NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1922, Page 7

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

WAITEMATA INTERESTED. At the general meeting of the Waitemat.a Chamber of Commerce held in Devonport last night, Mr. Alex. Harris, M.P., for Waitemata, was present by invitation, and addressed the members at some length on matters pertaining to the welfare of the district, and in anticipation of the coming session of Parliament. Speaking in regard to the proposed North Auckland railway, Mr. Harris said that owing to the financial position of the country the Government had decided to concentrate work on the main lines. What was really wanted was a permanent survey of the route so that when the opportune time came they could push the echeme. The Waitemata Railway league was a very live body, and they would not let the matter rest. Mr. F. Heldt said that the more he thought of the proposal the better he liked it, the land traversed by the route proposed, considering its undeveloped state, was equally as good, and in come ca6es better than the land traversed by the present line, and instead of rambling in and out for 44 miles, the new line would reduce the distance to one half or 22 miles. The president said he had formerly opposed the project, but now he warmly supported it. He thought ib was time they abandoned the policy of splendid isolation they had adopted in the past. Mr. Minchin hoped it was true that power from Arapuni would be transmitted to Auckland in six years as stated by Mr. Harris, and then the development of the North Shore would be so great that they would need their railway. ' Messrs. Keesing, Moody, Waters, and James all agreed that the North Shors boroughs would one day carry a population of 100,000 people, and then there would be a complete tramway system of the latest and most effective type right from Devonport to Chelsea, and the boroughs would be all linked up.