THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 95, 15 January 1908, Page 5

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

AN INTERESTING TRIP.'.' ' -MR... G-. G- STEAD'S,IMPRESSIONS.' ' {sr iTSLIOBArH—SrEOIAL i'COEBBSPOKDENT.) ' Chrlstchurch,. January, 14. ■ J' r - Mr. ."George Gi- Stead"., .who returned. from '! his recent visit;to Auckland by .way of tho Main Trunk line,; has given a " Press,"; re- _ somo'.of his impressions of-the Jj trip. • From, what-'he .gathered;; in Auckland, " a common, impression, existed that tho land t between TeyKuiti and; taumaruniii' was very t suitable -.for .settlement,;andVthat;, a; largo 1 area : ,bf ..it' .was,;' high-class.,plougiiabio' land. h Stead's companions woro','prac- " ticals; and'.tboy '..wcrp,-;pf;.ppiAion, . after making, the journey, that no high-class 0 land could be seen from tho .railyray.anjrjrlinrq. ' between";tho ;two. points .named.-'Of■ course, thero flight';bo good, land, somo distance away „ on .either side ,of tho lino, but; certainly the f land, in ; thb; immediate . vicinity of tho railway'iWais .'not, very promising. . Mr. ..Stead f otniod land in tho, Auckland, province, thirty! .' • aiid has-had.some considerable exp'eric'nco of'it: Ho feels sntisfied'that, unless . tK6ro;.iß a:. better. class of- land - at ;somo disthe railway line,'thero is nothing | very ■^promising. in -tho neighbourhood; of Tauriiarunui. • Taumarunui completes the lino :'ffpm. Auckland South, ; at present under c tho, control: of the 'Railway' Department, de- 1 spite; tfefaot 'that the Tourist "Department ' advertises that passengers can- bp-'carried : from';' Auckland to. 3Veljiiigton' by "first-class ' railway carriage and -coaches ;for- a; stated . sum of .money.! Yet, > as-a" matter- ,6f; fact-, ! tbb -Piiblici Works- Department -put'on only 1 second-clasß - carriages - from' Tauiriarunni - to Makatoto. It was n'ot a question' that,, there insufficient-rooiii in- first-class carriages, .' but '.only - very indifferent second-class' carriages were available on. the day Mr, Stead .' travelled,;;for , which'; first-class - faros - .were charged.' . From /Makatoto to Ohakunb the partv wbre' transferred -to Cobb : ;iilid Co;'s 1 • coaches', ;but - the traffic "was so great" that nineteon:'or. twenty passengers had to be } ■ atbwed away in" a'coacn built for twelve. 'At ' Ohakune; another transfer was made to; the railway; which .is "also run by - tho Public j }Yorks! Department.. For .-.this part of the I jo.urney so-cailed'; first-class : . carriages wero ' proyided, but t-hey were unkempt-, ;dirtyj ancl ' uncomfortable tb;a..degree. 1 'VWe'-were--.t01d," said. Mr.- 'Steail, .'.' that 1 did riot; waiit I to .carry .passengers,. l)ut,'.if that : i3 so, : wliy i ibpukl.tho .Tqurist;Departmcrit;adycrtisa,an'd. ' enpouragb tourists : to' travel . from Aucklarid- .1 . tof/Wcllington.by the' MaiirTrunk .route, 'I ;.;,The"'cbnstrnction-;of Htbb'"Malcatb4ie;; v&'flndt' 1 and -wheh : ;cpmi)leted j . lt.will.%be a-.very:-high-class piece". of engineer- ! ing. , ,oh'the ground ;Mr.. Stead" met Mjv A. 1 Andorabn, whp- said' that the viadnrjt ,would bo;!completed.;aiid fit for use'in less than six. moiith3.. " • f . 'rl!p tfl.;-.and .after . passing. Ohalcun'o,-. -Mr. Stead's 1 - party . were of- opinion ■ tliat -.the bulk offithe.-.land was ;not';too' promising;.;South of. :W.aioufur however,'"; it' commenced, to imprpvej '.-and • apparently,' to' tho '.-west, of l that stopping ,j)]?co, towards :Now Plymo'uth.'and ,\yanganui,- there island of.'excellent' quality. '■At Mata.roa: the travellers were, transferred . to va.;shbrt, section of! the railway; under tlio . Railway .Department, -where . everything v was fairly . comfortable. -. A - stop' for ; the; night-r.was 'made -at .Taihape.-;' Thero was;sqmo very promising ,land;'in the- neigh- . bourliodd, of .Tai.bape, and. the , settlers':'be-tween-there and Marten all apppared* to .ho prosperous. '--- • V• "" Atpresent, passengers ■ have to ' Tai-hape'i/at-;six ■ o'clcfQlr -iri 'the' 1 mornirig.'/.and have; no. chance-.0f.. obtaining. reasonable - re- . frtsshments until • they reach, Paluicrston .-.at 11,401 .',Mr;.- mbntibnfed.'.that,!he; had •heard ;|t ptoted;lately..that." cold;tea'"'- was ' obtainable.;;without • difficulty;..in";'file':prohi- ' bition .districts' ; of -the, Ei.iig. ; .Co'uhtry.' '. Out of, curiosity :he', made '.inquiries, from', time"' to ' sbjfar'as ho' could- learn,., nothiug. ' bejohd ''a'- pup ;'of; hot -tea J ..'or" ".'hbp' Be'er',". . .;bbtairiable, at .'any' .of .the - rpfrc'shpie'nt ■ houses;;' Therb' v might :be - secret ' stores'.';that • are - available; for certain'• known ; friends of - 'confident that, intoxicants' are„nbt readily- obtainable ' by;' tho-. travelling' piiblic generally. > ' ,; ; ; : ' ' /■; ; _y'/',ThK';trip,"'Mr.'.-Stead-concluded,' ";is';'aii . interesting, one',-. arid ;'if ; it wer'o' .made .-irioro comfortable' no doubt •' many' people .would travel''that way to: Auckland; At/present there lis,-no effort to make it a pleasant journey'." ''. '' ■' ' -■ - ... . -