NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 40

NORTH AUCKLAND RAILWAY.

(From Ocr Own Cohbespondext.) AUCKLAND, April 8. The North Auckland railway works which are now in progress have lately been examined bv an Auckland resident, who has, in a letter to Mr G. L. teaoocke, chairman of the Auckland Kailways League, severely criticised the route adopted bv the late* Government. The gist of his letter is as follows: " Now that the new Minister of Public Works has been chosen, it behoves the Railways League to get to work on the row famous Kaipara line, No. 1 deviation via Bickerstaffe. For in my opinion, and in the opinion of 99 per cent, of the people who know something about this eection, it is one of the greatest blunders ever foisted on the people of New Zealand. Had the line gone on the original route there is not the (slightest doubt that it would by now be very near M'Carroll's Gap, but in the present state of affairs it will take from five to seven years to get there. On March 7, in company with one of the old settlers, I traversed the whole line from Young's Point, and in my opinion public money is being absolutely buried with no hope of a return. On the other hand, the north will be penalised for ever to the tune of something like £250,000, while the journey will be about an hour longer. Well may 'the old settlers, who for 20, 30, 40, or 50 years have put up with great hardships, bewail the faint hope of seeing a railway completed in their time when they look on the works now in hand. I believe if every stick was left on this job and the original route adopted even now, the country would have a line with reasonable curves and grades over which a train could travel at a decent speed, and still be £200,000 in pocket. Most of the cuttings were partially filled at the time of my visit, the" sides having slipped. The Bickerstaffe country is nothing more nor less than a moving "mass of silt, yet that is what they are trying to tunnel through. One tunnel, threequarters of a mile long, passes through a slip about 50 acres in extent. Anyone can see that the whole hill ha s simply slithered towards the river. The face of this tunnel is some 70ft to 80ft deep, and they were filling it in with boulders brought all the way from Kaipara Heads. Imagine the cost of this tunnel alone. Even if they ever do finish it, which I very much "doubt, it will be liable to move en masse with the hill. What is this section going to cost for upkeep if it is put through? Then there is the Otarnatea bridge, which, when finished, will completely stop two navigable rivers, and will penalise the present users of those rivers above the Dridge. I could go on indefinitely, but this is enough to draw your attention to a state of affairs which should not be. and I am sure if you can do anything to rectify this huge mistake the people of New Zealand will be grateful to the benefactor who by his efforts will save them both a large amount of money and many weary hours' travelling." In an interview, Mr G. L. Peacocke points out that all the above objections were raised before the deviation of the line was decided upon by Mr T. Mackenzie. Regarding the Bickerstaffe section, " from all I can learn officially," added Mr Peacocke. " great difficulties have been met with in the tunnelling work of tho Bickerstaffe side of the Otematca, owing to the unstable nature of the ground on this section. The predictions as to the serious difficulties that would be met with from the peculiar character of the country, which has evidently been on the move in huge masses in the past, are apparently being veri-

on this section has had to be excavated to a depth of over 35ft to enable a solid foundation to be put down to support the line rails. If this be a fact it is apparent that the extra cost per mile of this section will be very great, and will unfairly handicap the'North Auckland railway'in its ability to pay interest on the cost of construction. Besides this extra cost in money, the completion of'the line will be delayed for an indefinite period, and the benefits of the railway to the settlers and its possible revenue-earning position postponed unnecessarily. What the new Minister of Public Works will do to deal with the position I cannot say, but it seems to me as if the matter ought to be officially investigated and the actual state of affairs ascertained. I should be very glad to learn that things are not in the' mess described by my indignant correspondent."