THE FAR NORTH

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1927, Page 8

THE FAR NORTH

NEW RAILWAY SECTION

LINKING UP WITH AUCKLAND

, (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) _. DAEGAVILLE,. This Day. Ihe official opening of. another section of the Waiotira-Pukehuia-Kiriko-puni-Dargaville railway line took plae* on Saturday. Although, the weathe* was atrocious, a. large number of tbtiers attended the .ceremony. The completion of the section will bring the town and the district in eloaer to?wt 1 with Auckland' and- the' Main Trunk Line.., , . The section opened on Saturday $■ between Pukehuia and Kirikopuni, crossing the Northern Wairoa Biver by a fine concrete pier and pile bridged The completion of this section leave* only 13 miles of railway between Kirikopuni and DargaviUe to be constrneted, and as there are no great engineering difficulties and the country is easy,' it should not be more than three yean before the whole line is completed. The' new terminus of the railway brings DargaviUe within seven hours of Auck« land City, and will have most important bearing in the future prospect* ,of the district. Most of the fat stock (cattle, sheep, and lambs) .wil be'landed on trucks there for the Auckland I market. It will also \» used for developing the pig trade. ,The two large , dairy factories are capable at the prei sent time for raising a larger number of pigs, but the facilitites. for getting them, to the market have not been o£ the best, and the returns not encouraging to. the farmer owing to the excessive cost of freight. A completion, of the ■ new line will considerably alter this and already there are signs that the pig industry .will be one of- the best in the district. The opening ceremony was performed by the Hon. Carey J. ■ Carrington, M.L.C., in the absence of the' Bight Hon. J. G. Coates and'the Hon. K. 8. Williams, who forwarded,messages of apo» logics. Other speakers to address the gathering were the Deputy-Mayors of DargaviUe and Whangarei, representatives of the Auckland and Kaipara ; Chambers of Commerce, and representatives of the Hobson and Whangarei County Councils.' The proceedings were most enthusiastic, despite the bad ■weather. At the conclusion of the ceremony the guests, numbering several hundreds, were entertained at afternoon tea by the settlers in the immediate vi» cinity .of the railway.