Evening Post. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1905. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MANAWATU HALLWAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 15, 18 July 1905, Page 4

Evenin g Post. TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1905. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MANAWATU HALLWAY.

The deputation which waited on the 'Minister for Public Works on. Saturday to urge, on behalf of the Chambers of Commerce of Auckland and Wellington, the early acquisition of the Wellington and, Manawatu Railway by the Government did not get much satisfaction from the Minister, but they have at any rate performed the useful service of advertising an urgently needed undertaking. The Minister for Public Works had only one new contribution to make to the discussion, and that wad v. fresh sample of tho "bluff" to which the company is now fairly well accustomed at the hands of the. Government. Mr. Hall-Jones, of course', expressed a general approval of the acquisition of the line, and he would indeed be a strange Minister if ho regarded it as satisfactory or even conceivable that one important section of what some day, whan he and his colleagues have ceased to dally with it, will be the North Island Main Trunk Eoilway, should permanently remain in private hands. Such a. contingency l is, of course, utterly impossible, but the Minister actually ventures upon the vague and menacing suggestion that lie can complete tho Main Trunk without utilising tho Wellington and Mannwatu Company's line. After expressing the inevitable ■ approval of tho proposed acquisition to which we have referred, ho added that "he was in the position that he was not lied up, because lie could construct a line as convenient as tho Wellington and Manavrotu line at le?6 cost than might be wanted." "He could, an if he would" j ho lias a, giant's strength, this powerful Minister of Works, and thero is no saying what he might not do if he had a mind to it. The Wollington and Manawatu Company should therefore be very careful wli:i.t they do to provoke him ; he is a terrible fellow when ho is roused, and they would be wise to come to his terms at once. Suoh, is clearly the alarming moral of tho Minister's remariis to the deputation, and it is but natural that when tho company is called upon to show oause why iUt property should not be wiped out of existence in 1 this summary fashion, it should bo struck dumb with feelings far too deep for words. It is n,t any rate -the feet, as we -mentioned .yesterdqg, thftfc

when we made enquiries of the company on the point our representative was informed that "it had no comment to make on the Minister's attitude, and nothing whatever to say to the press." What the Minister of Public Works can do in the matter is quite obvious to everybody who has read his speech and believes what he says ; but the 1 public is really more- concerned to know what he and his colleagues intend to do. They have really dallied and bluffed with the business long enough, and while the interesting bnt futile process continues all parties are seriously prejudiced. There is no gainsaying the elementary statement of the position, as laid before the Minister by Mr. J. G. Haikness on behalf of the deputation. • The company has done invaluable pioneer work in the past, which fairly entitles it to equitable if not generous treatment under the option of purchase which the Government possesses ; but at the present time the service is inadequate, esperiafly in the matter of catering for tlie requirements of suburban expansion by a convenient time-table. Two remedies are possible — one, thai the country take over the line and run. it in the public interest, and the other that the company be given 6uch a security of tenure that it can afford to face the present loss whidi almost every new enterprise necessitates, in the confidence that iv the course of time its expenditure will secure a due return. The company's interest and the country's are therefore one iD this matter ; each is damaged! by the stagnation which results from the present nncertainty ; and instead of seeking to injure the company's property after the fashion of an American trust, in order that it may be bought cheap, the Government had better give up threatening and procrastinating, and make up its mind to purchaso tvithout further delay on the terms prescribed by the Act.