NORTHERN RAILWAY ROUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 211, 5 September 1911, Page 6

NORTHERN RAILWAY ROUTE.

A UNANIMOUS FINDING i - ~— IN FAVOUR OF THE WEST. I J ACQUIREMENT OF LANDS PKO- | POSED. r ' (By T«l«craph.—Parliamentary Heporter.) r I WELLINGTON, this day. . 1 The report of the North Auckland Railway Commission, of which Mr. Vernon Reed is chairman, was presented to the House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr. R. McKenzie, Minister of Public Works. The report shows that the finding was unanimous. From observations and evidence the Commission is firmly of opinion that the excellence of the land, enhanced by a most favourable climate, fully warranted the railway. The Commission favourably compares North Auckland lands to the country on the Wanganui-New Plymouth coast, and also the land from Mercer to Te Awamutu, taking in Cambridge and other parts of the Waikato. The approximate area to support the Northern railway must be considerably over a million acres, and the Commission has no doubt that the railway will pay interest on the estimated cost of £700.000. It recommends tbat the railway should be pushed on expeditiously to Raikohe, joining the Kawakawa-Hokianga extension, the route to be to the westward of the Tajigihua Range. It further recommends that the railway should bo completed before any branch line is started, hut favourably recommends the ultimate connection of the Main Trunk line with Wbangarei. It has no recommendation to make regarding the connection with the Dargaville-Kaihn line, and will also recommend that all large blocks of European and native land lying on jthe route, and likely to he affected in value by the construction of the line, be acnnired by the Crown without delay for closer settlement. There v?ns only on* disagreement—that on the question of preferen'tj being given to the completion of the Main Trunk before n start on the branch line is made. The report also eontalns maps showing the timbpr areas, population, and land grroups. and also maps showing all the proposed routes