The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1891.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 214, 9 September 1891, Page 4

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1891.

lor the o&tuje'tlmt lacks,assistance,, For tno wrong .tiat noods resistance, Por'tte future OB tie distance, ■ . good that ye can do.

The Hon. R. J. Seddon, in delivering the Public Works Statement to the House yesterday evening, premised that it would not be so interesting and attractive as Statements delivered in years when the Treasury was overflowing and the public works of the colony wire practically unrestricted by consideration of ways and means. It is, in the nature of things, difficult to snake a Statement interesting when it is pervaded throughout by a series of economies resorted to under the painful necessity for drastic retrenchment. So far as the attractive feature of the document is concerned, Mr Seddon must be congratulated on having placed clearly before Parliament the position of the colony with regard to public works expenditure. The result is, of course, far from pleasing either from a financial or a patriotic point of view, but it is necessary that the people should clearly realise the position in which the colony is placed with regard to its public works, and in this respect Mr Seddon's deliverance is both clear and forcible. The most unobservant reader who glances over the Statement can hardly fail to note the specially . important position the railway system takes among the public j works of this colony. The impossibility of conducting inland trans--1 port by water to any great extent owing to our few navigable rivers, ; is one reason. The. absence, moreiOver, of natural harbour advantages In the vicinity of some of the coastal towns, as at Napier on the East Coast and New Plymouth on the West Coast, demonstrates imperatively tf*e necessity of connecting such localities by rail with centres of population more favourably situated. The importance of railway extension to the settlers in country 3 districts in givingthemaccess to markets J for the disposal of produce, and the diffiI culty of opening lands for settlement till there is some definite prospect of a' I railway terminus within reasonable dis-1 tance, make the subject, both from a colonial and individual standpoint, of j the highest importance. It is not ' surprising, therefore, that in Mr Seddon's Statement other branches of the public works system assume shrunken dimensions when placed side by side with the railway question. The honourable gentleman's pronouncement reminds us rather unpleasantly that while some of the other large centres of population are already reaping a harvest from railway extension, the benefits to be derived by our city and, indeed, to a large extent by the Auckland provincial district, are ) mainly prospective. The northern (part of the colony, above all others, has to suffer seriously from uncompleted lines, owing to the exhaustion of borrowed money. Every line in the North that Mr Seddon deals with tells Uhe same tale. When completed

it will give a powerful impetus, in some instances to trade, In others to settlement, but at present it is comparatively valueless. The connection of Wellington with Hawke's Bay on one side, and Taranaki on the other, and the benefits that have resulted to the trade of the Empire City from it, remind us more forcibly than pleasantly that our trade with those provincial districts has to be conducted by water carriage under very disadvantageous circumstances. Our North Island Main Trunk Railway meantime is making little progress, and seems likely not to stretch beyond the King Country for an indefinite period. At the northern end of the line the Porotorau tunnel has been completed, and at the southern end a contract ior a section nearly four miles in length has been let There has been also an attempt to kill two birds with one stone by granting the construction of a further length of two miles to the unemployed. The work at the northern end of the line is, awaiting the result of the Native Minister's proposals for the purchase of native lands, The Government policy! is to secure the title to the lands before pushing on the line, for the very obvious reason that the natives will raise their demands as the extension of the railway makes their lands more valuable. Of the ;£i,000,000 loan raised specifically for this line, the sum of .£136,454 has already been expended on native lands, and it is evident that if this diversion of funds from the main purpose for which the loan was raised goes on in an accelerating ratio, the chief object sought—namely, the pushing ahead of the line—will be defeated or indefinitely postponed. It is in the highest degree important for the Government to see that the construction of the line is not hampered by excessive native greed. The causes of regret that the Rotorua line still remains in an unfinished state are influenced by sentimental as well as commercial considerations. Thiscolonyisthe fortunate possessor of a great wonderland, in many respects entirely unique. The fame of it has gone out throughout the world. The tourist traffic is already considerable and only awaits the completion of the railway to assume much larger dimensions. But artists, invalids and tourists naturally shrink from a journey the last few miles of which have to be taken in a coach over a rough road, and during a considerable portion of the year tn the dark. The position at present is thafc the portion of the line under formation will be completed in about three months, bringing the railway to within miles of Rolorua township. The Government has, we think, wisely negatived the suggestion to construct a road from the present road to the termination of the Kaponga contract. Such a work would not only be costly, but still further deiay the final completion of the line. Instead of this, Mr Seddon proposes to extend the line three miles so as to intersect the road from Cambridge to K.otorua, but under the peculiar circumstances it is to be hoped pressure will be brought to bear upon the Governmeot to complete this line at the earliest Dossible opportunity.

Mr Seddon's regret at the disheartening prospects of the Kawakawa railway will be generaiiy echoed. They are, however/ caused by circumstances that cannot be controlled, and can only be brightened by the somewhat doubtful chance of the discovery of fresh soal deposits, The Government thinks the time has come for the construction of the line from Kaino to Hikurangi, and it is proposed to provide for the extension this year. The prospects of the contemplated line Mr Seddon considers excellent on two grounds. The best-paying sections during the last financial year have been the two coalcarrying lines on the west coast of the Sooth Island. As the coal deposits of Hikurangi are likewise extensive s aud the coal can be obtained at small cost, one element of success seems secured. Mr Seddon points out another very strong ground for the construction ot this extension, owing to the fact that the railway will be brought within a few miles of the Puhipuhi forest, thus giving valuable facilities for timber transport, and estimates that from the sale of timber alone the Crown will be re-imbursed the- whole cost of the line. The Government, aciing on the advice of the Railway Commissioners, does not propose to extend the Helensville line at present, an announcement that will be received with general regret throughout the Auckland dis. trict.

Certain of the proposals with\regard to the railways in this provincial district are disapproved by the Auckland members, who compiain they have not been consulted as to details, and who hold a meeting to-day to decide upon their course of action.