FOR THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 9

FOR THE FUTURE

WELLINGTON'S EXPANSION

RIMUTAKA DEVIATION

THE WAINUI PLAN".

(By Coleman Phillips.)

The Government engineers having now practically decided upon the MangaroaCross Creek Deviation, in preference ■to that via Waimii-o-mata-Pigeon Bush, it is my duty to show wherein that preference is against the interests of both Wellington and Wairarapa. Audi alterem parem (hear the other side) is always a fair motto for guidance.

The" reason put forward by the Hon. Mr. Coats for the tunnel at Mangaroa is "that it will not disturb existing arrangements." My answer to that is, "that it is these very existing arrangements that badly require to bo disturbed.'' (1) The present., line is so unsafe between Belmont and Haywards, that trains can only run over it at ten miles an hour. A very great flood may wash it away altogether. (2) The line should be taken up through the centre of the Hutt Vallty. (3) The section—Upper Hutt to Mangaroa—rises 259 feet in two miles —or about eighteen inches to the chain. (4) The fall from Mangaroa to Cross Creek is 177 feet in about 8 miles, or 22 feet to the, mile. (5) For the above reasons an Express Service out and into the city cannot be run on the Mangaroa-Cross Creek Deviation, whereas it can be run on the W.iinui proposal. So 'what is gained to Wairarapa in distance (7 miles by Mangaroa, as against 3^ by. Wainui), will bo lost in time. I must compliment Mr. Furkert upon supplying us with an eminently fair report. Only he does not give the importance I do to the absolutely necessary wants of the' Capital City, which I-propose to review. (1) He gives the cost of the Mangaroa-Cross Creek Deviation at (roughly) £950,000, as against £1,450,000 for that by Wainui. (2). He gives the length of the Mangaroa tunnel at 5 miles 18 chains, whilst, the two tunnels via Wainui would be 4i miles. (3) He approves tunnelling out in place of crawling over the hills. (4) He states that the section, Upper Hutt to Mangaroa can be improved up to 1 in 60, but that would riot do away with all sharp curves, which militate against an express service. (5) He frankly thinks that pollution of the Wainui Reservoir can be avoided. (6) He certainly lays stress upon the wide, area of magnificent level lake land, which the Waiuui route would make' easily availablo for the city. (7) He says nothing of the H.P. water tunnels or the city milk supply.. ■ I. write, subject to correction, but the present train time, Wellington to Featherston is 2hr 40min... Via the Mangaroa deviation, it will be 2 hours. "Via Wainui it would be only 1£ hours. So one hour would be gained, in and out, by each train, to Wairarapa people via Wainui, over the Mangaroa tunnel. The distance from Mangaroa to Cross Creek is about eight miles, but whereas the Wainui tunnel is only 1 in 100. against Wairarapa traffic, that by Mangaroa will be 22 feet to the mile. ' Mr. J. H. Dobson examined the Mangaroa-Cross Creek Deviation in 1899, and reported it impracticable, except jvith a five-mile tunnel. Should the engineers inflict a five-mile tunnel upon Wairarapa people? As Mr. Dobson, with his brother, were trie discoverers and first surveyors of the big Otira tunnel, just completed, his opinions are entitled to much respect. I rather think he favoured the Wainui Deviation as it would give us an express service.

There are two tunnels via Wainui. Tho first rising from Lowry Bay to the reservoir, about half a mile in length, is 1 in 70. The second, under the Orongo Orongo, about 3£ miles in length, is 1 in 100; and the fall, from the lake end of the big tunnel, to the lake, is 1 in 80. So it is fairly level all through; hence an express service. I gather from Mr. Furkett that the Mangaroa tunnel would be 1 in 60.

Of course what is done now in the matter of this deviation' fixes our fate for the next hundred years. The greatest care, therefore, should be given as to the* steps taken now. There are six important objections (inter alia) to the Mangaroa-Cross Creek deviation: (1) The already bad state of Wellington city congestion, which it will not relieve. (2) A cheaper milk supply, ■which it will not give. (3) An additional level suburb for the city, which with it, is quite out of the question. (4)' The first section of the Wellington-Auckland East Coast Trunk Railway, for which it is quite useless. (6) The continued closing of Wellington's real hinterland, the great east coaat runs, some 2000 square miles in area, the opening of which depends upon the Wainui deviation. And (6) the non-progress of Wairarapa owing to the non-dairy settlement of these east coast lands. CONSIDER THE FUTURE. Now I am well aware what I am. up against, but it is my duty at least to combat it. Our Wellington city fathers, in the matter of the Girls' College site, resolved '/to look only to the present, and to leave posterity to look after itself." But is this right? Has not the future to be considered by thos.e in charge of our public services ? I think it will be found that all the chief areas of level land at Micamar, Island Bay, and the Hutt have been mopped up by various church organisations, out of whose hands it will be impossible to get anything for the public service. What any church gets it sticks to, and usually asks for more. Therefore, our city fathers should do at least what the churches do, and consider the future-; Wellington's population will-soon be double and treble what it is to-day. How are educational requirements even to be met then, let alone tho other public wants? A thousand years ago the people in England did not build their colleges in London itself, but at Oxford arid Cambridge, many miles from the city. It follows, therefore, that a wide, level suburb such, as tho Wainui deviation would supply, at the lake, would give thousands of acres for future public wants. The railway time" to the'lake suburb will be slightly less than that now to Upper Hutt. Confucius taught, •■'that he who (Yd not think of the morrow-would soon-find sorrow near at hand." Five hundred years later came the teaching (and is now followed), "Think not of the morrow. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." It is much to be doubted whether the latter teaching is correct, and whether it is not the bounden duty of the City Fathers to provide for the future, especially in the matter of this railways deviation, which we shall see directly, we consider the milk supply. The price of this commodity has to be increased, and I contend it is altogether too much to expect people to pay B£d a quart for milk, which is equal to 2s 10d a. gallon or 7s Id a lb for butter, as it requires two and a half gallons of milk to make a pound of butter.

Years ago I informed Sir John Luke and Mr. Norwood that a cheap milk supply depended entirely on quick transit, via the Wainui deviation, and the largo dairy factories now at work around the

lake. Those two gentlemen, and the railway engineers, with the Hon. Mr. Coates himself (who is a very excellent Minister of the Crown), should consider a little the wants of Wellington children in the 'matter of this milk question. I tell Wellington citizens frankly that the proposed Mangaroa-Cross Creek deviation will not.add a gallon to, or lessen the price of, milk to the city a farthing a quart; whereas the Wainui deviation means mi unlimited supply f or t nree times the present population, at 5d to 5Jd a quart. My proposition was for the city, to buy 3000 acres at the lake, and put on its own cows so as to keep prices within reason; and this can still, and should be, done if the Wainui deviation is made. WHAT WAINUI DEVIATION . MEANS. ■ The Wainui deviation also means an easy and quick command of the h.p. city water service from the Orongorongo and the Wairongomai 'Rivers. Unless it is made it will be difficult to control the water tunnel Mr. Semple is now making and the coming tunnel to the Wairongomai. Are these two great city supplies (milk and water) to be imperilled because the railway engineers wish to construct a five-mile tunnel via Mangaroa-Cross Creek, which Mr. Dobson did not approve, in order that extremely bad existing arrangements should not be disturbed? It will be amply sufficient if the present line. Petone to Mangaroa, be retained as a local valley line. • Their having decided, however, upon the Mangaroa-Cross Creek deviation, all danger of the line being taken up the Pukuratahi Gorge is now averted, and a reservoir can be constructed there for h.p. water and hydro-electric supply for the city. But still .my mind trends to. drawing upon the Wairarapa Lake itself for an additional future water standby. During the past half-century I have seen even the Ruamahunga almost dry in places. ' A great drought may really affect all the small rivers supplying the city, and with three times its present population, which it must soon have, the water supply must be assured. I should therefore like to seethe mile water tunnel put in from,the Orongorongo outwards to the -Wairongomai (as soon as Mr. Semple's present tunnel is finished), and a pumping station erected at the big bend in. the Wairongomai to draw water from the lake itself into the Wairongomai reserve, should it be re quired, from whence it would gravitate into the city.