THE WAIHI-TAURANGA LINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18090, 15 May 1922, Page 5

THE WAIHI-TAURANGA LINE.

Sir, —The people in this part of the Dominion are becoming concerned as to the prospects of railway communication. La 1913, Sir William (then Mr.) Hcrries opened the railway station at Kaiwaka, North Auckland, and at that gathering ho emphasised the need for a railway through the North and said- thai the Government, of which he wa3 i member, would turn its attention to it after the East Coast line had been completed, tha latter being of the most importance to Auckland and the country as a whole. These remarks were endorsed by Mr. G. L. Peacock, then president of the Auckland Railway League. Since that time the most important section of the East Coast line, namely, Waihi-Tauranga, has received such small expenditure that at times the work almost stood still, while the progress of the North Auckland line ■was allowed to gallop in spite of the costly tunnels that had to be pierced. Large sums of money have tieen spent on .the branch to Whangarei and now there is talk of a line to Waipu. Mr. Coates to'd a deputation at Katika,ti the week before last that after further sums of money had been spent on lines in the North the plant and money would be transferred to this line but did not say when it might be expected. With good workable country and no tunnelling the small sum of £350,000 would link up 40 or 50 miles of line that has been completed and that cannot be taken over by the Railway Department. This would open up a dairying district that when fully developed would outrival Waikato ar/d Taranaki. It would carry to Auckland City and other parts fiax and timber in quantities such as are tiow hard to find, and would give access to the rich gold mines of Te Puke. It is work that cannot be overlooked and must be completed. H. Webstzh.