ONGARUE-STRATFORD RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 7

ONGARUE-STRATFORD RAILWAY.

i BATTLE OF ROUTES. f J ;*ack OF l-NITY. | STOPPING COXSTBt'CTION*. I - Ok* of the realms vrhf Auckland; ; K*l *o I mourn a lack of railway* is undoubtedly «*« ; j to the unfortunate habit 'Atwkb.edws'»***■ - ! os fightinjt among theswettaw over tLe quej tiott of route*. If there had been :ap «'«'■ i in? &i to whether Auckland was to gereoni wction with \VeUinfftwn. via : jArnn-lki, «« j along the central r.»ut.% the Mam Trunk . ! would have lieea finished >e'tr* *f&* ! s [ Somehow or other Northerners do not learn wisdom, from: M.« *««•©** ~ of «tM Southerners.' If the people of' o'lsgo. m ! Canterbury, or Raw other province south <•' • 5 Cook Strait, want. a particular "„ f»fl*ay 1 they do not begin by quarrelling among j itltein*elvea as to whether one small *eet»M» i of the jomratmity will benefit or, iwih.'f. Anyway, if (hey "differ *§ to" nfmftte "phiI eular.*, they ken their difference*';!© them- ■'.-,. I iielves, and show a united'" front 'Wa*S »1 ;■ ; comes to asking the Government for railway I grants, ! While Aueklanders pulled different way I over the Main Trunk, Qt»go got it" centra 1 line well utivier way; ' f ** • j The dispute over Ihe route of. the Xorti i Auckland lire will no dots throw a htgi ] sum of money on to the Estimate* for ih* ; j fiiininv.i-Pie'atn railway, and if the people j in the King Country begin to argue a* to ; the merit* oi I'uketutu or Otijjarue '«*: the . . junction tor the Auektand-Taraoala cotineej tioa, the Government will cheerfully hang . ' tip this work until Ik th partie* i.«ree. -■; j It is ft difficult matter for Auckland :tc | [ret railway-* under any condition*; and they i have the'definite assurance of _th«. Prime ; Minister ami other Government, .."official*

- • < J ,-.. •■■■ ! that no now lines are to bocommenced un- ! til those under construct km arc completed. Tho Oneamie-Sirntford railway nrorie*of ; ; i those lines authorised by the Govcrntitettt, | and if the people of Taranaki and Auckland j were to pull together in unity . they could :-' ! obtain a grant large enough to enable it to ! bo started at; the Auckland end, as well as | extended from Toko. No one will deny thai this line in of immemo importance. Beftidag opening .vast areas of magnificent land "for settlement it will connect two great province* between which a largo and profitable interchange of ;. ; i trade is sure. - - , It should not: bo forgotten that hundred* ! of settlers have braved (ho draw backs of had ! roads and present isolation in tin? Ohura j Valley and elsewhere oh the definite under- ! standing tlms they were taking up land'on i the route of a railway absolutely asuurcd, at !no distant date. Business men have, everted j buildings ami purchased section* in the. town-, i ships of Onijarue, Maticre, iMungaroa., and | elsewhere,.' trader the saino. conviction, and dairy factories have • been .started in places i specialty selected because they would bo ! handy to the railway. . There is no reason whatever why the King s ■""<' Country people should begin to agitato i against: the ()i.j,'ariie route and in favour of I I'ukoiutu. There- is plenty of; room and , ;) ! jdonty of reason for another/railway to \ branch from the Main Trunk line from socio* | where about Te Kuiti or northwards of that I place to tap the rich lands which stretch | from Oparuio to Awakino, but it is abs-.0-j j lately essential t'.pt, they should, if they j want to get railway connection' with Tarsij naki, drop potty local jealousies ■ arid unite i for the purpose of getting the lino started I from 'Ungaruo and pushed onward to tlw i Ohura. : j The lino, if started' row Pukotntu down the Mokau Valley, is* : quite,.»'.. new. proposiI tion, and would require; the authorisation of .-.■';■-"•'• j Parliament. It would ' make'railway connection with Taranaki over twenty ffijJtotylsiu. longer than tho OogaruO route, arid would pass through limestone country; where roadi .' v can ho cheaply metalled, , ... . ~;, .. ■ The country between 1 Onjjaroo and Btrat* ford is nearly all papa for»ia\jon._ It make. . beautiful fertile pastures. ...and•lß perhaps . ■ - unsurpassed for s".ifep-rr.i.-in;» and, dairyfarming, but it is utterly hopeless from th« !■ " road-making point;.of view. ' This should i' bo taken im;o consideration by those who .•ire urging the advantages of the I'uketutuilokuu divergence. s ' " Under any romp stances :;.; it is absolute folly for two parties to be formed antagonistic to one another with the idea of pushing r forward railway construction in the. Kit*} ' Country. The time has gone by when lorn-' influence'could-', build a railway anywhere. It requires widespread influence, and it will be necessary for all the "scattered people the King Country to unite in favour of the. authorised rente, ".-and to'-'yet the imsifctanoo ! of their friends in Auckland and Tarajwki before they can expect to get even the tieginning of a branch line from ; the Main Trunk to Stratford. Tf widespread influencs is brought fco bear on the Government' re induce it .t« commence the railway from Ongarne toward Matiere,. the Government ■ ' can "bring forward ho argument against it. The route ''has'i already been ; surveyed by Government officers, it war specially selected against three* other, route*, and its advan- - tapes ate widely recognised. No doubt if sufficient' pressure were brought to bear the ,/ Government would be induced when 'shift-in? , its plant and its men after the completion of the Main Trunk to establish them at Onga- , : rue and commence!-the: work so long promised. The only thins? really certain, however, is that if the people concerned in railway connection with Taranaki nquabbls about now routes, there .will, he no line commenced in that part of New Zealand for t long time tio come.