ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14845, 23 November 1911, Page 9

ALONG THE MAIN TRUNK.

■ JHE DESTINY OF ONGARUE. •£TOBY OF SHATTERED HOPES. PROSPECTS OF THE FUTURE. [bt OUR SrECt.U, commissioner.] ;: ; .';" : ." :/ No.' 11. ■ (On'CARC is one of the smaller townships on tho Main Trunk line that has long been awaiting a share of the good things in the way of prosperity that have already fallen to the lot of several of its sister settlement!*, in tho King Country. Tho time was when Ongarue was the principal township in the King Country south of Otorohanga. This was when it was tho rail-head of the Main Trunk line, and the ,' head-quarters of the Public Works staff •ngaced on this work. In course of time, ■ however, the pushing forward of the railway reduced the importance of Ongarue, «nd whilst such centres as Taumarunui, Te Kuiti and Ohakuno progressed in size and activity, Ongarue remained in the position of a second-rate and stationary backblocks township. Its residents accepted ''the-situation with cqanimity and there . was no general, exodus to fresh* fields and • pastures new. There were bright hopes ' in front of Ongarue, and its handful of ■ v inhabitants have for some years since continued to live more or less on such sustenance as is afforded by the sentiment that \ "' springs eternal in the human breast." A Dream of toe Past, s The hopes upon which Ongarue, in its fond fancy, has been building ita hopes of a prosperous future, can only be regarded as well-founded. For nearly a generation past the prospect of this township becoming an important railway junction has been ;•' . - cherished by tho inhabitants and sustained by the powers that be. When the locay tion of the Main Trunk fine wi»a still undecided, one of the proposals under consideration was the adoption of the Stratford route, with the point of divergence at Ongarue. Tho central route Having been ultimately chosen for the trunk line, it became generally recognised that Ongarue would, in the fullness of time, become the junction of the branch lino from Stratford. This expectation was fostered in every possible way by the Government, and for several years past, until the present year, the Stratford-Ongarue railway Bas consist- : .. ently figured in the Public Works Statements and Estimates as amongst the lines ' in course of construction.

Year after year the commencement of operations at the Ongarue end of the " Stratford-Ongarue" lino has been patiently awaited, and although" the Government has confined the work on the Stratford, end, this has been regarded as only in accordance with the general practice of commencing and prosecuting lines; connecting Auckland with other districts, from the southern end. The question of the northern junction being fixed anywhere but 91 Ongarue, has so far as official statements and promises went, never been seriously regarded. The people of Ongarue, relying upon what they regarded as the good faith of the Government, continued to await the time when they would come into their own. They state that as late as the present year an assurance from the Government that the line would start at the northern end at Ongarue, was conveyed to them by their Parliamentary representative (Mr. Jennings), and that a similar statement was made at Ongarue a few months ago by the Minister for Public Works (Mr. It. Mackenzie. Subsequent attempts to obtain a more definite and conclusive declaration, they now complain, with much bitterness, only resulted in their being advised to remain quiet and that all would be well. It was promised, however, that as soon as a- short section of the line from Ongarue could be got ready by the surveyors, work would be started from that end. The erection of a. new post office (now nearly completed), which will cost £1100 or £1200, was also regarded as an indication that the railway junction would be at Ongarue.

A Rude Awakening. ... It was whilst the Government's surveyors were at work at the- northern end of the railway route a few weeks ago, that a suei picion that everything was not as it should be first entered the minds of the hitherto trustful folks of Ongarue. It was observed that the surveyors were at work some seven miles south of Ongarue, and on October 26 a telegram wan sent to the Prime Minister by the Ongarue Vigilance Committee, asking for r sn explanation of this fact. Later in -the day, after the telegram had been despatched, it was learned that a Railways Authorisation Act, which had been passed by Parliament during the dying,hours of the session, had fixed Te Koura, a point some seven miles south of Ongarue (and mid-way between that township and Taumaranui), as the junction of the line. Indignation and astonishment was aroused at Ongarue, and their feelings were not appeased when, five days after the sending of the message to the Prime Minister., a reply was received stating that the matter would "be looked into." At least two of the residents had pinned their faith to the assurance that tho junction would be at their township, to the extent of expending considerable sums on the erection of ? new premises in anticipation of an increased trade. Others had entered into ;'■ business in the township on. the same understanding and all are now, not unnaturally, loud in their complaints of what they claim to be a breach of faith: on the part of those in whom they had put their trust. Tho Official Explanation. ' The official explanation of the deviation of tho line is that it will ensure a shortening of, the distance of the line by some I six miles, and that a saving of £60,000 \ as well as the expense for all time of maintaining six miles of permanent way, will ' thus bo affected. The reply of injured Ongarue to this, is, that if such , bo the I case, " Why was not tho shortest • and m cheapest route selected long ago, before , the promieo was made to us?" It is also pointed out that the adoption of the To Koura route will involve tho bridging of the Ongarue River, and the piercing of a tunnel of about a mile in length. It is calculated that the tunnel work will occupy some three years. As a set-off to the tunnel, the engineer iri.ates that a bet- ; ter grade centre is obtained by the new - route and that some heavy cuttings win be avoided. The new route will join the old route • ' some twelve miles from Ongaruo and about six miles from Te Koura. Several setr tiers have lately taken up land along the twelve miles that will now be cut out of the railway route. To Koura, it may be mentioned, is merely a place on tho map, and the name of a railway station on tho pumice flat which stretches from Ongarue 'to Taurnarunui. At present there are two houses there. . The proposed junction is some two or three miles below the Te Koura station, i and as it is only some seven or eight miles from Taurnarunui it is not expected that : thero will he any township at the junction, i but that the trade arising from the convergence of tho lines will go to TauinarI unui, which will to all practical purposes become the junction. Ongaruo is suspici- ■ ous that tho influence of its neighbour is not altogether unconnected with the devia- : tion, but the Taumarunui people deny that such is the case Some Hope Still .'Left. Whilst, however, Ongarue is lamenting tho loss of what it has always regarded in ■ the light of a railway birthright it is enabled to derive some consolation from the . fact it will aeon be the terminus of a timber railway which is to bo constructed up -. a valley to the eastward of the township. Messrs. Ellis and Burnand, the well-known sawmilling firm, have secured cutting rights over an extensive area of timber country *imc six miles from Ongarue, and it is proposed to tap this by rail from Ongarue. Thus, whilst On cranio will loso a western connection on which it has counted so ,' mu ( it will gain an eastern auxiliary to t-ude of no mean imnortance. A large

mill, it is understood, is to be erected near Ongame, and this will give employment to a large number of men." There is already one mill in the bush referred to.

About six miles from Ongarue and contiguous* to the timber area just referred to, there is a large area of Crown land, which it is anticipated, will soon he opened for settlement. This area includes the Potakateka block of 28.000 .acres, the Ngairo block of 14.000 acres, the Ngapukiturue block of 10,300 acres and the Te Arango block of 1500 acres. The total area that may bo made available for settlement is about 100,000 acres, and a great deal of it is described as suitable for dairying. Onganie is also regarded as the likely junction for the road to Taupo, only some 30 miles away, and as such it would become of importance as a, halting place for the tourist traffic. A sum of £700 was voted by Parliament last session for the, Otangiwai or Mangapapa Road, which will open up the country to the westward and give access to the Waikaka and Aria districts. Theso districts are some 27 miles from Ongaruo by the present means of communication, but when tho new road is made the distance will bo reduced, to from 12 to 15 miles. Attractions to Visitors. There is some good fishing in the Ongaruo River, which runs by the side of the township, and good sport is also obtainable at Wairaiha the first railway station to the north. Situated as it is some 600 feet above the sea level, tho air is healthy and bracing, and as a summer resort the district has many advantages. There is no reason why this centre should not survive the shock "that its system has just received. It may not become aTe Kuiti or Taumamnui, but it should be one of the most thriving of the small townships along the Main Trunk line.