THE WELLINGTON MANAWATU RAILWAY. CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 120, 19 November 1881, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON MANAWATU RAILWAY. CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Manawatu Railway Company was held yesterday. After due consideration, it was unanimously resolved that the- jnnotion of the railway with the Government system should be made at Long Burne, a station on the Foxton-Wanganui line, four miles on this side of Palmerston. The directors arrive iat this conclusion after taking in f o account the difference in cost between the Foxton and Palinorston routes, but also in view of the large interest the company had acquired in the latter district through the endowments of land granted under tha Eailway Construction and Land Act, baing allocated between Horowhenua and Palineraton. Ihe land which has been thus granted by the Government, lies in the Palmerston direction, and therefore it was necessary, in the interests of the company, to take the line through that way, in order to develop the settlement and to utilise the property vested in them by this endowment. Through the authority of Mr. A. Macdonald, tho land agent for the company, the directors have also been sneceasful in securing from the natives the right of way for the railway over nearly the whole route, there being only an insignifioant extent not yet acquired, with regard to which, however, no difficulty is antisipated, and the route is practically certain of acquirement the whole way. The arrangement with the native owners of the land traversed was got through the Land Court with remarkable celerity through the energotic action of Dr. Buller. The Government have entered into a contract with the company, as authorised by the Act of last session, on highly favourable terms, and the position and quality of the land agreed to be given in endowment are deemed thoroughly satisfactory. The undertaking therefore may now be regarded as safe of accomplishment, and probably a very short time will witness the commencement of active operations.