THE KAIPARA RAILWAY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4354, 29 July 1871, Page 3

THE KAIPARA RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sic, — As I see from the papers, and from the opinions of competent men, that the Kaipar* railway project is being treated withlukewarmness, 1 think it is neoessary to show the Superintendent and his adviaers, still further, the very great importance of the work, and also that it should be carried out as soon as possible. I would first observe that every resident in Auckland, on first coming here, imagines that the country be« tween Kiverhead and Helensville. is the Kaipara district, and they consequently wonder how pipeclay, of which the majority of the land consists, can support a railway. They do not know that great portions of three counties would contribute to the support of, and must rely on, the railway, to convey their provisions and produce to and from as great a population as the Waikato district. There are more settlers on their land at present than ever there were; and, should this railway not be carried out immediately, I predict, in. two or three years, a general exodus. There is a good sprinkling of capitalists ready and willing to launch out in improving laud and [growing produce, but, I ask, what chance have they now of making anything ? Now, they would simply be ruined. When I tell you that the price for carrying goods across from lliverhead to Helensville, or vice versa, is now 50s. per ton, and in summer 305.; add to that freight by ' Gemini,' and mail boats* on the Kaipara side, and you can then imauine what encouragement there is to live in the district. I maintain that immediately the people sco that the Government is in, earnest, and the railway is, say, half finished, with a certainty of the remainder being proceeded with, there would be at least three times the land cleared; : and 20 times as much cultivated, i.e. ? cropped with wheat, &c, to send to town. People have come on their land expecting this railway to be proceeded with. Should it fall thiough they will not stay ; freights will be too high for them ; so, if the Government and the people of Auckland (for after all the latter look upon themselves as the whole province) wish the Kaipara district. uo deserted, they kav<-j"°* to aiwff the., railway project iv iall through. A steamer on. the Kaipara side can never pay without the railway, at the presenttime, more particularly as the portage road is in Buch an almost impassable state that the drays can barely carry half a-ton per trip. "With these remarks, which I hope you will endorse, I will cloae.— I am, &c. • "W. K.