EAST COAST LINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14250, 22 December 1909, Page 7

EAST COAST LINE.

V WAIHI IN THE COLD, The fact that no provision is made m the portion of the Public Works Statement referring to the East Coast railway, for the commencement of work at the Waihi end is regarded with anything but satisfaction by ; the members representing the districts affected. Mr. Poland, member for Ohinemuri, in • expressing his strong dissatisfaction to your representative, said: " The Minister has turned completely round since he went through the district seven months ago. He then distinctly said .that the Tauranga-Te Puke section of the line could not he proceeded with until the line had reached 'I'aura.nga from Waihi. He then said that the extension of a railway must always be commenced from the last completed point, and yet, after saying that (as reported in the Hehajj) of May 7), he proposes to start the line in the middle, a course of action he previously ridiculed." Mr. Poland also referred to the fact that the WaiHi railway station was placed in its present position outside of the town four years ago, in order to fit in with the continuation of the line to Tauranga. " The people of Waihi," he added, "have been suffering a great inconvenience since then, and apparently will have to go on suffering it for many years to come. It now costs as much for passengers to get from Waihi to the station as it does to travel by train to Paeroa." Mr. Greenslade and Mr. Poole also expressed regret that the line was not to be started from the Waihi end, the latter remarking that the decision to proceed with the Tauranga-Te Puke section was, no doubt, due to the fact that it was much oasier of construction than the portion between Waihi and Tauranga. Mr. Greenslade commented unfavourably on the fact that no provision had been made for the line to Kawhia and Raglan, or for the commencement of the StratfordOnparue railway from the Ongarue end. The Hon. S.' Thorne George states that he regrets that the line was not to be begun from Waihi, but no doubt, he said, the Tauransra-Te Puke section was to be undertaken because it was easy country to rail, the cost being probably not more than £3000 a mile. The Tauranga-Te Puke line would, he said, form part of the main line, whether it was constructed by either the Waihi, Katikati, or the Mamaku route.