D.—4a.

18

Tf. W. MACLEAN.

between the Palmerston North Station and the Awapuni Station. Almost certainly the engine-depot itself would require an independent line to and from the station, and almost certainly we would require to have a double line of railway from Longburn to the Palmerston North Station. Those are the consequences. Then, in addition to that I may say that it would be necessary to regrade this railway between Terrace End and the sorting-yard. There is at the present time a gradient— speaking from memory —of 1 in 70, and the load which can be brought from the south into Palmerston North is much larger than could bo taken with the present gradients and the same engine from Palmerston North to the sorting-yards, so that we would have to regrade the line so as to make it possible to take to the sorting-yard the same load as comes from the south. What is all that going to cost the poor taxpayer of New Zealand ?—. have already stated that it is impossible to form any estimate —anything like an accurate estimate —of the of carrying out the work where you have to carry on your existing traffic and put new lines in the position where the existing lines are. But, putting it at as small a price as one could reasonably do, or without taking into consideration any question of compensation for the Cook Street closing, which is essential in any case, I have put the cost of this alteration of the station at £100,000. That is the red scheme. That is the provision for purely passenger traffic and local delivery at the present station site. At the present time it would be hopeless to carry it out at that. Then, there are very heavy earthworks involved in the sorting-yard, and the purchase of land, earthworks, and tracks I put at something like £80,000. Then, an extra track from the Palmerston Station to the sorting-yard, and the regrading of the railway, would run into at least £50,000. The sorting-yard on the Napier line, and a line from that subsidiary line to the main sorting-yard, would cost, say, £20,000. An engine-depot between Palmerston North and Awapuni would cost not less than £50,000 with the purchase of land. If we were to make a double line of railway from Longburn to Palmerston the cost of that would probably run into another £50,000. That is a total of £350,000, and plus contingencies, say, £400,000. And that is without allowing a single, sixpence in regard to compensation for the closing of Cook Street ?—That is so. And then you perpetuate, and T think increase, the traffic through Palmerston North itself?— The effect of it would naturally bo that between the stations and the sorting-yard you would have a very large increase in the number of trains running along Main Street with its numerous crossings. Do you desire at the present moment to say anything more with regard to the cost of the red scheme as shown on Plan No. 26630 ?—I do not wish to say anything further about that. I have not mentioned at all in connection with the whole scheme the fact that it seems to me inconceivable that such a state of affairs as exists at the present time could continue for any lengthy period. There is the effect of making a line along a main street with its numerous crossings and very serious dangers for six miles from Longburn. You said you have compared that scheme as to cost with your proposed diversion as shown on Plan No. 26453 ?—Yes. Would you give the Commission as well as you can your estimate of the cost of that scheme ?—I have estimated the cost of the new railway, practically seven miles long, from Longburn. Station to its junction with the north line and the connection with the existing line for the Napier traffic, not including the connection between the existing line and Whakaronga as shown in red, providing a double-track area from Longburn, a passenger and local-delivery station with ample facilities, another large sorting-yard to the north of the passenger-station which would command the traffic from both directions, the elimination of every level crossing, and ample facilities for the convenience of the public, at £600,000. £50,000 would be ample to provide the portion of the present line to Whakaronga. Have you included the cost of land ?—I have allowed, in £100,000 for land, which is a very large sum. Is it correct to say that the land, you have to take for this scheme is all rural land ?—Yes. And you know the questions arising, as you would have, if you had to take land in the vicinity of the present station at Palmerston North —that is, land in a borough on which arc business premises and where businesses are being carried on ?—That is so. Tho sum I have put in the estimate is £100,000 for something like 120 acres of land. There are houses on the land. Ts there not on the adoption of this diversion scheme a per contra, in favour of the Government to'which you have not so far referred ?—I. have stated the net cost of this scheme at £650,000, with £50,000 for contingencies, which works out at £700,000, but the contra to be deducted from that is the value of the land now belonging to the Railway Department, which would be sold or leased if we abandoned the present site. How many acres would there be ?—I cannot remember. It would be calculated, for the purpose of subdivision, by the frontage. Wo would have something approaching 7,000 lineal feet of frontage to dispose of. A very low estimate of the value of that, I should say, would bo £30 a foot. It is the present site only, and the frontages I have taken are the frontages to existing streets—namely, Main Street. West Street, Church Street, Cook Street, and a little at tho Square. A little laying-out of new roads might give you considerably more ?—I should not be surprised if we got nearly double that. However, putting it conservatively you would have 7,000 feet of frontage with the possibility of doubling it, and putting it again conservatively at £30 per foot, there is over £200,000 at the lowest estimate ?—Yes. I have not taken into consideration any land from. Longburn to the Palmerston North Station, where the railway is constructed on what is-known as railway and road reserve", and for the purposes of my estimates I have not included any value at all to the Railway Department from the land on which the railway is constructed, and the same from the Palmerston North Station to