THE MANAWATU LINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 8

THE MANAWATU LINE.

SHOULD IT BE DUPLICATED? • A deputation of Pahautanui residents, . who were, introduced by 'Mr..- Field, MJ., . urged the Hon. R. M'Kenzie (Minister for Publio W-orksJsto consider .the advisableness ; of making Y'a Survey via - their, district ;of . a :' route which would be a duplication of the Manawatu line. v'■ ■ - -• It was asserted that the duplication of' the line between Paekakanla and Wellington would shortly be an absolute necessity. To take a line via Pahautanui would be. better than to make a deviation from Waikanae to Upper Hutt by way of the Akatarawa Valley. It was . suggested that 1 the", cheapest and best route coula be -secured by leaving the: Manawatu line at-Wamui (two miles north of Paekakariki), taking a line through Pahautanui, and joining the Hutt line, at Belmont. From Paekakariki -to Belmont . was!' only, aboutl4 miles, and an almost direct route: between thosd- places' 'pould■ be secured' by, going' over a low .hollow.'-in' the. 'hills. .By follAwing it,' tho -Paekakariki Hill, and the. numerous bad curves between it ' and Wellington would bo avoided. It was not expected that the line would'be built next year or the year after, but they did think. that tho claims -of the route they had suggested should not bo overlooked.: The line could be taken through with only, a; single .tunnel,, and in addition-would pass' through country that. had not yet been touched, by;'either road or railway. '■' Tho E. M'Kenzie (in reply) said ho would have no objection to sending a man out to. make a'flying survey of the route, if such' had not already been done, but he could not see .his , way clear .to spending money on a trial survey. The Manawatu line , was quite capable of coping ,with two or three , times the.present traJEc, and by u'siiig the best; facilities vcould :be made to carry perhaps ten or fifteem times as 'much.;. He aid' not ■,expect .to 'see' the', new ,line made in his : time, Tout that was no -reason why he should not have information; upon it. if only to put before deputations wnich'.came, about it.' 'There ; could bo nothing in the j way of: a .promise as to ■ construction' of the : line,: as' there . were a few. thousand miles of railway to be inade else.where first' : The Manawatu line,' worked to its fullest capacity, could take a train every quarter of an hour. ' . ": . ' ' Hr.. Field'.-Directors of the old Manawatu Railway Company/told me that if the line had not. been taken over by the Government they would have considered the duplication of the track' betw&en Paekakariki and Wellington al-most-at once. ■ Mr. M.*Eenziei Yes, but its different when you have got to pay for it.