THE AUCKLAND RAILWAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15746, 22 October 1914, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND RAILWAYS

Financial stringency arising from intense war conditions, does not depressingly affect a, country like New Zealand, which is a producer of staple foodstuffs and material. This has been recognised by the Government in its Public Works Statement, which assumes that reasonable loans can still be negotiated and that sound developmental work can be steadily proceeded with. T.ho public will agree that this is sound policy, and there will be equally general .agreement throughout Auckland Province in the wisdom of pushing forward the provincial railway lines dealt with by tho Minister for Public Works. Two of these have very properly been officially elevated to the dignity of Main Trunks"; the North Auckland Main Trunk and the East Coast Main Trunk. In the North Auckland system may bo included the Whangarei connection, than which no more important service can bo secured at a comparatively small cost, and the,Ks,wakawaHokianga line, which will too linked with Auckland, when the Whangarei connection is completed; for this North Auckland system £1135,000 has been provided. Tho East Coast system, between Waihi and Gisborne, is also allotted £125,000, of which £25,000 is to be spent on the longdebated Waihi section. The third important provincial line—the Stratford connection—has been provided with £100,000, and this will be money well spent, for it not only opens us a large area of mineral and agricultural country, but will givo direct communication between the rich province of Taranaki and the north. In the future the promising centre of Stratford, which has made remarkable growth of recent years, will bo found among tho most profitable trading connections of Auckland and the railway will profit by this trade while developing the district traversed. Kaihu, Waiuku, Awaroa and Raetihi aro also recognised as deserving of improved railway facilites, and of these, as of the greater works, it can be med that each will amply repay the money spent in their districts. Without counting the £65,000 allotted to the Napier-Gisbornc connection, and counting in the Stratford conn

tion, we have £445,000 appropriated for Auckland railway building. Tho province deserves every penny of this. Not a rail will be laid that is not called for by commercial and industrial requirements. When we consider that this is war time and remember the treatment of the province under tho Continuous Government there can bo no question that Auckland has gained immensely by entrusting administration to tho Reform Party.