North of Auckland. As good cattle could be found in the North as elsewhere. in the colony. They wanted to start creameries- in the North, but in places that could not be done for want of railway communication. As a matter of justice this work should be done. He sometimes wondered if the Government ever realised how much had g-one into the public revenue from the North. He challenged them to find any other five districts that could produce as much as the North, what with timber, gum, and agricultural produce. No less than 12,000 cattle came down from 'the North the year' before last. After referring to railway expenditure elsewhere Mr Monk concluded: "Rise up, sir, and you will make yourself popular by doing this act of justice. Make that line, and yon, will become the most popular Minister in New Zealand.

A NORTHERN SETTLER. Mr. T. Coates said he had been 35 years in the North, and knew what settlers had to face, also the possibilities of the country. Their great trouble was want of communication with the centres. In ma.ny parts up there communication with Auckland was no better than it was twenty years ago. About a month ago he had a number of fat cattle to ship for Samoa, and although he ordered a scow? nine days ahead, it was windbound, and he missed the steamer. The North was well adapted for the production of fat lambs, but they, could not be got to town. THE MINISTER'S REPLY.

Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, said he was extremely pleased to have met such a large and representative deputation upon a matter of colonial importance. In the first place he must say that the cry of North v. South was a mistaken one. The people in the South, he could assure the deputation, were just as anxious to see this work completed in the North, looking at it broadly from a public point of view. To raise the cry. of North v. South was a great mistake, for whatever required to be done in the North must be done, as things were constituted by the good feeling of the people all over the colony, "lie could assure them that the people in the South looked upon the North as part and parcel of themselves. He had always supported completing the main trunk railways. While the Maori trouble was on in the North the South, which was at peace, naturally forged ahead. Now it was the turn of the North. As regards the Main Trunk line he must say that some of the gentlemen present were the cause of the delay in that work.

AUCKLAND'S DIVISION. Sir Joseph said as a matter of fact until late years it was impossible to get the Auckland people to agree upon the course of the line. Naturally the Government of the day, finding the people themselves divided, waited, with the inevitable result that, the railway was blocked by the unfortunate division of opinion, existing in the" North. He could assure them that the Government was determined to have the Main Trunk line completed within the time stated by the Minister for Public Works. Mr. Bollard: "You will have to be sharp to do it." Sir Joseph said the Government could be very smart when it Avanted, and they were pledged to have that line completed in 1904. He was not going to raise a question of politics, but in justice to the Minister of Public Works he would like to state that the average vote for the line had been £43,734 per annum, and the actual average expenditure £41,589 in connection with that particular railway under the present Administration, whereas under their predecessors the average annual vote was £40,339, and the actual expenditure only £25,496, exclusive of the expenditure for permanent way. He only mentioned that to : , show that the votes had been fairly expended. If it was found to be necessary to nave further appropriations they would be got. As to raising a special loan for the work, they must recognise that in a representative House that was impossible. It would be no help to Auckland to get expenditure on other lines stopped. The Midland and the Otago Central must ,be completed. The proper way was to work together to complete all the lines. VISIT TO THE NORTH.

As to railways to the North he agreed that thepossibilities up there were ver\- great indeed. In fact the progress of the North generally was very gratifying, and he could assure them that progress was not looked at with a jealous feeling- by the people in the South. He hoped soon to see the North Island Trunk Railway completed, and also the Wai-para-Blenheim, with a fast ferry service across ,the Straits, and then by the co-mingling of the people of the North and South the. feeling of bitterness of the past -would still further die out. As a matter of fact sons of the people in the South were settling on land in the North, but unfortunately few had gone South from the North. He trusted they would understand that the Government was just as anxious to give them railway facilities in the North ►as had been done in the past in the South. In going up the Wairoa River the other day he was greatly struck with the possibilities of the North- Portions of the Norfli that he saw were just as good for dairying purposes as the best land in New Plymouth. The dairying industry of New Zealand, was most important, and must be given every encouragement possible. The mere holding on to office would not, he said, deter the heads of the Administration from carrying out their duty. The Government would do as much as it was possible for it to do. The Government had recognised the superiority of the scenery of the North Island over that of the South, and had voted sums to open up access to various tourist resorts. .He thought everything should be done to bring the toiirist resorts of the colony within the reach of all. On his return to Wellington he would convey to the Premier and the other members of the Ministry their representations with regard to the Main Trunk Railway and the other matters of interest to Auckland. The Main Trunk Railway would, he said, be completed within the time stated by the Minister for Public Works. He thought the Aucklanders were justly proud of their natural advantages, and it was only right that they should be granted' the" railways, roads and bridges that were necessary for the welfare of the district, preserves 10, flowers 27, fruit G4, garden produce 44, farm produce 50.& In addition there was a comprehensive display .of agricultural implements of all varieties on exhibition, which excited particular interest amongst the visitors. The show is one of the most compact, fully representative ones that are held in this island, and in all classes, even in those in which entries are, not very numerous, the quality of the exhibits is of the best. The show ground is well arranged. Driving and riding competitions are held in the centre of the ground, in a position affording an excellent view to spectators. The judging of exhibits did not start until rather late, owinoto most of the judges coming a considerable distance b} r train. OTHER DEPUTATIONS.

The Minister for 3sailways, Post and Telegraphs received deputations at the Customs Buildings this morning, including- an important one from the Railway League, which is reported in another column.

Mr Richard Monk, M.H.8., represented to Sir Joseph that the local bodies had been instructed not to spend any of their money, and that the votes would expire on the 31st of March. Sir Joseph Ward said in reply that there was no such thing as a vote lapsing. The votes would not lapse. The Public Works Department had to see that the votes over the whole colony per month were maintained about level. For some months the grant was exceeded, and their reducing- this to the amount voted accounted in some degree for the recent dismissal of men from the public works.

A deputation was received from the Borough of Onehuuga asking that the cost of connecting the telephone from Auckland to Onehunga should be brought within a reasonable sum. At present it cost £G0 to connect a single wire, and then £20 a year maintenance. They had heard that a telephone could be laid on to Khyber Pass for £9. Sir Joseph Ward said this must be a mistake. The charge all over the colony was £2 per mile over two miles for laying the wires, and then on top of this was £ 6 for the machine. To grant the concession they required would involve the necessity of obtaining an additional vote of from £25,000 to £30,000. He advised them to erect a telephone exchange at Onehunga, and then a connection with Auckland would cost sixpence each connection. This, the deputation said, would be of no use, as nearly all the business was done

with Auckland. Sir Joseph prom" ised to see the inspector on the matter, and to bring- the matter before the Government, though he did not think it likely that their request could be complied with. With regard to the workmen's trains, the people of Onelninga asked that the workers' tickets be made available to the 5.15 a.m. train from Onelninga <to Auckland, as well as to the 7.5 a.m. train. as at present. This request Sir. Joseph Ward, said was impossible to grant. If the workers' tickets were available on the S.lo a.m. train, it would lead to a g-reat deal of eonfuj sion. The system was adopted to g- et the line clear of the traffic before the ordinary day tralfic was clear. In reply to a question, he said that everyone was entitled to travel by a workers' ticket on the train, arriving in Auckland before S a.m. With; regard to the improvement of s the Auckland - Onehunga service, it was already on foot to give a faster service of trains, but the difficulty was that the crossings of the. rails between Auckland and Pen* rose were now taxed to their utmost, and no faster service, could be put on until a double rail was laid to Pearose from Auckland. The Government considered this work perhaps, one of the most pressing in the colony, and it would be carried out as early as possible. The Sunday service would also receive due atten-. tion. The deputation also brought up the question of the maintenance of the Mangere Bridge, but as this came under a department other than his, Sir Joseph said that lie could not take any action in the matter, but advised them to write the Minister of the Department of Roads and .bridges.

Mr Massey, M.H.R., brought before Mr Ward, the condition of the Tuakau Bridge over the Waikato River, which was at present absolutely useless. Recently a farmer had lost a number, of sheep through being compelled to drive them through the river when the bridge stood there of no use. He thought the completion of the approaches to the bridge a work very necessary to the settlers of the district, who had the prospect of another winter with inadequate means of crossing the river. The Minister promised to bring the matter before the notice of the Minister for Lands.

A deputation also waited on Sir Joseph Ward to see if any steps could be taken for the erection of a post office in Upper Symond-street. The district had grown very much lately, and business people objected to go intp another man's shop to use the telephone at the present bureau. The office would tap a population of something like 10,000 people. Sir Joseph said he would see the responsible officer as to the population, the area, and. the relief that a post oilice as asked for would give.

A deputation from the Grey Lynn Borough Council also' attended with, regard to the question of the foreshore at Cox rs Creek bridge, and the difficulty of obtaining £1,500 additional for the drainage scheme of the district Sir Joseph Ward advised them to write to the proper Minister, and he would undertake to bring the matter before his notice.

A number of local tanners also asked Sir Joseph to see if some assistance could not be given the trade bjr prohibiting export of hides.

Sir Joseph Ward booked a .passage by the Ngapuhi which left Onehunga this afternoon for New Plymouth. ■•