The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3563, 1 July 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JULY 1, 1912.

It will bo, observed from a news item this morning ' that the decision to make King’s Road the functioning place on the Mot-u lino with the Gisborne-Na-pier railway has boon definitely reversed in favor of the original junction that was selected at Makaraka. (Jpon some occasions it is not very satisfactory to have to take sides t as it wore) on such an important matter, but in this instance we have had no option but to call on the Government of tlxo day to re-oonsider the whole matter with a view to reverting to Makaraka as the site of the proposed junction. Wo do not think it necessary to again discuss at length the advantages which we claimed the Makaraka route has over the King’s Road route. It is clearly the position that if the lands between the Motu line and Patutahi were not subject to floods Makaraka would have been retained all along as the site for the junction. Seeing that that difficulty was present, however, what was done? The District Engineer favored the construction of a high level railway, equipped with flood channels, along the proposed Makaraka route. But the Engineer-in-Chief, in vetceing the suggestion, claimed that it would bo a bettor plan to builcl a low level heavily-ballasted Hue, commencing at King’s road'. As to the merits and demerits of the rival schemes, we must confess that wo were never able to properly understand; why Mr Holmes should have seen lit to “turn down” the. Makaraka route in favor of the King’s road project- It is now reported that he was concerned most with the fact that from a national point of view' the making of King’s Road the junction would involve less construction work, and to a slight extent shorten the distance from Wellington to Auckland' via Napier and Gisborne. To our way of thinking, on

A More Satisfacion - Decision.

the other hand, it was more important/, that-residents of Patutahi and beyond would, under the Makaraka scheme, he saved a distance of 53 chains than that “through” passengers should under the King’s Road route be saved' CO chains. But the alteration will have another groat advantage and that is that by fixing upon Makaraka what must prove a very important junction, will be brought considerably nearer to our own town. Surely it is not necessary to emphasise what a great advantage locally will be here involved. As to the vexed question as to which route presented the least,engineering difficulties, it is also now not necessary to re-discuss the matter at length, in this regard Mr Holmes is reported as now holding “that ti*.e conditions were equal.” For the alteration in question the thanks of the community are undoubtedly due primarily to the good offices of Mr MacDonald, the new Minister for Public Works. It only remains for us to add on this occasion that we feel convinced the people of tins district hold strongly, thav the const! uction of this lino should he considerably expedited. If a reasonable number of additional men were taken oji it would, we believe, be possible to finish the Ngatapa section of 11 miles within twelve months. No one, we should say, will opine for a single moment that that amount of progress is too much to expect. We smcerelv trust, therefore, that the Chamber of Commerce (which is becoming a very useful body) will help us in this another matter which we consider in the public interest.