EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 330, 14 July 1914, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Mr Hannah, the Public Works resident engineer at Tauranga, left on the 7th inst., on a prospecting trip over the proposed Kaimai connection between the East Coast and Rotorua railways. On the day previous he came over from Tauranga with some of the Ruahine settlers, so as to get an idea of the country before going over the actual proposed railway route.

It is expected that he will shortly go over the other and more southerly of the two routes proposed, known as the Iwiroa line, which follows roughly one of the best known old Maori tracks between Waikato and East Coast, and it is said by those who know it to make use of a very low saddle in the range, so low, in fact, that it is expected that no tunnel will be necessary for the proposed railway. Mr W. D. Ay son, of Patetere, has lately spent a week in going over >the Tauranga and Te Puke districts, * and reports that he found that the people there thoroughly appreciated the benefits the proposed connection would give their district, and has arranged for an influential deputation from the East Coast to go to Wellington with the representatives from the Waikato side. Mr Ayson addressed meetings during his tour, and was well received, and suggests holding meetings in the Thames Valley and elsewhere in the Waikato.

A fund has been started by the Okoroire and Tirau settlers to raise funds to have their route opened up under a competent engineer, so as to make Mr Hannah's examination easier, and also to have some data ready for him when he makes his trip of examination over this line.

It is not likely thai Mr Hannah will report till Jie' has examined both routes.