NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 8 April 1907, Page 8

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Sir.—Referring to a correcting letter in your issue of .March 29 by the general -"< retary of the Auckland Railways League dealing with the diversion of the .Main Trunk railway north of Auckland, I would remindingly point out to those agitating branch leagues, chambers of so-called commerce, as al-o private individuals, that their foolish and undesirable' exertions to divert the North Auckland railway to suit one side of the island more than the other are actually now having that drastic result, a.s warningly alluded to by the Hon. Mr. McNab when on tour in tin- North, of retarding seriously the progressive construction of the line. If this is the attitude these public bodies, in the interests of the. North of Auckland, intend pushing forward the sooner they air relieved the less unfortunate we are likely to b". It Acm Id actually appear that each individual composing these branch leagues, etc., i- an expert railroad engineer— in his own mind — but 1 would ask how many of these members and wouldIk- railway directors have ever even Iwn within 50 miles of the proposed line. At a central meeting of branch leagues held at fa hi on September, 5, 1906, a resolution was i unanimously carried to the effect "That the ; meeting urge upon the Government the liej cessity of pushing on the North Auckland I railway, and the vast importance of emi ploying a capable and uninterested ongineerJ I'iu surveyor," those present hi the meeting j pledging themselves to refrain from any ' battle of routes., recognising the conse. ' (|ueni«'.-. Now what do we see? Only that j those very persons who pledge! themselve* are the identical individuals who are now lining their utmost to rai-e bickering*, which in time means the West (..'oast again 4! the Last Coast and Whanga.-ei ugain-r the Northern Wairoa, and vice versa. My belief is, and 1 quote authority in saying, that the Government conclusively intends laying the lines through the centre of (he peninsula, rind that disputing the route, will only j have the obnoxious power of releasing money-. due for year- pas! to the North for carrying on similar urgent works elsewhere. Surely it ii ridiculous, even incredulous, that people could imagine the line taken either to the west or the east would benefit a larger area of country and population thou by a central route. Certainly it would appeal personal gam has eminent precedeuce of the welfare of the North as a whole. In conclusion, sir, 1 think it i- a groat pity the question of routes has made it- appearance in public print, and 1 sinI cerely trust that settlers will desist from so deterring a tight and rely on tit-' eminent of their country to construct a line satisfactory to the settlers and worthy of a permanent colonial undertaking. Shelter AitT, Alaungatuioto JJrßiie. l League.