TAURANGA AND A RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 108, 8 May 1909, Page 9

TAURANGA AND A RAILWAY.

ME. R. M'KENZIE'S VIEWS. [Bt Teuegbafh. — Spbcial to Tux Post.] AUCKLAND, This Day. 1 In replying to a deputation at Tau- ] ranga, the Hon. E. M'Kenzie said that I he was not travelling to select a route 1 so much as to see if it was worth the j Government's while to lay down a rail1 way. The Government had at present I something like 400 or 500 men working between Karaka and Motu. It wjaid . cost about £10,000 or £12,000 a mile to build pa^ of the railway, and the Government would have to provide a revenue of £500 a year for every mile. At the same time, they had to provide about £2,000,000 every year for railways ail over New Zealand. I "While lam Minister for Public j Works," continued the Minister, in ic- ] f erenCe to- a request made to him, ' I ; have no intention of starting a section I of railway from Tauranga to Te i-'uko. A short section like that — und^r twenty I miles — would never pay, and it was imI possible to make it." If the i;ul»vay 1 came from Waihi the Tauranga. people I would have to wait until :t: t- £T'»o to lau,i iranga. If Parliament votel Ji!£G,OGO I or £100,000 a year to buiid the railway I with, he would see that it w-is spent I in the best possible way.