THE NORTHERN RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8318, 26 July 1890, Page 3

THE NORTHERN RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,—ln a recent issue appears a letter from Mr. Thomas Gubb. He states that what the people want is the pushing on of the railways, and nob roads, which he illustrates by saying the Government are being asked for a large sum of money for a road that has been already too costly, and that if £5000 were spent on it from W&rkworth to "Welleford it would still be a bad road. Now as a great part of that road is metalled and nearly all graded to not more than 1 in 13, and it is only 14 miles long, it will be obvious that there is some mistake here, as £5000 would metal '20 miles. Five thousand pounds would put the Main .North Road in a good state from the Waiwera to the Oteamata,, a distance of about 35 miles, and would be a great boon to a large body of settlers, particularly to those living on the western side. As this would enable them to reach Warkworth, where the fares are much lower (on account of there being only steam fares) than on the west side at any time of the year, with a fair load ; and this would have a tendency to reduce steam fares on the western boats, so that in every sense it would be a great advantage to have this road put in good condition. With regard to the railway, which Mr. Gubb seems to hope so much from, I think it will be of very questionable value, as agricultural produce would not bear tho charges on a railway for so long a distance. Bub if the railway be desirable still it is necessary to have good roads to the railway, as the most of the people will be some distance from the railway, and will have to cart to and from it to their homes. Everyone knows that our roads in the winter are mere mud tracks, not worthy of the name of roads ; but the most of them are bridged, and compensation claims have been paid, to place tho roads in positions where good grades can be got, and a large part of the grading has been done. It only remains to metal them to give the settlers good facilities of transit. And if the Government would grant £50,000 to this county, and the same to YVaitemata, this sum would metal the whole of the main roads in both counties, giving facilities of transit to the whole of the settlers that they have nob at present, and which a railway cannot give, and at a saving of cost over a railway of, at least, £150,000 from Helensville to Wellsford. Main roads are those traversing the counties roads from port to port, aud connectting one main line with another. This is

a time of economy, when no borrowing must be done by the colony if we mean tc save our credit, and get clear of the hea*,f burdens that oppress us. Now the pltu proposed would tide us over a few years, in which time, with the facilities given by good roade, the country would fill up with population, which would largely increase our revenue, and soj enable us to make our by or district roads good, and give time to consider whether the interests (particularly of those on the western side) will bo best served by a railway or a canal, in districts so abundantly supplied with waterways.— I am, &c., Nathaniel Wilson.