KAIPARA RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5396, 4 March 1879, Page 2

KAIPARA RAILWAY.

Tenders for the extension of the Kaipara railway from the Whau to Rivcrliead, a distance of a little over 11 (or, including sidings about 13) miles, hivo been sent to the Government in duplicate, including what are known as the coastal liuo ami the inland line. Tliore have been five tenders forwarded from Auckland by the following contractors : —Messrs. Taylor and Danaher, Briton aud Cameron, lloss, Larkins and O'Brien, and McKinnou and Co., of Waikato. The choice of a route for this line has loug been a bone of contention —the district engineer favouring the coast line, as being tae cheapest to construct aud presenting the fewest engineering difficulties, while the settlers favoured the inland route, as being that best calculated to open up the trade of the country and develop its resources, although they questioned the possibility of its being the most costly to" construct. Hence, in an interview with the Hou. tho Minister for Public Works, held during his recent visit to Auckland, they only urged the advantages to settlement which would arise in the event of the inland route being adopted, aud Mr. Macandrew consented to call for tenders, on tho understanding that if the cost of the inland line did not greitly exceed that of the coastil line, it would, in deference to their wishes, be adopted. Since the tenders have been lodged, we have made inquiries of tho contractors, and our readers will be surprised to learn that the inland line is, in every instance, the cheapest by about £1,000. This is, it must be recollected, the result of thu careful calculations and quantities of hardhe.uled business men, prepare! ta undertake the work at the prices specified, and who have no personal interest iu one route above the other. The contractors themselves have been equally surprised at the result. We do not, of course, know the exact amount of any ten ler yet, but we are credibly informed that Messrs. Taylor aud Danaher's tender, which is under £33.000, is the lowest for the inlaud route, anil Messrs. Briton and Cameron's for the coastal line. Whether such is the-fact or not we cannot say, but we are positively assured that the contractors discovered that the inland line can be constructed at a considerably less cost than tho coastal one, and it will, no doubt, now be adopted by the Government.