FROM HEAD TO TAIL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 256, 22 July 1908, Page 7

FROM HEAD TO TAIL

BY RAIL TO AUCKLAND. PROBABLE STOPPING PLACES. AVERAGE SPEED OF 25 MILES AN HOUR. Dr. Buck, Native Health Officer, who controls the Auckland district, has tho rhetorical imagery of his race in no ordinary degree. He likens the North Island to a stingareo with Wellington" for its head, (and Lako Wairarapa and Port Nieholson for tho eyes), the' East Cape and Taranaki for tho two flappers, and Auckland as the tail. It is apt, clover, and has more in it than actually reached the ear when the simile was mado at tho Savage Club's special Maori' korero oh Saturday evening. ■ To make tho simile quite compicto the stingaree must have a backbone—everything except, a politicianmust have one—and that is being supplied in tho linking up of tho head arid tail of the Main Trunk- line, now in the final stages of completion. Nono can correctly foretell, even at this late date, with-the line within four months of opening, what the effect of the steel connection between tho head and tho tail of tho Island will be. Who Will Benefit? Who is going ■to benefit, and who will suffer? Will tho big cities at either end prosper at tho expense of the small towns that are cut off from connection with the "backbone?"' This seems to he tho popular belief, but exactly why, it is difficult to decido. New Plymouth ,and, Onehunga • will suffer perhaps from the loss of a proportion of the traffic of what has up till now been tho quickest through service between 'Wellington and Auckland. That it has been a smart, service none can deny. The sea-trip between tho Taranaki port and Auckland's western gate ~has generally been held by " travellers to be an unpleasant one, particularly in tho .winter, and is-one moreover that is' Unrelieved by anything in the wav of scenery en route. On tho trip from Wellington to Christchurch tho ragged loftiness of the Kaikouras makes an interesting view line, and on the East Coast two steamers travel almost parallel 'to tho coast, but ,in tho case of. the New l'lymouth-Onehunga trip, tho steamer leaves at night and in the morning has reached a point in tho North Taranaki Bight out of sight of land and fully in the swing of tho vicious westerly swell, which travellers know so well and loathe so heartily. On this scoro tho through traveller, unless he be a lover of the sea. in all its varying moods, will welcome the advent of the Main Trunk Railway, which traverses a route that gives a capital of characteristic scenery of the country, . and which will convey him to his destination in comfort some'hours quicker than is at present possiblo on the West Coast route. Stopping Places. - In the annual statement of the Ministeifor Railways, the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones said— "Many important issues are involved, but after-mature consideration I have come to the conclusion that the railway time-tabla must bo framed on lines that will furnish the people of the Dominion with the most, convenient. and : rapid means or transport between Auckland, tho'Bluff, and tho important business centres of both islands lying ✓ between these -points. Tho commercial interests of the country demand, that mails should receive quick-dispatch, and thoso engaged in business pursuits in . the various important centres be given reasonable facilities for-r6plying ; promptly to oversea communications. The distanco iiiter'-oning between Auckland and Invcrcargill: renders night-travelling by land and sea unavoidable. It also makes the curtailment-of the . stopping places of the through trains, which must in tho future bo regarded as essentially fast passenger and mail trains, an imperative necessity." It will bo seen that the Minister is de-' sirous of making tho through journey as nearly an "express'.' one. as is possible with our, narrow gauge and the power at his command, and'goes out of-his way to emphasise that the numbqr of- stopping places must necessarily be restricted. • An endeavour has been mado to ascertain exactly < what 'these stopping places will be. An inquiry, at the Railway '-.Department, elicited nothing—they had not so far been definitely decided upon,' but; wo have: the opinion of an authority whoso knowledge of _ the -lino and its exigehcios for rapid railway operations is indisputable. Our, informant considers that We would not be far out if wo stated that there will be ten stopping places for tho through express, and that theSo will be as follow:-— ■; 1 ' Miies

Even sonic of these stopping stations could . bo out out were it not for topographical difficulties on the central section, whero thero must'l)o a chango of engines made to copa with grades (such as arc presented in tlia llaurinni spiral) which accounts for the number of stopping places over a comparatively short section of the line. Tho samo difficulty explains the provision of a stopping place at Paekakariki, which should only bo made on the down journey. Our informant . thinks that in going "north the " trunk express " should not stop between' Wellington • ( arid "Palmerston North. Tho fact that Palmerston must bo a stopping place will prevent the mail stopping, at-.Foilding, only somo twelve miles further on, whatever the ■progressive people of that ■ town may think ■ to tlm contrary,- for it is'to Palmerston that ; .tlio HiUvke's Bay, Bush district, and Wairarapa people will journey (via tho Manawatu Gorge), to pick up (he through express. -Marion Junction is also regarded as a certainty a 6 that wilt bo tho nearest- point for Wanganui' and Taranaki people to pick up tho mail train, and it is thero that the mail, will must probably junction with the 0110 proceeding to Now Plymouth. Twenty-five Miles ari Hout\ ■ Assuming that there will bo not moro than tta- stopping places, aud that the average ■ lcngtli;.:pf .cacu is toir minutes, one hour forty, minutes, only will be accounted for, which would bo very creditable on a journey of 1 over 400 miles, though nothing to boast ■abojit in comparison witli the best fast mail services .in Amcrica and filsctfh'ere. •- ''The journoy, tho Minister says, is to. bo accomplished in 19 hours', so that if two hours is docked for stoppages, an average speed of only '25 miles an hour would- bo reo.nired to cover tho mileage between'- Thorndon Quay, Wellington, and Queen Street, Auckland,-which is not asking vor\\ much of tho new-rolling stock which tho Government has been preparing for tho Main Trunk lino for a long" timo past.

. When a woman bccomes wholly indifferent to her personal, appearance, when she is no longer susceptible to somo form of_ flattery, , one may take it that she' lias ■ entirely lost her reason. To practico coquetry one need not necessarily flirt; but coquette in soma form 0110 must, if-one is to keep, a rightly balanced mind.; —" World.". '■ ■ An empty stomach is a far better preparation for success in business than a dinner at-the Carlton. iPcoplo say that si; university. cultivates a man's mind and gives 'him wider interests in life,- but that is not the point. What is wanted in business "is directness and common sense and,a quick, percoption.—Sir iVlfred Jones, in "Modern Business," The - doctor should .make his conscience a ■ judge from whose sentenco there is 110 appeal.—" Lo Journal Medical," Brussels. Some artists work harder than any navvy, and tho arrival of pay day is for.'them not .nearly so regular asm tho caso of a house jjainW;— 1 " Queen."

• from . 'Going North. Wellington. Paekakariki 27 Palmerston North 87 Marton Junction ............ 116 Taihapo 161 Waioru ......... 185 Ohakunc/. v.;.v. 201| 1 '•Waimarino ■ .i. 220 . P.aurimu 227 . Tamarunui ....i....!..;.. : 253 Fra.nkton Junction' ■, 342 Auckland 427