RAILWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 147, 3 July 1901, Page 1

RAILWAYS.

At a. mooting in Auckland, Mr S. Vailc spoke on the question of railways. He referred first to tho Main Trunk lino between Auckland and "Wellington. From all he could gather that lino was progressing as satisfactorily as possible from the northern end, and lie behoved thero was no reason why it should not easily bo completed to Kawakawa by September, as promised by the Hon. W. llall-Joncs. He was told also that the lino could bo completed to Taumaranui early next year, or possibly by December this year. Then there was likely to be some little delay on account of the first great bridge being encountered, but ho was told that it was intended to erect a temporary bridge over the river, so that the material could bo carried over, and tho rails laid on the other side while the largo bridge was being constricted. Then there was the ques-

tion of the extension of the line north of Auckland. Ho quite agreed with Mr Mitchelson that this was of far more importance than tho extension southward. Very few people in Auckland had any idea of the enormous amount of wealth lying undeveloped north of Auckland. There were at present over 150,000 acres of native land, and over 100,000 acres of Crown land there which might easily bo made available for settlement. That being the case, it was a monstrous thing to delay the formations of the railways in that district. They must urge the Government to push on these railways at a much greater speed than at present, Auckland was entitled to this, The South Island had an advantage over tho North in expenditure on roads and railways of nearly ,£4,000,000, to say nothing of the roads constructed out of public lands, and Wellington had an advantage over Auckland of 2,500,000. He hoped tho Auckland members of Parliament would insist on a very large grant being placed on the Estimates this year for the extension of the railways north of Auckland- Tho Gisborne line should also demand their careful attention. That line was now being carried on to Karaka, and between Napier and Karaka there was a coastal line which had boon surveyed in detail, and which would no doubt be pushed on to connect with Karaka. If that were done, the Gisborne trade would be given to Wellington. Already Wellington had taken the trade of Taranaki and the trade of Hawke’s Bay, and it was not entitled to the trade of Gisborne, Suoh a line should be constructed for tho bonefit of the colony generally, and what the Auckland people had to do was to insist on it. Moreover, the line he advocated was far more necessary in the colonial interest than the coastal line, "which was being made purely in Wellington’s interests. It was worth noting that after the line got to Karaka there was also a coastal line Surveyed to Hicks’ Bay, and H branch from Hicks' Bay to Opotiki, so that the whole of the East Coast would bo connected with Wellington before it was connected with Auckland. . They should be firmly united, and insist that such a thing should not bo done. 'This line would tap tho immense Motu forest, the timber w hioh was estimated as being worth over <£1,000,000, and if the line as designed was carried out, then that timber would go to Wellington instead of to Auckland. The same thing was going on with tho Stratford line. Work had commenced from tho southern end, and no commencement was being made from tho northern end, so that there, again the Wellington people would come into Auckland’s territory without giving the Auckland merchants a chance to compete with them. They should insist on this line being constructed far more rapidly from the northern end than from the southern end. Seeing that Auckland contributed the largest share of any provincial district to the public revenue, that her trade was larger, and her population larger, it was simply a disgrace the way the people of Auckland had allowed themselves to bo treated by the Government. He hoped tho time had. .arrived when Auckland would wake up and insist on her just due. He hoped the Auckland members of Parliament -would in future insist on the North Island, and Auckland in particular, getting a far larger representation in the Ministry.