Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1915. NORTHERN MAIL RAILWAY.

Northern Advocate, 11 May 1915, Page 4

Northern Advocate Daily WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE Northern Mail Daily.

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1915. NORTHERN MAIL RAILWAY.

wr > T * Tf \ V.SMJ i!SION THlo >!16 H the r ost as a \ y, ">' ■■ r \ ? ■■ r

Tlif attention that North Auckland is receiving , in the matter of railways is the outcome of a wider knowledge of what this part of Xeu' .Zealand is really worth, and there is some μ-ratification in knowing that the spell of ignorance eotieeniing Ihe inherent l.v rich qualities of this region has heeu at length broken and suceecded.by an intelligent recognition of the actual circumstances. The acknowledgment is belated enough in ;ill conscience, and not only has the North been kept out of her due, but the Dominion as a ■whole has lost immesurably through the delay in developing a great asset capable of returning much profit. The one consolation derivable .from the situation is that the developmental work now in progress is better late than ne\'er: bul if real justice were done we should lie in receipt of treble the present amount of railway construction votes to make up in some measure for the continuous indifference which I he North has had fo endure while other portions of New Zealand, no in ore worthy, have • been accorded ample provision. The North Auckland main trunk line is. however, going ahead, even if the rale does not come up to our desires and deserts, and we are at least able to extract the satisfaction therefrom that half a loaf is bellei , than no bread. For a distance of approximately DO miles from Auckland the rails have been laid, and a passenger and goods service is available over 80 miles, the terminus being al Kanganui (formerly OlamateaK while it is possible to travel a further Uvo miles per ballast train to KickerstaitV. This advancement, as we have said, may be regarded Avith pleasure as an earnest of the Administration's intentions, though the feeling is somewhat tinged with regret that the most advisable bourse was not followed in the first instance. The Bickerstaff c route, it will be remembered. Avas opposed tooth and nail by the member for Marsden, who became quite a notorious battler for the rights of the ease, but was unfortunately butting against an adamant wall in the then Public Works Minister. The effect of the ministerial obstinacy is now only too apparent in the fact that the main line would otherwise have been many . miles further north to-day if it had not been deliberately deviated via Bickerstaff c over one of the most costly and unsuitable routes that "it was possible to pick. Every unprejudiced authority concui's in the treacherous nature of the country traversed and the expensive engineering difficulties encountered. These are said to have been successfully overcome, but even so an enormously unnecessary amount of expenditure has been involved in three tunnels which pierce quaking country at Bickerstaffe, -Maungaturoto, and Huaran respectively, while the Otamatea River has had to be bridged at a great outlay. For the same amount of money the line could in all probability have been carried one-third as far again in the same time, over' safe country, and have been more direct and of quite equal service. It is. of course, all to late to talk of amending the matter, of which we must make the best as the present Administrative had to do with the awkward legacy, and to keep on urging that the best is not lost sight of.