THE TURNING POINT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 124, 26 May 1911, Page 6

THE TURNING POINT.

NORTHERN WAIROA'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) DARGAVILLE. this day. With reference to the report of the Royal Commission on the North Auckland railway route favouring the western route, Mr. Edwin Harding, who organised the evidence for the western route, and has taken a prominent part in the route campaign, writes to the "North Auckland Times" as follows: "The Royal Commission on the route of the North Auckland Trunk railway having recommended the construction of the line by the western route, brings to the community of the Wairoa the 'tide which, taken at the flood, flows on to fortune.' Owing to a shortsighted policy in roading the county, the trado of Wairoa's great hinterland in Mangakahia has been lost to our merchants, and has gone to our eastern rival, Whangarei. I believe that we have now at last an opportunity to regain that trade, and, at the same time, to help in profitably developing the resources of the Dominion by facilitating settlement. Have we enough enterprise to push it through? Xt can be shown to be a wise and profitable undertaking to begin the construction of a section of the Trunk railway at the river bank at Kirikopuni and open it to Mangakahia. Evidence given before, the Commission shows that the increased value on the immense quantity of timber on Crown lands between Kirikopuni and Mangakahia would pay the whole cost of at least 10 miles of railway. The position may fairly be summarised thus: (1) There arc about 14,000,000 ft of kauri and 5G,000.000ft of timbers of lesser valuo on Crown land on the. route. The kauri, as at present being Avorked, is bringing a very small royalty to the Crown. The cost of working makes the 50,000,000 of other timbers unsaleable. If the railway be put through, the royalty on kauri will be more than doubled, and the minor timbers will then return a handsome revenue. The railway would also earn a big revenue by carrying the timber to the Wairoa. (2) Thero is, along the whole 14 miles to Mangakahia, a large quantity of timber on tht> lands of small settlers which cannot profitably he worked, and is being wasted. If the rails were avail* able, all of this would be sent to the mills, providing employment, earnings for the railway and ready money for the settlers. (3) Most of the Crown land is very valuable grassing and dairying land, which, under present conditions, must remain locked up for many years. The advent of the railway would enable the timber to be profitably removed many years sooner, and thus cause several thousands of acres of rich land to be available for settlement. I submit that the trade from the development of these areas alone should be sufficient to arouse us to enthusiastic work. And, when to this is added the prospect of a railway through the heart of the Mangakahia country, giving those roadless settlers short and easy access to the Wairoa, we should have little trouble in securing the hearty co-operation of every business man on the rivpr, and of every settler in Mangakahia. I would suggest that combined action be taken by the local bodies, the Chamber of Commerce, j and tile Kaipara Railway League to press the matter on the Government, that petitions be got up. and a special committee appointed to givr , continual attention to the movement. There need ho no disguising the fact that proposition will be met with the strongest opposition from he East Coast, and we shall require all the ability, energy, and money which i Wairoa can command to bring the proposal to a successful issue. Let us then be and doing."