RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS REPORT ON NORTH ISLAND.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 3804, 27 July 1880, Page 2

RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS REPORT ON NORTH ISLAND.

[by telegraph.] raoMoraowN correspondent. ".,', ; . .'. ." <i i . ; '■',': „ W ellington, July 27. 1 The Royal Commission? >Htk> Railway* Has presented its report, which contains the following:-^- •■; -I ''[J' r '\''" •.' '■ * '■ ■Stratford to ILvwERA-^-This Tseotipn fa part of the main line ' between ; Foxton and New Plymouth, It isrnow in progress, and asitwill open upa lajgle extent of land suitable- for settlement, we advise its early OQniplc^jon ■ Hawera to WAVERLEY~Thw"porSdn*biE the main, line passes through , good, country, but as it will be more experisive^n construction than that between 1 Stratford and Hawera, and there is already.*, good, dray road, we recommend .that, contracts for the work be noticalled for utitil the mbife north* erly section is completed' ! and . open ' f ot traflio. " ' ' ' ''vi-! *-v: '-" Waverlby to. Kai Iwi— This is, ah important portion of the main line,: of which a large part is already completed; r " We i: think "the remainder, which 1 is" noW 'm^ptogress, should be finished and opened for /traffic aa noon as • practicable. The, land it passes through is good, and there is* already a larcq amount of settlement. Normanby to Opcnake— This is a branch line through the Waimate Plains to the coast, with little population to support it, the con« structiftn p| iwhioh we think should:btf post, poned until the main line connecting the East and West Coasts with Wellington has been completed, >' Featherston *a Masterton— The : contraots. upon this section are * approaching oompletion. It opens up a districfr.aupport. ing a. large population who have beeniong ■settled, and it will be the means of increasing the traffic upon the portion of the line which is now open. .') ,'.,. .Wellington to Foxton— This line would be in direct competition with that which we recommend should be constructed by way of the Manawatu Gorge. But apart fjfQm that fact, we consider that the proposal is prema* ture,'.on the ground that/ik large; ptef o { the country it would open up is still ivi v the handa of the Native owners, . and inexpedient on the ground that the value of the fend vrhioh the raUwiy.WOuld reserve has.bee* greatiy over-rated, and that the undertakinc woiiW be an unp«>fita P ltf )oa ? ,i whiehi t^odwy would not be justified in entering xmon W* advise that the expenditure now oofim »* «/ Wellington end of ft* fe^t iftSSS^S

- ♦ ' and the labor employed thereon transferred to Masterton and Mauriceville 1 section. Greatford to Bolls— This is a short ' ibranch.of four miles in length. It would be expensive to work, and it appears to us that the district is already fairly supplied with railway communication. Bulls to Sandon— Sandon is within 8 or 9 miles of Greatford station on the one side, and it is about the same distance from the Feilding station on the other. The proposal is one which we cannot recommend.