NORTHERN MAIN TRUNK.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 43, 19 February 1909, Page 5

NORTHERN MAIN TRUNK.

IMPORTANT QUESTION OF ROUTE. HOW WHANGAREI IS'AFFECTED. (By Telegraph—Special Reporter , TANGITERORIA, Thursday. As the Ministerial party proceeds northwards, it is being made palpably plain that the great issue involved in Auckland North Trunk Railway construction is "whether the route to be determined sholl be on the western or eastern side of Tangihua range, and it must not be confused with the local difference of opinion which so strongly obtains further down the line. This position has already been neflnd by previous contributions, and what has already been affirmed is, now being corroborated by evidence adduced on tour. There seems now to be no doubt that if the western route Is adopted, land of somewhat the same character and quality as that which the party traversed yesterday when passing through Mr. G. Riddell's magniflcont block will be opened up. whilst on tha east it will also pass through good country, a great portion of which is already settled, between Maungakaramea hill and the eastern extremitj- ot Tangihua. Koughly speaking, Tangihua range, which is from ea-st to west, would be about eight miles, consequently the point is, that if the route to the west oi that, range i 3 selected it would be that much further away from Whangarei; hence the strong agitation on the part of Mr. Mander, M.P., and other residents of Whangarei against th« line being deviated from tbe east.

So far there has been no exploration survey to the west of Tangihua, so that no information is available as to whether that route would be.practicable from an engineering point of view, but the. opinion, is held by some that if the survey, when undertaken, shows that construction can be undertaken at a reasonable cost, there is a strong probability of that route being chosen as being more central as between Whangarei and Dargaville, and not entailing any greater distance in the length of line to be constructed. This/ of course, is merely an opinion, and it remains to be seen whether the Eastern advocates can prove their claim to be the stronger of the two.

The land about Ma.ungakaraniea district —looked at from a commanding point of vantage this morning—is mostly of volcanic nature, and very good, besides affording a splendid line of country from an engineering point of view—that is, the country seems specially favourable for speedy construction.

The above seems to be clearly plain the exact position of affairs, so far as I have been able to gather up to this portion of the tour, though it may be further stated that no matter whichever route is chosen, east or west of the Tangihua range, the line must eventually take up tbe same rout through the Mangakahia country to Kaikohe, and thereby the settlers of tho extreme far north will not be affected other than by the amount of railway charges they may have to pay on distance.