THE RAILWAY ROUTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 99, 27 April 1888, Page 3

THE RAILWAY ROUTES.

o THE WELLINGTON PAPERS ON MESSRS BEETHAM AND BUCHANAN'S REPORT. (by telegraph—own correspondent.) Wellington, this day. The "Evening Press" is pleased to find that the opinion which it expressed a short time, ago respecting Dr. Newman's journey along a portion of the North Island main trunk line, has just been borne cub by the report of Messrs Buchanan and Beetham, M.H.il.'s who have more recently gone over the same ground.' The "Press points out that when Br. Non-man's glowing report on the route was published it expressed a tear that that gentleman, being essentially a dweller in the city, possibly laboured under the disadvantage of not knowing good land from bad, ami it is now very much pleased to find that Mr Buchanan and Mr Beetham, who aro both practical farmers of unerring judgment and indisputable knowledge, stronffly favourable bo central route last session, have just published a report bearing out what it then asserted, viz., that the land is inferior and unfitted for settlement. Tho " Post" alludes to a leader in the Auckland Star on the subject, and says:—"The strenuous, support of the central route by Messrs Beetham and Buchanan was confined to their giving unwilling votes in its favour, as being preferable to the Stratford route. When they were reduced to that, they leb it be known that they regarded it as a, choice of evils. So far as we are aware, their opinions on this subject are unchanged, and even with fuller information regarding it, gained by Sir Buchanan's thorough personal inspection, and by Mr George Beetham through his brother's report, we imagine they would still vote for the central route in preference to the Stratford route. If the line must" be made by bno or the other they will both, nodoubf, still oppose its construction by any route, so that our Auckland contemporary is probably rather promature in its praiso of Messrs Beetham and Buchanan's qualifications as judges of the country. They, at any rate, did not think it worth while to inspect any of the Taranaki routes so as to, compare them with the central. For ourselves we have always asserted our entire disre. garcl for repprts made by amateurs or politicians whose object in making visits of inspection is chietly, although perhaps unconsciously, to obtain evidence to support preconceived opinions and conclusions. It would be impossible to find a more glaring instance of the wish being father to the thought than the way the Auckland Siar seizes on an assumed report of one set of visitors as being entitled to weight and credence and importance, while it jaughs to scorn the report of ab least equally competent authorities who reported differently. Parliament, in dealing with this question of routes if it is reopened, which it should nob be, having been already decided by a disinterested tribunal, will, we trust, be guided by the evidence of responsible and impartial witnesses speaking under a sense of responsibility.