KAWAKAWA AND WHANGAREI RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8283, 16 June 1890, Page 6

KAWAKAWA AND WHANG AREI RAILWAY.

The very general feeling of interest, excitements, and enthusiasm so" markedly evinced at the public meetings ouring the past month, both at WhaDgarei and Kawakawa, induce me to supplement my List week's reports of the Kawakawa public meeting of the 3rd instant with a few remarks on the great importance of this undertaking, now for many years the burning question of the residents. .According to the very prudent and cautious policy of the committee, it was resolved to limit all discussion to one matter only in reference to the proposed line of railway to join the Kamo line with the Opua-Kawakawa line, and that was the actual value of such line as to the mineral wealth that extends the entire route as surveyed by Mr. Vickerman. In the choice, therefore, of a chairman there could not have been a better selection than the manager of the Bay of Islands Coal Company, whose well-known experience, and information as a geologist was fully borne out by his opening address from the chair, and by other speakers. It was clearly proved that such a line, from the inexhaustible coal deposits along the entire route, thus affording a double traffic to both the harbours of "Whangarei and Russell, would, without question, fully repay the outlay, and ensure an income to the State, beside the actual benefit to both districts. When, therefore, this question of outlay is set at rest, may it not be asked what are the other advantages to be gained by thus connecting a line of twenty-six miles, with no engineering difficulty and easy grade throughout? There are no fewer than three other indisputable apparent advantages : First, as has already been fully reported on, and frequently laid before the public, a vast urea of fertile land along the line, suited in every way for settlement, and particularly adapted for small farms, principally fruit-srrow-ing, which, with the trade now opening up to Sydney, Honolulu, and San Francisco would, on the first movement in the construction of the line be at once eagerly taken up. The facilities for export from Opua and Russell Bay are second to none in the colony. I may here state that while there is a constant demand and repeated outcry of the necessity for the Government to purchase still more land for settlement, it seems to be quite forgotten or ignored the vast estate of the Crown lands in the Northern country is far more suitable for settlement than most other parts of the colony. Thus, in the Bay of Islands County alone, there are 155,000 acres ; Hokianga, 300,000 acres ; Mangonui, 210,000 acres; and Whangarei, 234,000 acres, and although this large amount of Crown lands is unoccupied, and much of it forest land, yet still there are hundreds of tracts, valleys, level plains, and open lands of the best quality almost unknown and unsurveyed, but fit in every way for settlement, many of which this line would open up. Secondly : There is the close contiguity that Vickerman's survey leads along the Puhipuhi Forest and its 300 million feet of timber, a vast amount of which, as one of the speakers mentioned from his individual experience, being employed for a considerable time under the ranger in making up the report of the timber injured by thelire, that if this was not removed a second fire! that no one could prevent, would mosb assuredly cause ten times the loss of the finest timber in the country. The facility of leasing this tract for the sale and removal of this timber by tram lines to the proposed line is apparent, and would give an enormous traffic to such a line, nob to the Whangarei shipping port, but to Opua. Thirdly: There arethe silver mines, which, if they in any way realise the reports of experts and miners, will, in a very short time, as they are more fully developed, and their rich deposits brought to light, cause a rash of population, and all the usual consequences attending a mining community, that would, of itself alone, repay the outlay of the contemplated lino. Such has been reported and written of the lines in the bouth and the traffic, or the probable traffic likely to accrue on them. But where is there such an opening as this? One other matter, as alluded to in Mr. Hobbs' address at the meeting, we must look to the expense already incurred in both the Kamo and Opua lines, and the tremendous differonce ana advantage in such extended traffic. SfnSf rn the n °P ua line *I°™ was over £90,000.—[0 wo. Qotcß«poud*b,]