CORRESPONDENCE THE GISBORNE RAILWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16705, 24 July 1928, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

THE GISBORNE RAILWAY

(To the Editor of the Herald.) Sir, — Vour correspondent "Push On" attacks my nom de plume as being inappropriate. I purposely chose that signature because of its fitness, and I. have yet to learn that in serving the best interests of one's district, one cannot serve the best interests of one's country. That, at, any rate, is my sole and only desire. I am a busy man and will seek to straighten out some of the mistakes of " Why Taihoa" in this letter as well as those of '' Push On,'' Now, sir, I claim to know practically every inch of both routes, and I don't know of a single acre of land which will be developed oy the coastal route. But I do know of largo blocks which will be developed or helped or subdivided and more closely settled by the inland railway. I ani not out m my geography either, as 1 mentioned only, a few of quite a number of valleys, or roads, which would act as feeders on either side of the inland route and which would be easy of access from any one of these vaMcys or roads. Nor can " Why Taihoa " tell me of one bale of wool from Wharekopae going out via Waikohu. But I could tell him of some 2000 which do come via Ngatapa railway route. Misrepresentation will get us nowhere. It is this misrepresentation of things that has landed us so heavily in debt and the indifference with which" we see public money spent on white elephants that is a curse to the country. I know of one very largo fanner and business man who said that " the, Government which would build a railway along the coast would do any d tliing. I maintain, sir, that no private company or any single one of its present advocates would put one penny into that proposal. " Why Taihoa's " foolish suggestion of a station on the .summit is too childish for anything. Anyone will know that the line would be "many hundreds of feet down in , a tunnel there. What I said was that the country was so rough and broken that thero was no site for a station for from 15 to 17 miles; also that between three and! four years had been occupied in finding a track over about 20 miles. That, sir, will surely be plain enough for anybody to understand. Most of the balance of 12 miles is over flats and a little over undulating and easilysurveyed country, and very little of the time would be occupied in its survey. The inland route is said to be some 10£ miles longer, though to look at a map it does not 'appear so, but on account of the easy nature of the country through which it travels I believe the line will cost actually less to construct than the coast line. A very little heavy work at Ngatapa, and again where it crosses the Hangaroa River, and the rest is over undulating hills and easy country- May I remind your readers that the inland line is the only authorised route, and that the Government and Parliament have not decided on the coastal line, and it is only throwing dust in the people's eyes to say otherwise. In the face of the action of the Nubaka people and the Waikokopu Watersidcrs' Union, also the statement of Mr. Roddie that he expected meat, etc., to be shipped from the two Gisborne freezing works at Waikokopu harbor, I think there is much need to warn Gisborne business men of what lies before them. In addition to the large increase of an already big business done by the farmers along the inland route, there would still be the through traffic, and this, with tiie great development certain to follow its construction, should make it one of the best and most payable lines in the Dominion. The reason the North Island lines pay better than the South is, I believe, because of their going more inland than South Island lines. Sir, 1 have faith in our district and believe in a big Gisborne and still subscribe myself.— PRO PATRIA.