NEW RAILWAY PROJECT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15098, 14 September 1912, Page 6

NEW RAILWAY PROJECT

PAEROA JO AUCKLAND,

ACROSS EAURAKI PLAINS

OPENING UP NEW COUNTRY.

A deputation waited upon the M (Mr. C. J. Parr) at the Town Hall veS? day and put before him a most important railway project. The deputation con sistsd of Messrs. E. A. Hattaway.( c man of the Pakuranga Road Board) j T. Gill (Howick Road Board), F' w" Brownhill (Tauranga Road Board) ' a J G. Somerville (Paparoa Road Board) Mr. Hat way said that the deputation represented large and important country districts. They wished to invoke th city's aid in what they considered a most important railway scheme. They, though that tho most feasible scheme of conned ing Paeroa. and the East Coast with And-' land was to run a railway direct ro Paeroa to the city. They were aware tf a project already on foot to connect Paerca direct with Pokeno. The deputation considered that a, former scheme was infinitely preferaW from every point of view. Their idea \L to link up Paeroa with Auckland, cornin across the recently-settled Hauraki Plain-" through the Miranda district to Clevedon' thence via Howick, Pakuranga g/ Heliers, Orakei, and Parnell, into the city One of the advantages was that the city'i foreshore would be linked up, and it would greatly benefit the Mayor's Orakei scheme. Mr. Hat,taway continued that the deputation's scheme presented m large engineering difficulties, and was a superior route to the Pokeno project.

Mr. Gill said that the Pokeno schema meant ultimately that the line from Auckland to Pokeno would have to be duplicated. The scheme now presented would save this duplication, and would have the merit of tapping an entirely new piece of country, bringing the trade thereof within a few hours of Auckland's door. It would mean another and an independent railway to Auckland. lb would relieve the main line of the East Coast traffic, which would ultimately extend to Gisborne, and would shorten the journey from Paeroa to Auck, land by 70 miles. Lastly, it would maka Ho wick and Tamaki suburbs of Auckland within 30 minutes' rail of the city. Messrs. Somerville and Brownhill alsq spoke in support of the project. The Mayor, in reply, said that hg greatly appreciated the spirit in which the country districts had approached the city. He was greatly impressed with their idea. Of course, he was ignorant of the engin. eering possibilities, but there could be no doubt that a railway passing through entirely new country up to Auckland's door would be of immense benefit and advantage to the city. He thought from a city point of view the scheme was to ha commended. He suggested that they should obtain an opinion on the route from an engineer, and should lose no time :in submitting their scheme to the local Railways League, asking it to investigate the possibilities of the route.. Mr. Parr promised his assistance in putting tha deputation's views before the citizens, and if the latter were satisfied that the schema, was practicable they would work hard to get it through. The deputation thanked the Mayor and withdrew. '..■--