RIVAL ROUTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 742, 15 February 1910, Page 8

RIVAL ROUTES.

AUCKLAND RAILWAY. Ki-'i'y'.■"■ • •• ■■ -y MEMORIAL TO PRIME" MINISTER. \ A memorial has .been 'drawn .up by the &.' 'Auckland Railways;. League, for • presentatoythe'Priine.'Minister,' praying .that ;y:;:!-'eonsideratioh of. the''southern, of.' thc;two y : - western /deviations Jin the North. AtickfV vf;ian^.Main: Trunk;railwoy■ included in , ' -the scopa of a'. Royal Commission ap- -: '.pointed,;'.or,;:to- to inquire ; : y .' ! ;into. tha r northern; ' The question of the y • lival routes for this northern railway, '*.'. -was warinly • discussed; in -Parliament: and ;• :• by deputations during- thei.recent session. ,After.. th« route', had. been fixed ' by Authorisation''jict,'- I '' settlers,'-:.'of : ;the, Wairoa chiefly; asked-for a delation,, which i' ,; . thei Hon; W. i'MWroraiiefiised;;-'-';- Ho, .'statedtlia\Messrs., Hales, Vickerman, and ' i.Boliues,'' Government engineers, favoured jyV : : 'the . original route.. .. In : February, .1909, lyy-the. Hon. R. ; M'Kenziey weiit oyer''the. c":-' I,;,'' routeI',1', and-'-proposed deviation,' with;: Mr. K.y/'-'Wilsoii;:/.''' district/ engineer; and Mr'. Holmes,. «nginccr-in-chicf. Mr. irivonp/'K. jie;. decided'.ill favour., of,.the' western de--'v' viation. in spite." of J the' ■ fact 1 that; the engineer-in-chief • was favourablo to tho |;y original froute.i:. Jt;'"i^'Considered, by-op-r": ponent-s pf the, deviation,' 1 that -Mr. ;M'Kenfe ' :: ; tie hds'''adduced;'iib» suffioient,,rejis'on, for |y ; ; Ihe change.' -an'd '.it'-: is ' asserted - by, .the - [ ■■ ■ League . ■ that •, his' stock;. ..and' itopulation returns left ..most populous"', and productive parts';-;bfythe, K> vvsistrict;;':::Until ' the ■ Petitions'. Commit-; !'■>•;■'.V-tee of the.^^House -topk-evidence, it .was |i' : / not: known that the.engineer-in-sihief was • . opposed : to the j\y :been'. commenced ' on-.-the ■ southern dwial .y . tion in! which, '-.according. to the . estiJ; mateof .Mr. Stewart, an. engineer of , reputation; an extra sum of. <£90,000. 13, 1 b/;'-»involved;; ;The.league, supported by Auck- \\ / iland .City., members, ' urges that, an ln"vestigation ; by a R-oyal Conunissionshould ' ■ f-'* ' .v ibe'!-.held : before ,tho railway', is- put in, fef. bi'and. It is urged. that the .construction of- the line ,may . be.delayed .for- five, years j, 1 . .. ."' if: the deviation, is followed. ' , ■ y-r . ' ■■ The y text of the . memorial vis . .as folsy : ; ; iy> "Wilh regard to.-' the, Northern; Main |;5: ' vTrurik, Railway, and to : the question of t'sy:^pertain;- : ffrom-<: the J '! original route decided upon" by the late,, f Minister - for 1 Public Works,.. the. . Hon. f'V,k ':'.Wm. : . Hall-Jones, - and- more,particularly l'., . with - - respect to . the'- proposed' western y : deviation'' between .Topuni and tHe. point f:;. . known as M'Carroll's Gnp, ; this memorial ;v.;y' humbly ' showeth! "l. That it. has been declared 111 Par's;'." liamrnt by ■the , Hon.'' the .-Minister - for fyiv public WirksV thatvii Royal j :s- n-ill be .set up to: inquire,-into; the ;ques-., Ifri'-y^oii^of'the !proposed deviation-nbrtliiof: ■y- . M'Carroll's Gap on the Northern' Main fS fy Trunk: line, o^,,railway. !' - .'- ; y ' Kl;:-: r v',^2.';That deviation" 1 . proiwsed south, of . M/Carroll's. Gap, con- . '.!' cerning:-which., there ii far niore^ dispute j j L - .■ and ■ divergence of 1 opinion, than in the [:: ,-■.' case of ■ the first' .deviation, 'mentioned,,- it' 1 | T v;V.vis .very;'desirablo in.th'e public 'interests t.y *'.:;!that .th 6 scope"6f.,inquiry;- l ot the intended . ; IRoyal ..Commission be ...extended ; to V in-, fc' /clude ithe. consideratio'n of .both deviations.; Your, .memorialists submit ,that "there are" . ..c'ogentyrea'sons' which should!' lead - the j Government!-to .adopt, this ,which . t:,'they ''earnestly commend! totyour.,favour- i ; - -able-consideration,- namely:—v ] "3. .Tha"t:it appeai-s,' from""the!.evid.ence: '' 1- -taken before' the"Parliamentary. Commit- j ®y;;.>teeril; to'Z;: in December, 1909,;: that}:the' :|;yi! ! and: the. district engineer, •' Auckland.are; at.f variance! in', their, es'timatfes .of.- the. reMveV-;cbst;i6f.'tho!.liiie. ': ::';;!!, " ~6oiith, of-M'Carroll's,Gap,:,via-tho,Young's J y' , , ,Poirit ; and'' Bickerstaffo. route,: as cpm- . ■ ( v r.!pared with'-lthe eastern,' route, originally. . 1 ;!., lixfed upon;- -v.!! ".','' :!''; ;! "■! yy\'4.' ::That\-upony the following 1 .points •' 1 y there appear to be extraordinary dif- ; . 1 sy!y ferehces' ..of, opihioii amongst; professional i i ■:. :.authorities ;—(a) The length' of tunnelling 1 [iv:s;inyolved' on .the,:respective routes;, (b) ] :;. ;!; ' : : °f 'required,-'- and the 1 ts ' cstimate of cost of the.;'tidal' .1 bndffe over the Otarnatea esti!,'iry.. . rVs,! ;; 1 'vp-! That-'ihe : ;serious nature of the difii- '! («y (Culty; of the/unstable: ground .to'.be 'con- ; >t^.'vS f *? n 2? d : ,w itii,'.'W^^Tereing ; :!,!i;he v*Bicker^ block-, is "iii': evideiice"' fully acl-- j , ' - 'mitted by the. ehgineer-ih-chief, and yet; ) jxieii, mad© to . even - approximately estimatethe extra 'cost',; of 1 e : -'!i>;.-7®wistruction'. : . thereby -involved which, in ' E i?. !ew experience upon the Hoteo-Te ) ': -tlana' section of :-tlie/ constructed , line,' * ,y- .-.. .may easily amount to many thousands-of 1 and-delay! the; completion, of'the' 4 y-, • railway for trom three .to'five; 3-ears!' -'• § ' :.,y "?• That the''Statement, of the.' district 1: -j-X---'.-'.-?^»w.--.tl»t , ..tlierft,? / i4ttiaorß ! ..''6lippiiiK 1: »;M •. gronnd; on the eastern • thanVon.the west-' h i is,/in'.tlie * opinion' • of.; your t £ aiid of- all^others who 'know t ! v.y the.-grouß'd;;.an extraordinary statement, 'u i'':' "• .iDvestigation, can Dot be sub- ]< iV' •.•Btantiatcd; ,; " -■■■ ■ j .y _ That the district engineer at- Aiick- " ' t that proper s : no ? : ' l Jl er piy : -' , iiying^' ; .surTeys were '? • - -. made, passed .through . his' h»a<ls, and 11 ;.s; ' ;• yere; sent .to tlie. head office -in Welling. s £?:■ Nevertheless, ;iio :plans .or sections 11 of' ; either.,prel]minary,:trial, or detail sur-. : n • evidence before 'the -Parliti- r o p ; .J?' -House by* the 'hon. •'member for s ;; they .w ;,,. v - ;ii I- ; memorialists humbly sub- • t > snCh plans. :and-sections should' h'H :. ; ,opt ttora. the cognis- : f:r.'; : '.! lM .^;? f i% .Parliamentary,; .Committee, fey ,y .tana ; if such ,plans 'are produced'be- 'j f..v -i! I, Commission the ' . whole ' : : in controversy 'could very "soon bo ' [v':-;\Y v settled,- even allowing'for -the usual- im- '• pv -V y.provemcnts effected in the location of-the A ji V:'; ; '. working .-suryey.^ unlfiss: the Koyal;-'Comrriissiob/ s! S R •';its.. . ofy inquiry : .eiiiafged ' as t! asked>to'r f ,be set up!without delay, -ti ll.'gOi on .as -iinder'the.accepthnco. 8-t/./'-v"- . ''"Y- Cabinet.-of .'the; western - .route,- which P f- J :• -• s pay. lead to a very heavy extra cost, and tl [W:: - ipss of time: extending, it may.be, for sev- t( y'"'' ®ral .which th'e;:e's:amination., of: the s] - Q 11 , 6 ?", 0 !! ,by; the Eoyal-- may ci entirely, save; • . vi; .- tJ if, as state'dVby :'tiie -lion, the ; . Minister for. i'ublic^.Works,"Jt'lfe^'evidence ! f;, ' }a-favour!i of-thelproposbd^,deviation is the -production before '!. the Eoyal,-Commission of !the plans, 1! etc., w yo.; .connected -with the !Vtrial!- ;-br!. other!!sur- 9 veys. would./finally;. settle the question ™ v..! !>. beyond possibility;=oi.'reaso'nable 'ispute;-. g "11. That! apart entirely from' the c' _• ' epective local .interests""connected ; wi'tli'this ri yy - question/ your, memorialists.' "respectfully , n . submit that; tner.'scope'tot'inquiry of tho fi • . : ItoyaKCoimuission should be enlarged as v ' herein prayed for,, iis a safeguard against p c;v -: i-Me.nsik-.iif -ii'-mistake-being ihade in the tl ;V: ;; !!,choice of'routes,-which-Once imade would h y: y" be.'irretrievable, besides delaying for on tl .'- /..indefinite terini railwayf.connection:!with : h . the far north. • ■,; - ..■ .: n Forthese reaious! yoiir .memorial- ."•> v favourable an- - •* fc ,:'; ...'iwer.: to,' their".request, :'ahd "hereto' i-e- P 1 :: ;apectfully set' their", names." '' h