THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 213, 8 September 1899, Page 4

THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Mr CroAvther's attitude in regard to the North Island -Main Truuk RailA\ay has met Avith an amount of adverse criticism it scarcely deserved. On Wednesday evening the member

for Auckland City asked the Premier

to give him some idea of the amount of money that was likely to be spent on this work out of the £300,000 set apart for railway construction, and promised that if Mr Seddon Avould guarantee to have the line, constructed las far as Kawakawa within the next ; two years, he (Mr Crowther) would in his turn support the Government. Several other Auckland members are j represented as almost aghast at the

moderation of Mr Crowther's demands, and fearful lest his contentment with so little should be taken as representative of the feeling in Auckland generally. It is thought also that because -Mr Seddon was quick to give the promise asked of him he, too, Avas surprised at Mr Crowther's modesty, and will not fail to make it tell to the detriment of Auckland's interests in the matter of this railway. There lias, therefore, been no little determination among certain Auckland members to disclaim any sympathy on their part with Mr CroAvther in the position he took up. The lat-

ted Avas, perhaps, a little hasty. We certainly consider that the tAveh-e miles of rail required to be completed to bring the line as far as KawakaAva ought to be done in less than two years. No doubt Air CroAvther himself would quite agree on that point; but his object, as we understand, was to elicit from the Premier some defi-

nite promise in the matter. The position now is simply this: Air Seddon has given his Avord that the line will be constructed to the point indicated within the next two years, and he is bound to see that the work is done; but Auckland is not in any sense bound by Air Crowther's stipulation to be content Avith that rate of advancement, and can and should insist on a much speedier, rate of progression. Air Crowther fixed on Kawakawa with a reason. Until that point is reached the question of which route is to be subsequently taken, the Taranaki or the Central, may remain in abeyance, for it is at that point .that the line will diverge in whichever of the two directions it is decided' to carry it. At Kawakawa the line will touch the road Avhich Avill form the connection between the Auckland and Wellington raihvay systems, and at the same time open communication Avith a, valuable tract of country and Taranaki generally. We cannot help thinking that the effort Avhich certain members have made to get a promise from Air Seddon that the line shall be taken as far as Waimarino had for its chief object the pledging of the Government to the Central route, as opposed to the Taranaki one. By consenting to make Waimarino 'the objective point Air Seddon Avould practically decide the question of routes, a question Avhich Aye regard is by no means to be settled in that hasty and offhand fashion. It does not follow, hoAvever, that because he refuses to allow himself at this stage to be drawn into any definite arrangement in that disputed matter, he intends to make it a pretext for uuAvarrantabie delay in the construction of the line that" is to unite the north aud "south portions of the.North island. He has admitted that that line has claims fatstronger than any of the other great lines in the colony, and whatever money is expended in railroads he has clearly implied that the major proportion will go to a wdrk that has been so long left undone. Whether in the allocation of the million loa.*_ he has kept the claims of the North sufficiently in view Aye cannot say till the estimates appear, but it must never be forgotten that there are other claims on the Treasury which cannot be ignored, and that public Avorks Avonders are not to be accomplished Avholesale even with a million of money. After all there is strong common sense in Air Crowther's moderation, which other members would do well to copy occasionally. By all means let members do battle for local and provincial interests, but let. their demands be of a reasonable kind. Too frequently a member proffers* a request Avhich, from the standpoint of the Government Avhich is striving to

see the Avants of the colony in their correct proportions, it Avould be absurd and unfair to grant. It must not be overlooked in connection with the raihvay proposals this year that besides taking votes for the North Auckland and North Island Trunk railways the Government are asking for authority to commence the construction of the Paeroa.-Waihi and Gisborne railways, which are neAv works of great importance to Auckland. .