NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 6

NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS

TRUNK AND BRANCH LINES. GISBORNE, NORTH AUCKLAND, KAWIIIA AND STRATFORD. The Auckland Railways League, at its annual mooting, passed numerous resolutions urging tho Government to immediately proceed with the lino from Gisbonie to Auckland, the North Auckland railway, to its furthest point, and the Stratford (Taranaki) branch of the Main Trunk. The Leaguo also expressed a desire for a public ceremony on a big scale on the occasion of tho opening of tho Main Trunk, excursion trains to run from both Auckland and Wellington.

A plea for a'railway to Kawhia—"The , Western Gateway of Southern Auckland was t put in by the Hon. AY. W. M'Cardle, M.L.C. He said he represented a district important not only to Auckland, but to the rest of the Dominion as well. Very few people seemed to realise tho great extent of country in Kawhia that was ready for settlement, and it had a splendid harbour. The Kawhia people did not ask the League to support any particular route or railway to Kawhia. They would bo satisfied with any route that would touch deep water in that groat harbour. Lands were being rapidly taken up. Notwithstanding tho great obstacles that stood in tho way through Maori ownership, over 200,000 acres had been taken up by Pakeha settlers. There was an unlimited quantity of coal extending right through from Huntly to Mokau, and round Kawhia there was abundance of ironsand, and throughout tho country thero was tho best limestone that could be found anywhere. The harbour teemed with fish. The quality of tho soil he could speak of, for he had been a pioneer for thirty years in tho North Island, ■ and he could say there wa3 no country in tho whole of New Zealand that was going to give better and more profitable results for the • labour of tho pioneer than Kawhia. It was all strong, rich, pastoral land that would, when opened to settlement, increase tho exports of Auckland to double what they wero to-day; and there was room thero for a population that would exceed the present population of Auckland Provinco. His idea of tho Main Trunk was that by and by. tho volume of trade would bo so great that a duplication would bo required between Frankton Junction (the station in Waikato where the Rotorua .and Thames-Waiiii linos join the Main Trunk), and Marton Junction in the Rangitikei. Tho line to Kawhia would not cost moro than £200,000, and it would enable much of this heavy traffic to go out and in through Kawhia harbour. Ho would ask tho League, from an Auckland point of view, and from a Dominion point of view, to assist' him and tho people of Kawhia to have that railway placed on the estimates as ono of thoso to be surveyed. Tho late Mr. Seddon had said that the railway system of. Now Zealand could never be complete until a railway was carried to Kawhia. Five or six years ago the Hon. W. Hall-Jones promised a trial survey.

Tho Chairman (Mr._ G. L. Peacock) said the League would .be in thorough sympathy with Mr. M'Cardle. Thero were many branch lines that urgently needed to be done, but the League had always followed a policy of trying to get tho great main, lines through first. He quito agreed with Mr. M'Cardlo in regard to the possibilities of the district, and the people of Kawhia could be assured that as soon as tho time came for cnergetic agitation for branch lines, tho Lcaguo would not bo found wanting in urging the claims of Kawhia. Subsequently a motion was carried recommending the proposed Kawhia line to the consideration of the incoming Council of the League.