AUCKLAND-WELLINGTON RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 266, 6 November 1908, Page 6

AUCKLAND-WELLINGTON RAILWAY.

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE AND ITS HISTORY. AFTER MANY YEARS. THE STORY OF A NATIONAL MOVEMENT.

2figh forty years have passed since the" irar-racked colony, weary of internecine combat, the ebullient, intractable Maori but new-quelled, turned her attention to the problem of her future. There was no rest, no piping time of peace. Her energies unabated, the future looming vast ■with potentiality, she had to think in terms that seemed too huge in the minds of the many in that day. But the prophetic jnstinet of statesmen of all hues —ii a statesman properly has a hue— ex;statically*demanded a colonial policy, s.iid from the forgelive minds of the few sprang a sr li.'me, which, with all its defects oi d«tv!il. was destined to ho thr-base-line of. ail facure policies. I- 1 - !.'.= epochal Financial Statement of 1870, Sir Julius (then Mr.) Vogel gave expression to an. .ambition which was moving the hearts of all wise and true patriots, and | was the beginning of the definite public! works policy of the new era. It was a j thing too for those days, and yet I through bad times and good it has beenl the lamp which has guided the policy of all administrations, because in its essence it was national and non-partisan. No particular party could claim the sole credit for an obviotis national scheme, and he who gave it expression voiced the Irest. opinion of the best men. THE GENESIS OF IT. It was in the first days of the IS7O Parliament—on June 28th —that Sir Julius Vogel, then Colonial Treasurer, outlined the public works scheme •which v was the practical genesis of the Trunk Railway scheme, bow finally accomplished. He claimed the patriotic support of all men. He laid it down as an essential principle that the South should identify itself with the North; that the South, already under happier foundation and nutritious days of peace, fairly well 6ettled and developed, should not deny to her helpless sister, the North, the help necessary to bring- her into line. The early jealousies which arose out of the quasi-tribal settlements has- neverquite been dropped, and the only condition on which the North could get food for_which she hungered, the money for _r_oads -which ;"was -for - Bcr long -her meat and drink, was that the South should get an equal amount for railways. A MIGHTY SCHEME. "One Island," said-Sir jTrlhis, "we are awargj.js tolerably well provided with roads, but is deficient in railways. The otiier Island is deficient in both and railways. . . The North Island, unsettled, can do but little (by itself). The North Island, settled, will support a equal- share of population andmeet a fuHy equal amount of the general liability? 7 For this— pur-pose,-they - propositi to spend £100,000 a year for four years to open up a main trunk road, while putting an equal amount to the credit of the South—lsland for railways. Later, he said that the Government wished to make "arrangements for the construction" of railways in the different provinces, and that the ideal to be aimed at was "that, .speaking generally, in each Island railways should be designed and constructed as part of a trunk line." "As to the sinews of war,' he said, "as to the mods of paying for these railways, it is essential, in order that we should not proceed too - fast, and undertake more than our means will justify, that we should fix a. very effective limit to the liabilities to - be incurred. Speaking broadly, I contend that during the next ten years the colony will run no risk if 4t commits itself to an expenditure or proportionate liability, of ten mil-lions--#or railways, and- for - other purposes in these proposals." _JIHE-BROPHEI-'S REWARD. At the end of this great statement he said: "We shall Tie told that these burdens will entail on posterity an enormous burden. Granted —but they will give to posterity enormous means to meet it. These measures . . . will lead the colony to prosperity, and enable it to do justice to its splendid resources.' 5 The scheme generally was instantly denounced as such that no one could hear of another "so wild, so unpractical, and.so impracticable;" But the ice was broken, the seed sown, and a broad: pohey, however practicable of quick realisation, was k.id down. THE" WHIRLIGIG OF TIME. Tan millions-were to -be two ' and a-hatf million atrres of land -sold, • to finance the_ railways and the assisted immigration. The new system had latent in it radical ehacges-in the constitution of th"c country and the expenditure, now colonial instead of provincial in liability, went far beyond the original designs. Of the financial history of those years, this is not the place to speak. At.best the. railway scheme was an inchoate dream —a consummation devoutly to be wkhod—a serai-divine, taroff event towards which the whoie colony moved —how slowly we are too painfully aware. For a variety cf reasons, the trunk railway did not become as vital a national scheme as the North could have wished. For a decade the idea j languished. In 1881 the Hon. John Hall, Minister for Public Works, told the House that "the Government would lose no opportunity that presented itself for obtaining such information with regard to the intervening country as would enable the best mode of completing this main arterial railway to be determined." Succeeding him. the Hon. W. Johnston persuaded the House to allocate £10,000 for xhe survey of the Main Trunk route, preliminary to a 'Special Loan Bill for £l;0G9,0Q0 for this railway alone. The grant was given, and the survey was pushed- ahead as fast as possible. A CHAT WITH THE HON. E. MITCHELSON". And here we may introduce an inter-1 ■view with the Hon. E. Mitchelson on the ; subject.. He was chatting on Thursday /about the history of the line, and at this point he spoke about the beginnings I of the practical work, and tke stirring kaleidoscopic changes of Government' Which, incidentally, the prophetic Voo-eL so much feared, so earnestly appealed against to the nation, and yet so accurately foreshadowed «a his memorable

"In '83 tie Atkinson Ministry employed Mr. Rochfort, of Nelson, to prospect and survey the country from Marton to Te Awainutu, to see if a line could be taken through in that direction. He started from Marton, and made his way up to Taumarunui, where the Maoris were either neutral, indifferent, or unwilling to help, or else actually h> u i!e. He could not get through, and had to make a detour to reach Te Awamutu. But he san , enough in his preliminary survey to make a favourable report, accompanied by a sketch showing the louio. In ''ii ?. as ijin ; -tor for Publif personally made the trip' northward from Marton over the route i with Mr. Knorr.;., the assistant-engineer, j with a view to making a recommendation j as to which route of the three or four proposed—the Central, the Stratford, and the Waitara-Mokau routes—should be adopted. After going through the Central route, most of the Stratford route, and the whole of the proposed Waitara route, I made a report recommending the Government to adopt the Central line in preference to the others. The Government, of which I was a member, owing to an adverse vote, went to the country, and were returned in a minority. Sir Robert (then Mr.) Stout was sent for by the Governor, and asked to form a' Ministry. This Ministry was shortly afterwards defeated, and the mover of the no-confidence motion (Mr. Thompson) was sent for and asked to form a Ministry. After several days' abortive negotiations, he gave up the task, for he could not form a Cabinet which would hold the confidence of the House. Sir George Grey was then sent for, and he also informed the Governor that he could not.forjn.a Ministry acceptable to the House. He advised the Governor to call Sir Harry Atkinson, i who, after an interview with the Governor, called a meeting of the members who had voted against the Stout-Vogcl Government. Sir George moved that Sir Harry should be asked to form a Ministry, and the motion was carried nnaniin- . ously by all those who had voted against the Stout-Vogel Administration. Sir George Grey had one stipulation to make—that the Hon. Mr. Rolleston and the Hon. Mr. Bryce should not be members of the Administration. The Ministry was thus formed, and it met tho House at 2.30 p.m. as usual, and amongst the first notices of motion was one by Sir Robert Stout that the Ministry, as constituted, did not possess the confidence of the House. The Premier moved the adjournment of the House, and stated that he would teuke the motion in the -evening. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m.. Sir Robert Stout moved his motion, and was supported by Sir George Grey. The House sat till 12.30, and the motion was carried by a small majority. Mr. Stout was again called upon to form a Ministry. He did so,- and held office till ISS7. when the party was defeated. It was his Government that first introduced the question which settled the Central route as that to be adopted for the Main Trunk line, and it was the report I sent in which influenced the Government in arriving at that decision. The first million loan lor the purpose, however, was raised by the Atkinson Administration, and the actual commencement of the work was undertaken by the- Stout-Vogel Government and continued by the Ballance-Seddon Government." The momentous question which really settled the route was read by the Hon. E. Mitchelson himself at the famous Royal Commission of 1884. The report, after reviewing the various routes thai had been supported, concluded with an optimistic and rather euphemistic assertion that there was no g; -at engineering difficulties in the way, and estimated the eo&t at £6500 a mile, or £1.360,000 in all. Tho Western route would cost £7000 a mile, or £1,036.000, though the line might be shortened. .\s a result of the inquiries the Commission vory hriefly —in a single sentence—recommended t-he construction of the Main Trunk from a point at or near Martou to Awainutu via Murimo'tu, Taumaramii, and , the -Ongarue Valley. A COLONIAL WORK OF VAST niPOKXANCE. At last the recognition of the immense importance of the project seemed reaJised. In the second session of Parliament in 18S4, the Atkinson party was in office, and the Governor (Sir W. F. D. Jervois) came down with a. Speech which, contained the following reference-.— "The completion of through railway communication between Auckland and Wellington is a. colonial work of vast importance, which must be hastened to a conclusion with the utmost possible expedition. Tt will be proposed to you to appoint a select committee to- report which route it would be most acceptable to aaopt." The work was put in hand from tWe end in ISS<">. Unfortunately the history of the Main Trunk is a history of indecision, controversy, and repeated de- | lays, some of them perhaps unavoidable, hut many of them due to partisan feeling and selfish indifference to the best interests of the country. Though the scheme may be said to date from 1884, the idea of railway connection between Auckland and Wellington originated with t.be late Sir Julius Vogel as far back as IS7O. The railway from Auckland to Mercer, and thence to Te Awamutu, was intended to be part of the larger undertaking. This line was completed itr ISSO, and two years later a million loan was raised towards the completion of the main scheme. But it was not till ISS4 that, on the completion of the surveys, Parliament gave serious attention to the matter. Then began the iarcous battle of the routes. I THE BATTLE OF THE ROUTES. Ihc aXlivy party had explored three separate routes, the Central route, the '. T. rrvnaki route with a connection at ■ ■' rattord. and that by way of Hawke's j Bay. The committee's report was in favour of the Central, and this decision was approved by Parliament. But the Stratford route found many able advocates, and the cry was raised "Stratford or nothing." TVork progressed bu.t.

slowly till 1889, when the line having reached Ongarue at tho northern end, the question/of route wae again revived. The Auckland members who supported the Central were severely criticised, and at an indignation meeting ol Auckland citizens held in Grey-street, a vote of censure was passed upon them. But in 1900 the Government definitely decided for the Central, and pressure was brought to Tiear to hurry on the building of the line. The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Hall-Jones) stated that he hoped to complete the work in four years, but subsequent events proved that in this respect the Minister was over sanguine. It was not till May, 1900, that the end came definitely in sight. Replying to an influential deputation at Wellington, Mr. Hall-Jones was able to give a positive assurance that tl'.e two ends of the line would be brought together before the end of 1908. * TEE SOUND OF A VOICE THAT l≤ DEAD." And, by the way, it was in 1905, on Mr Seddon's COth birthday, that he prophesied, through a ''Star ,, interviewer, that the line would be completed by j 1908. It was, sadly enough, the grand old statesman's wish to see the work done before he dW. "I hope," he said, as sanguine a« ever in his eternal youth: "I hope to drive the first train through about the end of 1908." Alas, for the hopes of mortal man! Yrt the pledge has been fulfilled. The vote for the line, which was £ 300,000 in lOOti, was increased to £350,000 la=t year, and ' the laissez-faire policy so much in evidence at the commencement of the undertaking gave place to feverish energy when the end was at last in sight. It is now twenty-three years since the contracts were let for the construction of the first fifteen miles at the northern end and thirteen miles at the southern end of the line, and it was on April 15th, 1885, that the ceremony of turning the first sod was performed by the then Premier, our present Chief Justice. THE FIRST SOD. The occasion ■ was an historic one. TLe function took place near Te Awainutu, on the south bank of the Punui River. A special train was' run from Auckland carrying the Mayor (Mr. W. E, Waddel), the local representatives, Ur. W. H. Hales, district engineer, and many leading citizens. Over 1,500 people ■were present, amongst them the famous Maori chiefs Rewi and Wahanui. It was Rewi who some twenty years previously had hurled defiance at the British troops on the field of Orakau in the oft-quoted worde: "E kore au c -mutu, ake, ake, ake!" "I will not give in for ever, and ever, and ever!" The turveyors had been frequently interrupted by the hostility of the Maoris during their explorations, and the. presence of thr. chiefs and many other natives at the opening ceremony was regarded as a happy augury for the future success of the line. Wahanui, erstwhile the belligerent chief who resisted Mr Rochfort, in the course of a speech christened the line "Turongo," or "too long," a name it justly earned by the length of time taken in its construction. For twenty-two years the rate of progress averaged less than seven miles a year, and the viaduct over the Makohine ravine was not completed till eleven years after Mr. Seddon had intimated the intention of the Government to call for tenders. THE DEED WELL DONE. Argument aside —the past is dead— the completed line is a triumph of engineering skill. The whole undertaking has been long and costly, but at last it is completed, and townships - are springing up all along the line. It will open up an immense area of highly, productive country, and will give an impetus to settlement, that in the years to come will amply reward: the people of the Dominion for the pluck and energy they have displayed in carrying out this great undertaking in the face of difficulties that might well have daunted any people less endued with the hardy and undaunted spirit of the true pioneer. To mention even briefly the names of those who have worked hard for the line now completed would be impossible, but certainly it would not be just to omit that of the Hon. E. Mitchelson, who was Minister for Public Works at the time the route waa settled. Auckland was in favour of the Taranaki-Stratford route, and the Government for the Central. Mr. MStchelson, having travelled over the routes, and having given the matter careful consideration, decided upon the Central. Whereupon differences of opinion were loyally sunk and the work commenced. THE ROUTE. From Auckland to Wellington the iron way which links up these long-separated commercial centres, and strings together over one hundred and twenty intermediate stations, runs for 420 miles, and just about the middle of its winding length from sea level to sea level passes over the roof of the island, at an elevation of nearly 3000 feet. A. glance at the map, with tlie thin red line marking the route of the railway, leaves one with but a very confused idea of the course of this much-talked-of means of communication, but it really follows certain well-defined physical features of the country, and a knowledge of these enables one to grasp its wanderings and give a local habitation to things which would otherwise be mere names without any comprehensive continuity.

The lines from Wellington to Martou and front Auckland to Te Awamutu are too familiar to need any recapitulation, but most of the intervening country is now being properly opened up for the first time, and we will endeavour to make it clear how the line has been thrown across these long intervening stretches which comprise such a variety of country and scenery. Engineers seek the line of least resistance so far as it is consistent with directions of route, and when we are aware of this fact it will make plain many matters which to the layman lack point THE NORTHWARD LIKE.

From Marton, which is situated 116 miles north of Wellington, on the Wel-lington-New Plymouth railway, and is some fifteen miles from the sea coast, the Main Trunk runs north up the valley of the Rangitikei River and just above Mangaweka, 32 miles from Marton, turns about north-west and follows the Hautapu. a tributary of the Eangitikei, rising in the Kaimanawa Range, which is a chain of mountains running north and south right in the middle of the Island. So it reaches Taihape, having risen gradually all the while from 461 feet at Marton to 1463 feet at Taihape. Still climbing, it makes the Karioi andWaioiuu Plains, vast stretches of treeless pumice country , with tussock grass, which run in a semicircle round the south-eastern side of Ruapehu up towards Tokaanu on Lake Taupo. The line only goes through a corner, traversing some 13 miles, and then follows the forest-clad foot hills on the Western side of snow-capped Ruapehu for some 40 miles, at a. high altitude; Lthe jprincipal points being Waiouru 2660

feet, Rangataua 2195 feet, Ohakune 2016 feet, Pokako 2660 feet, and Waimarino 2636 feet. The nearest point to Ruapehu is close to Ohakune, where the line runs within about ten miles of his summit as the crow flies.

ON THE ROOF. It will be seen from these figures that the route along "the roof of the Island" is a fairly level one. At Waimarino station one leaves the forest—the great Waimarino Forest—and strikes the bleak Waimarino plains, which are almost a replica of those of Karori and Waiouru. Running across the corner of this treeless region, the line once more enters the forest, and drops down to Taumarunui, 576 feet above the sea, following in the latter part of its descent the Wanganui River, which at this point is a mountain torrent, flowing white over its rock and boulder-strewn bed. At Taumarunui the line crosses the Wanganui on a substantial bridge, and then follows the'Ongarue River, a tributary of the Wanganui, which, flowing from the north, joins the bigger stream at Taumarunui. The line now rises to Poro-o-t.arao, over a thousand feet above sea-level, and crosses the ridge dividing the Wanganui watershed from that of the Mokau. If we remember that the streams we have hitherto been' .following or crossing all flow into the sea south of Cape Egmonl, and that the Mokau finds the sea many miles north of the Cape, it will make the matter clearer. The line soon leaves the Mokau watershed, and • gets into that of the Waipa and Waikato, by v'hich it roache? To Awanratu (164 feet above the sea)', which, for bo long, was the Ultima Thule of railway land for Northerners.

ENGINEERING FEATS. The piece de resistance of the line from an engineering point of view is the Spiral at Raurimu, 200 miles from Auckland, where within a distance of a mile and three quarters, there is a sudden rise in the country of 435 feet. To surmount (this barrier, ihe engineers evolved the spiral, the only one of its kind in the Dominion. From Raurimu station the line describes a left-hand sweep of a milOj in the form of an elongated U, coming back parallel to the station, but on a higher level. It then describes a right-hand circle, crossing itself on top of a tunnel, which is on the first level. It is on such a big scale that from the train one cannot follow the windings of this bit of work, and, in fact, so beautifully is it graded—the rise being ouly one in fifty —that beyond remarking the long cuti tings, many passengers would pass over it in ignorance of the fact that the train was making a complete circle. THE GIGANTIC VIADUCTS. The viaducts are the biggest of the kind in New Zealand, but here again the train traveller does not appreciate the magnitude of the work, as he sees very little more than the narrow double line of rails, and might be passing over an ordinary bridge. To get the true perspective, one must view these giant ways from the coach road.

The most important are situated, a little to the north of halfway between Auckland and Wellington, where the line runs through to Wairaarino forest, along the foothills of Ruapehu at an elevation of between two and three thousand feet. Here the snowfed streams, which rise on the slopes of rtuapehu, and feed the Wangaehu and Wanganui, flow down deep gorges, many of which have a rugged grandeury heightened by the magnificent forests spreading on every hand from the heights on the east, and sloping away down to the Wanganui River.

It is these huge ravines that the viaducts bridge, and though the engineers crossed them as high up as they could because they open out rapidly lower down the slopes, they had to negotiate several yawning chasms. THE MAKATOTE. The largest of all the viaducts is that over the Makatote stream, 213 miles from Auckland—269 feet high, and over 860 feet long. From the coach road, which winds down one side of the gorge and up the other, one has to crane the neck to look up at the top of this monster network of steel girders, piers, and ties.

THE HAPUAWHENUA. The longest viaduct is the Hapuawhenua, which measures 974 feet overall, but it is not nearly so high as the leviathan that spans the Makatote As this viaduct is a structure of unusual

magnitude, it would probably be desirable to give some detailed information regarding it. A viaduct at this point could only have been avoided by a line following the Makohine and joining the present line near Mangaweka., but the country was so rough that this route was at once condemned. It could only have been much diminished in magnitude by adopting a line located along the steep elopes adjacent to the coach-road. The formation works involved in this alternative were too costly and the ground was considered to be too treacherous to justify its adoption ; besides, steeper grades and sharper curves than those allowed on the North Island Main Trunk Railway would have been necessary, and this vrould have reduced the carrying capacity of the line. After very careful consideration the location of the railway acrossthe gorge was decided upon, involving a viaduct 765 feet long and 238 feet from the bed of the stream to the rail-level. The height from the bottom of the foundations to the top of the hand-rail is. 254 feet. There are 7,430 cubic yards of concrete, about 1.252 tons of steel and iron, and 26-560 superficial feet of timber in tee structure. The viaduct is designed to carry loco-

motives weighing up to 85 tons, followed by heavy trains. The Government decided that the Public Works Department should carry out the erection of the structure, by its own staff in May, 1896. The order for the machinery was sent in November following; but. unfortunately, the great engineers' strike occurred shortly after

it reached England, and the execution

of the order was consequently greatly delayed, the last shipment not coming to band until Juno, 1008. The machinery was all erected and the manufacture of the steel-work begun by September, 1908, and the erection of the piers was, commenced in April, 1900; so that the erection of the structure has occupied about two years. The cost of the straeTure, including a due proportion of the cost of the plant and machinery, has been about £71,500; ti"? total cost will probably reach £"•2,000. This includes a large amount ot work in the foundations and superstructure over and above the contract Mr. Rcchfort's estimate was £7,740 for a wooden viaduct, which, in the circumstances and for a permanent structure, was considered inadvisable. CURVED VIADUCTS. The Hapuawhenua and the Tao nui share the distinction of being the only curved viaducts in the Dominion. Their appearance is apt to give nervous old ladies a fright,- and to convey the impres

sion ' that the ' line of beauty is not a curve, but engineers say they are really stronger than their neighbours which do not diverge from the straight and narrow way—and it is a narrow way when yau see it perched up at the top of the wide-spreading massive steel legs, with feet firmly planted in tone of solid concrete, which goes right down to solid rock bottom.

It was the heavy work on these viaducts which delayed the line for a long time, and they represent the most costly portion of the route. They lie comparatively close together, within about twelve miles from the first to Makatote, and one may say that the greatest of the engineering difficulties—the Raurimu spiral and this scries of viaducts across the Ruapehu gorges, are all included in about thirty miles'of line.

THE RANGITIKEI. The viaducts in the Rangitikei valley are of quite a different nature. Like many other rivers in New Zealand, the Rangitikei was once a much more greater stream than it is to-day, and the river may now be described as a river running in the bed of tho older river, with the result that the present banks form a strip of level land before they meet the hills which hem in the valley. It is along this flat strip on the right hand bank of the Rangitikei that the line runs. Here and there one comes suddenly On a deep gorge running at right angles to the river. The two opposite sides of the gap are on the same level, and the walla fall sheer down. It is this sort of thing which necessitated th- Makohine and Mangaweka viaducts, the only two on the line which call for notice beyond the Ruapehu group. In places, the hills encroach on the level stretch running along the Rangitikei river, mentioned above, and the bank is here steep, too. This rendered it necessary to carry the line through tunnels at these spots, and near Mangaweka there is a series of five within a very short distance.

The total number of tunnels on the Main Trunk is nineteen, that piercing the hills of Poro-o-tarao being the longest with a length of 70 chains—over threequarters of a mile. "THE BACK OF BEY ANT." There are still some people firmly convinced that the line runs through a desert for a considerable part of it* course, and that if it were not for the through traffic there would be very little for it to do. The country opened up is so new 'and so little known that it will come as a surprise to knowthat with the exception of a comparatively short strotch of fifty jmiles from the south side cf Xc Kuiti to the north side of Taumarunui, the line must pay handsomely from the jump. Moreover, it must always he remembered that it is a through communication and must inevitably pass along some poor land— every railway does. We in the North have been so long isolated that it will take some time to realise the enormous advantages which must follow in this through connection wnich brings us into touch with markets which have in the past been only available to us by roundabout and circuitous routes, making freight so heavy that they could only be used in special circumstances. Even if it had only been to tap the great Waimarino forest the line would have justified itself, as there is enough timber in this vast etretch to pay for the cost of construction. As for the Wellington end, as it is practically closely settled already, and it is only a matter of time when, the- same desirable state of affairs will exist at the Northern end, or, rather, at the Southern end of the Northern half, where the biggest gap exists at present. OUTPOSTS OF CIVILISATION. From the borough town of Marton, which has a population of some 1.500, the line traverses a flourishing agricultural district, which was among the first to be settled on the West Coast, till at Hunterville it enters more broken country—really good pastoral land, eariVing from two to two and a half sheep to the acre, and the same description would apply to the country right up the Rangitikei Valley, as far north as Turacgarerc, 62 miles from the Marton Junction, the principal stations along this stretch being Ohingaiti, Mangaweka, Utiku, Taihape, and Mataroa. An enormcus trade from a wide belt of country on either side of the line must drain to the Main Trunk in this part of its course, a trade which is daily increasing, and will always be a great source of Tevcnue.

Taihape, which is situated on the Hautapu, a branch of the Rangitikei, must from its position become a large and prosperous place. It is one of the best examples of the wonderful impetus given to settlement by the opening up of the line. It is only the other day that Taihape was a collection of shanties, bordering expanses of mud called roads by courtesy. To-day it is a municipality, with buildings that would do credit to places of much older growth. There is an air of substantiality about the town which is hard to associate with sucn a short existence, and a touch of luxury is lent by a fine peal of bells, which a publicspirited citizen helped to instal in the poet office tower. It is one of the surprises of colonial progress to 'hear their tuneful chimes ring out across the land which has only just been won from its virgin state; and, indeed, some of it is still in heavy bush. Away to the west are situated several big runs owned by men whose names are known all over the Dominion, notably Messrs. Studholme, Ledward, and Bremner, while on the east side lies the M.oawhango district, the trade of which now comes to the line for the first time. It is only some 13 miles from Taihape, but in pre-railway days all the wool was sent out to Xapier, nearly 90 miles distant. This is only one instance of how the Main Trunk has changed the channels of trade. The holdings up this way are all large, some well known names being Messrs. R. T. Batlpy, Watt, and Lowry (Oruamata run), W. J. Birch and Son (Erewhon station), the two latter properties aggregating some 115,000 acres.

IX THE WILDERNESS. The land here is hilly papa and limestone country, carrying IZ to 2 sheep per acre, and 3 sheep on bush land which has been cleared and laid dowu properly with English grass. Mr. Batley, who has been at Moawhango for over a quarter of a century, 13 one of the most interesting of New Zealand's pioneers, and he is so identified with the place that his name and that of the district are almost synonymous. When he first went there the country was in its natural

state, and his only neighbours were Maoris. To-day he has surrounded himself with all the comforts and many of the luxuries of modern civilisation.' In winter the roads are much like al] country roads, and after riding through mud over the horse's knees, it is like an oasis in. the desert to come upon lii.= hospitable house right in the centre of the island, the last place one would expect to meet witb any of the amenities of city life. His home is beautifully situated on rising ground, 'with a fine view ot the valley which winds alonj..the banks of the Moa-

whango stream. It stands in beauti-fully-kept, grounds, with lawns, parterre* glowing with rich flowers, summerhouse, a kitchen garden which would delight a market gardener, and a well-stocked orchard. The house is richly furnished—• gas and hot and cold water being among the details —and in his wanderings Mr. Batley has picked up a large number of art treasures which hare a double value when found in this remote corner Of tho Dominion. He has some particularly fine Cloisonne ware, old silver, bronzes from various countries, carved ivories, and engravings. In the grounds there is a pretty little private chapel, built in brick, with stained glass windows.

ON THE PLMNS. Round Taihapc there is a good deal of bush, which gives -work to several mills, and beyond this one gets into open country again—a fairly large tract before the pumice lands are reached. These pumice lands, which are known as the Karioi and Waiouru Plains, are held in large blocks, under lease from the Grown; Messrs. Duncan and Campion, being en Karioi, and Messrs. Morton Bros, on AVaiouru. Each run shears about 30.000 ehcep. The land, which is poor,_ is devoid of trees, and is covered with tussock grass, carrying about one sheep to six acres. There are also several flax mills on the plains. Owing to the altitude, 2660 feet, it is very severe in the winter in this part of the island. At Karioi station on the northern side of the plains (only about. 15 miles of which is traversed .by the the timber country, which has been talked about for years as the Great Waimarino Forest; and the line runsthrough it for some sixty miles to Taumarunui.

RICH TIMBER. There axe already a large number of mills cutting out the magnificent timber, which runs right through the forest, and fresh mills are goipg in daily. Rimu, totara, matai. and kahikatea are the principal woods, and, at a rough estimate, it will take a quarter of a century's solid work before the timber is cut out. The price of the land for the timber rights alone is about £10 an acre, and as high as £12 is being given in si mc places. It is difficult to realise what a huge traffic this timber means for the line, and the Department will have its resources taxed to coj»e witji it, The freight per hundred-from Ohakune, the present centre of the industry, is about 4/4 to Wellington or Auckland.

From Rangataua to Kakahi (where the Government mill is situated) there are some fourteen mills at work, the largest being Gammon's up-to-date mill, with an output of 30,000 feet a day, which will be increased to 45,000 or 50,000 feet. The number of hands employed in this mill and the bush is over 100, and the other mills employ labour in proportion. A rough estimate of the total output of the mills in the forest is 122,000 feet a day, so we should not hear anything of a timber famine once the line is running.

In addition to the support it receives from the timber industry, Ohakune, a township which already has nearly 600 inhabitants, is helped by the fact that it' taps the large dairying country between the line and the Wanganiii River, of which Kactihi is the centre; still, one cannot follow the reasoning of some of the purchasers of land in this .bush township. The other day a half-acre section changed hands at £700, which is not bad for a place.which has only had two or three birthdays. The prices being paid right along the line are remarkable. This £700 deal is eclipsed by a transaction, which took place the other day in Taumarunui, where a quar-ter-acre section was sold for £500. Somebody must have faith in the future of the Main Trunk to pay at the rate of £2000 an acre for the privilege of holding a Maori lease for 21 years, with the right of renewal at a re-valuation. At Te Kuiti. town sections are selling at £10 per foot, and here again, as at Taumarunui, the township is all held under icate from the Maoris. In fact, from Ohakune (which is Crown land) right up to Te Kuiti, the country, with the exception of Crown blocks here and there, is in the hands of the Maoris, and until this difficulty is solved, perman> ent settlement must be seriously retarded. ACROSS THE DESERT. At Waixaarino, almost due west from Tongariro, and a little over 200 miles from Auckland, the line comes out on, the Waimarino plains—great stretches of treeless pumice land, covered with tussock grass, round the edges of which. the forests come down to a line, as clearly denned as that which separates grass litTids from woods in a well-kept park. This is the part of the route referred to as '"The Desert/ and it certainly deserves its name. It is even poorer than the Karioi plains, and does not carry a single hoof. The line only cuts across a corner of this cheerless country, and then enters the forest again, and runs through it as far as Taumarunui. TAUMARU2CUL Its situation at the junction of the Wanganui River and the Main Trunk line gives Ta-umaxunui an importance ivhich, backed tip by other considerations, has led many people to prophecy a great future for it. Its growth has been remarkable, and the price of land mentioned above gives a good idea of the confidence in this rising township. There are at present about ten timber mills in the neighbourhood, the most important being that of Messrs. Ellis and Buraand on the southern side of the Wanganui, which turns out about 50,000 feet a day. The timber is mostly kahikatea, totara, matai, and rimu.

Xorth of Tauinarunui the land close to the line is very poor, till Te Kuiti is reached, but. some miles off the track it improves. To the west lies the fertile Ohura, the country through which the opponents of the Main Trunk say the railway should have gone. It is truly a magnificent tract, and when it is brought into the line by the completion of the Stratford railway, which is to come in somewhere between Ongarue and Te Knili, an enormous volume of tvsfJii; will be the result.

A swift ascent from Tauinarunui takes one. through the celebrated Poro-o-tarao tunnel, and a lushing descent toward Auckland is made by a route carved out of the mountain side, but relieved by charming impetuous mountain tarns, and (fern-grown banks nestling at the base of sombre hills. Finally we reach Te Kuiti.

TE iiUITX. This humble village, as a centre of the King-Country, lias the makings of a most important town. Between it and the west coast from Ka'wliia to the Mokau, there i? a wonderful stretch of land, which is attracting settlement every day. and on the west side of the line, Te kuiti has soinp <\i tho finrst sheep country in the district. The King Country will in the next decade be opened up with astonishing rapidity, and it is this part of t!ie lino, which, from its position, will in the future be auch. an asset to the northern terminus.

North Of Te Kuiti the next most impbrtant town is Xc Awamutu, a pas* toral, agricultural, and dairying centre on the . Waipa River, which, in common with the other Waikato districts, is making iteady and solid progress-

SNOWY MOUNTAINS AND FOKEST PRIMEVAL. From a scenic point of view the chief interest of the Main Trunk line lies between Taumarunui and Karioi or Waiouru, a distance of some sixty miles which is the Waimarino forest. Climbing up from Tautnarunui, the line follows the turbulent Wanganui river— which one should probably call the Uppermost Wanganui, as the Lower Wanganui and Upper Wanganui have been appropriated for the roaches- which lie between Wanganui town and Pipiriki aud Pipiriki and Taumarunui —and is soon in the heart of one of the grandest forests of the Dominion.

At Waimarino it reaches a height Of over 2000 feet, and as the train suddenly leaves the forest avenue through v.'hich it has been ascending, and comes out on the Plains, the Sndwy Mountains burst into view. The traveller continues to have glimpses of them as the train sweeps round the foothills as far as Waiouru, which is about the same height above sea-level as Waimarino. and they are so immeasurably grand that thoy dwarf almost everything else. One almost forgets to admire the sea of tall forest trees through which the train runs for miles, and the wild gorges which open out on the west and disclose range after range of hills clothed in forest primeval. A MOUNTAIN'S UNREfiUTTED LOVE.

From Makatote viaduct one gets a magnificent view of Ruapehu, but at Pokako is the noblest prospect of aIL In the east rises the glorious height of Boapehu, and in fine weather one can see Eamont's snowy cone nearly 100 miles away to the west. Maori legend has it that once upon a time Egmont lived with his other brothers in the centre of the island, but two of them fell in love with Pihanga, a mountain fair to look upon. Egmont's rival was successful in his suit, and Egmont in his wrath went away, crashing through forest and land till he reached the sea, when he made for Taranaki, and has since lived all alone a sorrowful bachelor mountaiu in the midst of a vast plain. The spot whence he tore himself away is Lake Rotoaira, and the track he made in his wrathful descent is the Wanganui River, in whose bed there are two strange huge boulders known to this day as the "Tears of Taranaki" (Egmont's Maori name) ; tears which he shed when he turned to look back at his faithless Pihanga. And there he stands to this day, in his distant home, gazing wistfully at his birthplace among the lakes and the high fcrfßts. FDRXACES OF VULCAX. Euape.hu in winter is a sight one can never forget. The highest point in the 1-ind, the apes of the Island, he stands majestically alone, 9000 feet high, towering over all the surrounding mountainone forest land which sweeps away on every hand, till its dark blue serrated horizon melts into a lighter blue of the sky.

A little to the north, standing like acolytes, arc Kgaurnhoe and Xongaxiro > each in succession about a thousand feet less than the high priest they seem to wait upon. Ngauruhoe bears the censer, and from bis cone, perfect but' for a slight -truncation, intermittent wreaths of smoke rise like incense to the heavens. —telling of the pent-up fires burning in his bosom—in spite of the mantle of dazzling -white snow, which, like Tongariro, he still wears at this time of the year. Emblems of purity and of unattainable idcais, they stand beckoning across the sea of forests, and the fascinated traveller would irrestistibly turn back to gaze at the sublime trio, even if lie were threatened with the fate of Lot's wife. Xo wonder the , Japanese worship Fujiyamat

At Waiouru, one gets his last glimpse of Ruapehu, and theu begins the descent to sea-level and mundane things, but the memory of the Snowy Mountains is ineff.icablc, and to see them i≤ alone worth the trip.

THE AUCKLAND SPECIAL. TRAIX. Punctually at 10 o'clock last evening, the special train left Auckland with the invited guests to attend the opening ceremony of the Main Trunk railway line. The Hon. George Fowlds, Minister for Education and Public Health, had a Ministerial carriage, in which were amongst others Captain Parker, of the American gunboat Annapolis, also the U.S. Consul-General, Mr. W. A. Prickett. When, the train left the Auckland station there was plenty of room to spare, as it was recognised that others would get on board at various way stations. Under such circumstances it is only possible to give the names of those who left by train from the Auckland station:—The Hon. Tbos. Thompson and W. Beehan, MX.C.'s, and Mr. C. H. Poole, Mr. A. Langguth (Consul for Austria), Mr. Rowland St. Clair (Consul for Norway), and Mr. L. A. Bachelder (American Vice-Consul-Ger.eral), the Auckland Railway League —Messrs. G. L. Peacocks (chairman), IL R Hunt (secretary), P. Oliphant, J. Stewart, C.E-, E. Lester, G. TV. S. Patterson, F. Clark and E. Harding (Dargaville branch). The City Council representatives were Messrs. H. M. Smeeton, P. M. Mackay, R. Tudehope, L. J. Bagnail, M. Casey, A. J. Entrican, G. Knight, W. E. Hutchison, A. E. Glover, J. Patterson. H. W. Wilson (town clerk), and W, E Bush (City Engineer). The Mayors of boroughs who made the trip were Messrs. W. Handley (Devonpon), F. Bennett (Newmarket), A. Bruce (Northcote). J. Rowc (Onehunga), A. Keyes (Birkenhead), and G. W. Basley (Parnell). Chairman of Road Boards inclnded Messrs. M. T. Coyle (Mount Albert), H. J. Garrett (Eden Terrace), and I'iatik Rowe (Arch Hill), C. J. Tunks (Mt. Eden Council). The Auckland Chamber of Commerce was represented by Messrs. M. M. McCalluin, T. Hodgson, tart, Kent, J. W. Hall, A. Burt, juu., F. E. 2s. Gaudin, Graves Aickin, J. M. Mennie, C. E. Nathan, E. Anderson, and A. >T. Denniston (secretary). Messrs. V. E. Rice (secretary) and J. FarreU (architect) represented the Education Board. j The Auckland Provincial Industrial Association was represented by Messrs. Geo. Fraser, B. Buttle, and J. H- Mackie (secretary), and the Auckland Employers' Association by Messrs. D. Goldie and J. C. Macky. Amongst others who proeeed.ed by the train were Captain Goodwyin Areber (superintendent of the Veterans' Feme), Messrs. J. D. McKenzie (Whangarci Chamber of Commerce. J. Powell (acting-engineer of the Haibour Board), and J. J. Holland.

His Worship the Mayor of Auckland 'Mr. A. M. Jlyers) telegraphed to the Hon. Geo. Fowids yesterday as follows:

"I regret that Important municipal duties prevent juy joining you this evening to take part in the ceremony of linking together the last rails of the Main Trunk line between Auckland and Wellington.

of the North does mcreased facility fo,p≥ 5 .! 4 tercourse and interchange «tf2?-& t-wen people of the different will tend to more united and tncts . iUUway, on the complete offing

At 8 o'elook this evenhur th«> v..i. ■ will be given at the «TiS "****

THE WELLINGTON CERESKISt,.

SPEECHES BY MINISTERS./

A MEMORABLE OCCASION.

<By Telegrapn.-press Assoctatloa.)

WELLINGTON, Thursdiw : The Chamber of Commerce lu*W to celebrate the owning o f theW .Trunk hne was the occasion of sfcveiX interesting speeches relating to the com." pletion of this great work? After the toast of "The Kimr'MW chairman read several apologies for' ab. sence, and went on to. refer to the .union, character of the occasion which- ha* called them together. The campleti*, of the hue would, he said, undoubtedly have a big effect on the prosperity of ; the Dominion as a whole, and Auckland" and Wellington in particular. The-lna had not been hurriedly built— {laughteiV " —but no doubt the result would be found to be that it was well built, and" of a permanent and solid character: jfe asked the company to drink to "The. Prosperity of the Main Trunk The toast was drunk with musical ioih ours. ■ .. ■...,; .:

The Prime Minister, on -rising ~to-r<» ply, was greeted with applause* expressed pleasure at being the;gu«»fc of the Chamber of Commerce on. gnch' a -memorable occasion, and thought -that in the future it would be found that the completion of the line would Dring about better feeling between, Aucfcjaiia and Wellington. He was sure the'lin* must cause an immense amount of bast, ness to gravitate to the two centres, and he -was confident that m titnelte come the Friday and Tuesday tripe fta Auckland woul* became quite populate. This was an important epocb in' the his* tory of Xew Zealand. He .was sine that the line -would pay the etmntiy well, and do good service to Xew-Zet. land as a whole

The Hon. W. Hall-Jones also receive* a cordial reception on rising to epeak. He said the first sod. was turned t>7. Sir Kobert Stout on April 15, 1885, «$ as Mindstcr for Public Works,; be atfced the Prime Minister to drive the U»t' spike at Makatote tomorrow. A good start, he went on to say, had been mtdef with the work, but differences o£ opinion as to the route delayed tile carrying out of the project. Mr Ha,U-Jon«i : iireati on to trace the history .of its construetiou on lines already familiar, to. the public, and claimed thai since 1900 goal progress had been made. The': line could hare been completed in four yews from 1900, but other works had to, to carried on at the same time, Tteia wero difficulties iv the way, felt ."the staff of the Department and Co-opemtiwi Works- department had done good work. Much that had been done by iinelW. operative Works Departments tad, beea carried out under adverse cowHtiftbii He went on to speak, of the solid th«r-' acter of the construction works throngs* out the line, and he believedi'toerft'.'iriaf nothing' in the Southern Hemisphere te' compare -with Makatote and Ifatohine viaducts. The work would last; iiiii generations. He believed"that it Hid been done at a very reasonable corf.'

Mr D. J. Nathan proposed the "Prosperity to the Citizens of f Aiick*' land and Wellington," and praised the Prime Minister and the Hon.'W. Hall» Jones far their attitude towards the Manawatu Company during the final n*« gotiations. He concluded vnth i-warail J tribute to the Minister for / Eafl'»«s*. Mr H. C. Tewsley said heTwped tM last spike that would be driven konie to-morrow by the Prime put out of the way for all time the la«ti animosity between Auckland- and- Wellington- "linking' Up-"* -would mean rth«B Auckland -erould n» longer be-"Dis<« loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart."; "Mγ A. Newton, representing the Wcfc lington Industrial Association, alsouTe* plied to the toast. '* " " Qjj-*-The proceedings concluded "The' Chairman," and the'siag»£ of "God Save the King." -—• - ' The special train, with-tb* party foi!' the Trunk line celebration abofrdv ■ left "Wellington punctually to-nfcM?!*', ten. The party numbers about__l«r (including Sir Joseph. Ward, the Hon, W. Hall-Jones, many, members of ?**' liament, and prominent citizens of' Wet" lington).