LIGHT-LINE RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9171, 20 August 1908, Page 5

LIGHT-LINE RAILWAY.

WAIPUKURAU TO PONGAROA.' DEPUTATION WAIT ON MIN. STER OF RAILWAYS. BT TELEGIRAPH —PBE3S ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, August 19. To-day Messrs A. W. Hogg and A. B. Ross, M's.P, introlucea to the Minister of Railways Messrs John Mclntyre and James McDonald (representatives of the Pongaroa Railway League), and Mr T. G. Mason (Chair man of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce), who again urge the construction of a railway from Waipukurau to Pongaroa. Tn reply to their representations, the Minister said this was only one of the several deputations that had been asking for railways, and other people pleaded that they were in circumstances similar to those outlined by the deputation. The Government's difficulty was to know where to start. With the early completion of the Main Trunk Line the Government would he able to consider which were the most urgently required. Six years ago estimates and trial surveys were made for a line to traverse the country from Masterton to Pongaroa, Weber' and Dannevirke. The line was estimated to cost £552,750, or £6,107 per mile. A line via Pahiatua and Dannevirke was estimated to cost £450,363. He did not think, however, that aiy line through the district could be constructed at a lesser cost than. £7,600 per mile. With the amount that would be required for the Main Trunk Line this year it would not be possible to do a great deal for new lines. He updertaok to place the matter before Cabinet, and promised if possible to get one of his engineers to make a more detailed report on the probable cost of construction. If the line was going to increase the value of large estates and those estates were suitable for settlement that aspect of the case would have to j be taken into consideration.