THE HON. R. McKENZIE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12467, 17 February 1909, Page 3

THE HON. R. McKENZIE.

- IN THE FAR NORTH.

A BATTLE OF RAILWAY ROUTES

y -P^bBLEM 4 , > (Special- to "The' Colonist.") Auckland, Feb.. 15. y The Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister for • Public Works, has been given a somewhat difficult problem to settlein regard^ to. the line of iroute to be followed by the Helensville northward line. This railway is really tho maiii trunk, line, north -of." Aucklaud and when 'finished, which in the, ordinary course will not be for . many years to come,-. -will complete: the trunk system from Wellington 'probably .to . Mangonui. Some time ago the engineers of the Y Public V\orks Department surveyed the line > tor about -28 -miles, ahead of , Wells- : rord, the present terminus,: which is ; sixty-nine miles from Auckland J" 1 ? * . considerable proportion ,'-" of this distance has, been authorised by Parliament.; Since the* location of tne line however, considerable agitation, has taken place among the settlers residing between; the route decided^upon and the west coast, to have. the Ime diverted so that it will better serve the couritry in that, direction; and at the same time pass through the Bickerstaffe estate, a P°™«nof which has been purchased by the Government -for closer settlement. As a counter blast to this the. .settlers and land owners -whose interests; lie towards the East -Coast are^ urging the Government/to adhere to the surveyed arid authorised line. *he f .arguments pro and con have been; advanced by both parties with considerable force and the matter has. been iept before the public and tne Government by railway leagues in the, different;- centres- throughout the districts affected. > It was stated »r the Public .Works ;■• Statement : of 1907 that the^routes: seleoted' by the engineers would be followed, 'but"'- in V - e _ *$7 tlle stron g -- representation made by, those in 'favour of tho deviation the Government has decided that the new Minister of Public Works, who from his past experience is .particularly fitted for such a task, shall go carefully through the I country, that would be traversed ;by both. the located lines and the suggested deviation and recommend '. what he considers the best line for the jailway to take. Mr McKenzie commenced his investigation on Saturday; afternoon and has since cov-ered-much of the ground .oh both •routes. :His.> examination is being ■ conducted.; with, the thoroughness, that characteries . all his work , and he^has not spared himself . or those With. him;, having traversed the surveyed, line as far as- Ma'urigaturoto :by horse, foot arid vehicle, -as :well as- a portion of the. propose- deviation by oil launch, and buggy..; He . was", . ac-i . companied by; the engineer-iii-chief ' " ( the; district engineer, - and; '..-twoy-'reV ' preventatives of the contending pai> ; i :ties and viewed the , two routes ; with assistance of .plans,- etc., j frorii - every suitable eminence. He has now returned; from Maurigaturoto to. . Wellsford in order to perform the op'-; ] ening ceremony - with the . nanding over of the last completed section of the; line from Wayby . to Wellsford to the '-Railway' 1 Department, and when j the function is over he will leave in company with members of the Railway .' League and representatives of those interested in the route for. Maungaturoto where a bafiquet is to be: tendered him. At Kaiwaka^ a. sinall . settlement; midway between ; Wellsford ed upon by large: depiitatioris,..who will and.Maungaituroto, he, will be waitbring forward; their arguments and reasons as to the diversion, and at every, place he passes. oh his way to Dargaville he.; will . be .de'pritationised on the burning question. Dinners and banquets are of course, , to jbe provided, at all the, sinaU ceritres." The question is a momentous . one . in this district and Mr ; McKenzie will require to "display a large amount, of his native, shrewdness ia" deciding-", it. satisfactorily.'' ■"_'■ .-.-.-""".■ ■"'."■" /.y February 16.".':, "' The Hon. ; R. ; McKenzie commencedhis^ day's' business ..' - to-day '(Monday)';. jby leaving. Wellsford. between 7' and ;8, a.m. to visit Port Albert, in' order to guage the possibilities; of' the district from .a fruitgrowing point of view by ' inspection, v . There,' as at Motueka , : he- felt particularly interested and was 'ahle to .'compare, the method's. followed at Port Albert with; those'.adopt-* ed in his own. elecjorate. Mr; Becrof t, . and; his' brother, who . carry on com- • mercial fruitgrowing on kauri-, gum land, have met; with success for some years past. The utilised is .decidedly, poor from an agricultural* point of view, hut it is correspondingly low in price and under proper cultivation grows fruit, so far as_;cbuld be seen, as satisfactorily as the richer lands ,of the North -and South Islands.. The peaches and nectarines produced are of excellent quality, and the apple trees all bore exr : cellent crops. The Minister was much impressed in his inspection of. the orchards, arid returned to WellsfOrd well -| pleased with his visit. Thej next; on the list for engagement -was the opeii- j ing of the new line between Wayby and Wellsford, arid the importance at-' tached to the function was evidenced by the number of excursionists that came: from Auckland by the first through .train,' and the large assembly .of settlers from .all parts of the ' district. ■** On the arrival of the train, the County" Chairman (Mr. Becrof t) niade a short speech of welcome to the .Minister. Members of the Railway. League and others presented Mr McKenzie with- a golden key in commemoration of the -opening .of the Ime. After -the Minister. had- replied ; : in suitable terms, .he; and the County Chairman mounted the footplates of the engine, and traversed the section of line, "passing the Wellsford; Station and breaking the usual ribbon, which had beeri practically severed by Mrs : McKenzie with a pair of scissors pre^ , sented to her fortherpi^ose.; " After the conclusion :of the cereinony a banquet was provided; in the railway , goods: shed and^ a _nuriaher,- of toasts lyere honoured, that of "the Minister . heing' particularly well received.^ ... . j '.;' The first stage^f the. official joriraey,' under -the guidance of : the settlers arid: the Railway League, was riiadey the ."party ,t about r 2Q invnuinber, driving in traps provided by the setters arid League : to Kaiwaka, where another excellent repast was provided/^and the: real- Jmsiness of the tour, so far as deputations were con"-; corned, commenced. The two contendirig "parties were strongly - reprpsehtedy both in numbers and speakers, arid much information regarding the- two routes was placed- bef ore the Minister by - the leaders . of- the two deputations, those in favour of the surveyed route being introduced by Mr-Afaiider, M;P..-.for. Marsden;'; and thogeJurgirig the .necessity for a deviation by"Mr Stallwprthyy MJP.for Kai. gar£>'^6eftainaihount;of feeling Was" displayed by some of those prosenty the deputationists on both sides, being: in- attendance at the one time, i but : the ' Minister's" experience as : Chainhariof Committees in the House stood him in good stead, and he took good care that order was maintained.. In liis' reply to both deputations, the Minister naturally committed himself to thei'views of neither -party, . but said ;thatiso far as a deviation was cn--ce'rris^fthe ehief^af^meiit in its.'f*-, vourywaf- that it . would .'touch deep ' watory.wihile a strong ' argument- in f avqurof ■the surveyed route was, the f act "l thit /it passed near a good "supply>qfyxpck suitable.rfpr jballasting,. ' which*Was a very iiripprtarit matter. frbm>;anyerigineeririg . ppiiffc of view, 'as, up :to.' the' present all ballast required had'to' be -brought^^^;aP',tl^e;"wav r frpm / AucWiiiiuiy?. vThe*^^^ut^ns'^irig disfjb,s4^ybf ythe.rparty^' lef t, for* maurir gatufbto^ahdut'dusk. making the i]bury n'4y;6f'jten, miles. in the darkness. At ,-. Maurigaturoto, which was reached shortly 'hef dre 9 o'clock, another banquet- wjis'iri readiness, arid when: the 1 (Cpntinued from fourth page.*;