AUCKLAND RAILWAYS LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 270, 12 November 1909, Page 6

AUCKLAND RAILWAYS LEAGUE.

THE EAST COAST UXE. A meeting of the Council of the Auckland Railways League was held Wednesday afternoon, Mr. G. L. Peacocke, chairman of the League, presiding. A letter from the Tauranga League was considered, which forwarded a resolution passed by that body, objecting to the proposal of the 'Minister for Public Works that all money voted for the East Coast railway should be spent at the Gisborne end until Motu was reached. The chairman explained that this proposal was made by the Minister to the deputation on Auckland railway uiatters which waited upon him in Wellington at the end of last month. The members of the deputation had no opportunity to combat the proposal on that occasion, but all were agreed that it should be opposed by all Auckland bodies interested in the East Coast railway question. He therefore proposed the following resollij tion, which was unanimously agreed to:

"That wttiile the Auckland Rlallway League views with satisfaction the expressed Intention of the Government to proceed with the construction of the East Coast railway. Auckland to Gisborne. via Waihi and Tauranga, it strongly protests against the proposal of the Minister for Public Works that any money voted by Parliament for this line should all be spent at the Gisborne end till Motu Is reached. In justice to the Bay of Plenty settlers, who have been contiibutlug to the railway expenditure of this country for many years, without direct benefit to themselves, and in the undoubted interests of the Dominion as a whole, this League urges upon the Government the obvious advantages of constructing this important line by the extension of the existing connection with the general railway system of the North Island, thus Joining up largely settled and productive districts with the chief consuming centres of population as quickly as possible. This league therefore supports the resolution of the Tauranga Railway League on this question, and asks the Government to proceed with the construction of the East Coast railway from both ends until Motu is reached, and then from the northern end alone."

Mr. Peacocke gave an account of what took place in connection with the deputation to Wellington, which was a large and influential one from all over tho province, and he considered the interests of railway construction in the Auckland district would be advanced thereby. With regard to the question dealt with in the resolution he had just moved, he pointed out that while the League did not wish work to be stopped on the extension of the line from Waikohu to Motu, believing that work should go on from both ends of the East Coast line, still if work was to be restricted to one end in the general public interests, it should be carried on from the Waihi end. This would be extending tho existing railway system. into old, settled, and very productive districts, giving the latter connection with populous consuming centres like Waihi and Auckland. Under the Minister's plan these advantages would be postponed for at lenat three years, with no compensating benefit that he could see. On the Ongarue-Straford question he stated that the delegates from Ohura Valley were willing that the line should be continued from the Stratford end until Whangamomona was reached which would be the end of the good and easy country at that end; provided that having reached that point, construction of the line should be begun and continued exclusively from the Ongarue end, and into the Ohura Valley, where settlement was already established for several years. On tho motion of the chairman, therefore, the following resolution was passed:— " That the Government be asked to continue the line to Whangamomona, from the Stratford end, and upon reaching the point the Government He asked to begin at Ongarue."

Mr. Peacocke explained that although the deputation did not ask for a specific amount to be voted for the OngarueStratford branch line, it was one of the three lines pressed upon the attention of the Government, and it was asked that a sum be devoted to it, a s large as was consistent the financial conditions of the situation. Altogether he had asked for £250,000 for Auckland railways besides whatever might be voted for the Ongarue branch.