The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1888.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 195, 20 August 1888, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1888.

For the cause that lacks assistance, " For the ■wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the dwtanco, ''&/> And the good that we can do.

Although tho people o£ Auckland have shown a most unselfish readiness to bear their full share in the policy of retrenchment and curtailed expendi. t ure upon public worlcs^ they cannot regard the proposals of the Government, embodied ■in the Public Works Statement delivered on Satur. day, aa just or satisfactory. From that Statement it appears thai* the only railway works which the Government have selected , for continuance are the WoodviUe-Palmer-' ston line and the Otago Centra). All' other railways, including our Kotorua line, the Thames-Te Aroha, North Island Trunk, and North Auckland railways, are to be brought to a standstill; but for some inscrutable reason ie is considered, a matter of urgency that the outrageously disproportionate share of loan money which has been expended in the Provincial District of Wellington, where the lines are the least profitable of any in the colony, shall be increased by pushing; on the line which is intended to complete the connection between Wellington and. Napier. In the'same1 way, the political pressure placed upon the Government by the Otagomembers has secured tlie prosecution of the Otagb Central line. Now, there was nothing to prevent tho Government from giving a further vote towards closing the gap which lies between. the end of the present I contract on, the North Island Trunk Railway and the tunnel. The 'money has already been raised, and which ever route is adopted, in-line .will have^ to pass through this tunnel; its connection with the railway line at the!, northern eind ;was" theffefore';*a "measure of simple business prudence,^ in _ order to ensure the proper preservation of the work after it has been completed. But apparently the Government were fearful *of giving offence to the Wellington members by letting a section at the northern end without letting one simultaneously from the southern, and so ; they have brought the whole thing to a staridstilK There was n<> apprehension of the wfatlr of the Auckland members in the minds of the late Government when they scandalously misappropriated the funds belonging to the North Island Trunk Railway for the construction of roads in the Upper Wanganui country. ; And the present Government are apparently equally indifferent as to what AuckJaud may think of * the applciation of to another Wellington line, while we are • asked to forego all our claims to a share in the loan expenditure, although we are charged through the Customs with -more than a a fifth of the interest.. We hope that the Auckland members will do their utmost to place all railway works on the same footing by refusing supply for any new contracts. Unless this is done we shall have a very, poor chance of obtaining justice when the continuation of Aucldand railways again comes up for consideration.