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SCHEDULE. No. 37.—Campbell, F., and 4 others. No. 173.—Hayward, J. H., and 115 others. 38.— Fraser, W. M., and 4 others. ~ 174.— Killen, J. M., and 27 others. „ 39. —Fraser, J. A., and 135 others. ~ 175. — McKay, A. J., and 3 others. 40. —Jones, F. C, and 24 others. ~ 176. —MoLean, E., and 2 others. ~ 41.—McLean, E. M., and 12 others. ~ 177. —Tremaine, E. 8., and 5 others. „ 42.—Sands, E., and 135 others. ~ 178.—Weaner, E. 0., and 84 others. „ 43.—Wilkinson, A., and 7 others. ~ 207.—Baxter, W. W., and 63 others. „ 44.—Wilson, J. 8., and 2 others. „ 208.—Blair, F. R., and 146 others. „ 117.— Baker, J., and 9 others. ~ 209.—Cleary, H., and 27 others. ~ 118.—Colebrook, E. 8., and 3 others. ~ 210.—Snell, H. R., and 39 others. „ 119.—Allen, W. H., and 7 others. ~ 211.—Wilson, A., and 11 others. ~ 120.— Kay, G., and 30 others. ~ 239.—Crawford, W., and 174 others. ~ 121.—Reybum, J. T., and 9 others. ~ 240.—Lamb, P., and 125 others. ~ 122.—Maslen, J., and 2 others. ~ 241.—Leslio, W., and !!"> others. ~ 123.—McLennan, J., and 65 others. ~ 242.—McKenzie, H., and 22 others. „ 124.—Robinson, E., and 43 others. ~ 243.— Salle, M., and 93 others. ~ 125. —Watson, F. G., and 11 others. ~ 251.—McLean, J. A., and 29 others. ~ 126.—Wyatt, F., and 5 others. ~ 256.—Clarke, A., and 11 others. ~ 143.—Jackson, T., and 23 others. „ 257.—Edmonds, C, and 1!) others. „ 144.—Ferguson, J. 8., and 12 others. ~ 258.— Hodges. (;. F.. and 51 others. „ 145.—Kerr, J. C, and 42 others. „ 259.—Howard, F. H., and 106 others. „ 146.—Lord, H., and 21 others. „ 200.—Keay, J., and 23 others. ~ 167. —-Barnes, T., and 8 others. ~ 261.—McKenzie, J. H., and 3 others. ~ 168.—Beasley, C. J., and 4 others. ~ 262.—Money, H., and 81 others. „ 169.—Brock, E., and 6 others. „ 263.—Morris, T., and » others. ~ 170.—Brown, P. S., and nine others. ~ 2<>4.—Rowsell, R., and 166 others. ~ 171. —Carter, A., and 12 others. ~ 265.—Sutherland, N., and I ! othere. „ 172.—Griffin, W. J., and 2 others.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Wednesday, Ist December, 1909. Francis Mander, M.P., made a statement. (No. 1.)

The Chairman: We should like to hear your statement, Mr. Mander. As our time is very limited, I would ask you to be as brief as you possibly can. Witness: I will do my best, and will state the facts as shortly as I can. I have a lot of documentary evidence here that will take some time to go through. Hon. Mr. Buddo: Can you not lay it on the table? Witness: Yes, I can do that. As you are aware, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, there is a petition before the Committee asking that a Royal Commission be set up to inquire into the proposed deviation of the North of Auckland Main Trunk Railway, and I am here to-day for the purpose of convincing the Committee, if I can, of the necessity for such a Commission being set up. Mr. Knorpp surveyed this line shown in red on this map. That line is called the " eastern route." That was surveyed by Mr. Knorpp some twenty-seven years ago, and has been followed by every engineer who has surveyed it since—namely, Messrs. Hales, Holmes, Vickermann, and Wilson; and all other engineers and surveyors have followed that red line, and have adopted Mr. Knorpp's survey as originally set out. In 1902 the railway was authorised to Maungaturoto, the schedule to the Authorisation Act of that year reading as follows : "An extension from a point on the southern boundary of Section 8, Block XVI, Otamatea Survey District, to Maungaturoto. Length about 23 miles." So it was authorised to that point. In 1904 it was authorised to Maungatapere Boundary, length about, 20 miles. In 1907 there was a short authorisation to the Pukekaroro Ballast-pit : "A branch line from the Helensville Northwards Railway, in Section 86, Block XIV, Waipu Survey District, to the eastern boundary of Section 84 in the same block. Length about, 1 mile." When a one-mile authorisation was given from the ballast-pit, that fixed this line as being the authorised line. A mile would not reach the ballast-pit from any other point than that. Now, in 1907 the Public Works Statement contained the following : " Beyond Te Hana a survey party is at work locating the railway towards Maungaturoto, and already has the line pegged for over ten miles. The location of this section has given rise to a good deal of local controvers}', a considerable section of the settlers desiring a westerly diversion of the route, so as to carry it across the Otamatea River, near Young's Point, and through the Bickerstaffe Estate. The officers of the Department in the Auckland District advised a more central route, but, in deference to the strongly expressed wishes of the settlers the then Engineer-in-Chief, Mr. W. H. Hales, made a special visit to the locality in December, 1905, and went personally over both routes, and reported, after due inquiry and full consideration, that the central route via Te Hana, Topuni Bridge, Kaiwaka, and Mount Pukekaroro was the best,"' That is the red line on this map. " Such a route would leave North Albertland, Te Arai, Hakarau, and Mangawai on the east, and Port Albert, Wharehine, and Otamatea on the west, and would almost equally divide the country, and bring the various settlements on both sides of the line within practicable distances of the railway. This report did not, however, seem to settle the matter in the minds of many of the settlers, as the agitation for a change of route still continued, and in May last the

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