NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14777, 9 March 1910, Page 5

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAYS.

QUESTION OF ROUTE. (Fboji Orni Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, March 7. Strong exception is taken here to the attitude of the Hon. R, M'Kenzie and the Cabinet'over the North Auckland railway. Some time ago the Minister of Public Works took it upon himself to reverse the decision of the engineer regarding the route of the North Auckland railway between Kaiwaka and Kokianga, deciding on a route to the westward of that originally planned, and running the lino down to the tidal waters of tnc'Kaipara Harbour. A commission was granted to inquire into the matter, but only as regards the route north of a place known as M'Carroll's Gap, where the Minister has authorised a most important departure' from tho route south of that point, and it is a mystery to the people or the eastern side as to what grounds he had for the action. An agitation to have tho scope of the commission widened to include the southern portion was at once started, but tho Minister hurried tho works on, and now Cabinet has refused the request, which was backed up by the Auckland Railways League, the Chamber of Commerce, and the press. It may be mentioned, inter alia, that the' former route took the lino into the Marsdeii electorate, represented in Parliament by an Oppositionist, whereas the route adopted by the Minister takes the line to the Government electorate of Kaipara. The Minister, who was utterly unfamiliar with anything-lib a comprehensive.area of the territory concerned, took a flying tour through it, and has now set up his judgment against the opinions of men like the Hon, E. Mitchelson, who knows the country well, and whose interests really are located along the new route, ■but who condemns the deviation.

The Herald editorially states the position this morning;, and says:—"To the infiuentially - signed' petition forwarded from this district asking that'tne commission might inquire into the proposed route of the railway south of M'Carroll's Gap, Sir Joseph Ward has replied declining to accede to this reasonable request of the memorialists-pin other words,. Mr M'Kenzie has had his own way. He has been allowed to flout a very considersection of public opinion 'in this particular matter, and to dominate the Cabinet. Having regard to all the circumstances of the case, it is inconceivable that the Prime Minister should have adopted his present attitude, except on the hypothesis that Mr M'Kenzie made tho_ demand for an inquiry into a route which he had arbitrarily fixed a personal matter, and thereby placed the head of the Government in an awkward and delicate position. But there are questions involved in this case which far outweigh in importance any considerations of a purely personal character. The route in dispute was decided by Mr M'Kenzie upon his own authority. It was decided, moreover, in the absence of sufficient data, and in opposition to the recommendations of the Government's own engineers. In order that the decision might be securely fixed as final,.the work of construction was hastily begun,' and thousands of pounds have already been expended. The. case raises the question of Ministerial authority, and. we shall be very much surprised if Parliament allows it to pass unchallenged. If Mr M'Kenzie or any other Minister can of his own will decide which way a railway is to go, regardless alike of local feeling and expert engineering advice, parliamentary government becomes a farce. Although the Prime Minister has refused to allow Mr •M'Konzie's decision to come within the.scope of the Eoyal Commission, the niatter cannot be allowed to rest where it is."