THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 226, 24 September 1907, Page 3

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

When the late Mr John«> Tinline .bestowed the nomenclature on Kaikoura, viz., "The Scarborough of New , Zealand, ""~it was doubtless because of its sea-bathing facilities and from its white, scours of cliffs which gave Kaikoura a resemblance to the Borough ■of the Scour in England; but this name did scant justice to the scenic beauties of Kaikoura, for we Venture to assert that there is no district in New Zealand possessed of such beautiful and varied scenery as Kaikoura. It is to be hoped that the Kaikoura people will make a determined effort to preserve some of the bush along the north road, now threatened with destruction. We understand that the Right Hon. Prime Minister has on two occasions premised to send a member of the Scenery Preservation Board to Kaikoura in order to conserve some of the scenic beauties of the district, and now is the time to urge it, or it will soon be too late, as far as the north road is concerned. As a pastoral district Kaikoura has no superior in the Colony; in stock-carry- I ing capacity and fattening purposes' our County can hardly be excelled, but through want of railway communication the number of fat stock sent to a market is counted by hundreds j instead of thousands. This causes enormous loss to our pastoralists. During the next year the North Island Main Trunk line of railway will be completed, and the next line (in ■colonial' importance) is the South Island Main Trunk railway, which will pass througjh. Kaikoura, and will bring non-existent sources of wealth and benefit to this County. The Kaikoura people have in the past remained quiescent, while Cheviot, with little more than half the population of Kaikoura, through persistent agitation has got- the railway constructed to their locality. This "should be an ob-ject-lesson to people of this district. Through years of isolation Kaikoura has become the land of the lotus eaters. We earnestly desire to. see its people awaken from their lethargic sleep, and during next year send deputation alter deputation to Wellington to urge on the Government the construction ot the Main Trunk line, and -with the advent of the railway to Kai•koura we venture to predict that an area of prosperity will dawn oh this district which was never dreamed ot by our people. The scenic beauties and health-giving, bracing 'air of our mountains will doubtless attract large numbers of the well-to-do classes from Wellington and Chirstchurch, who may build villas on the Peninsula and live here during the summer months. We do not believe that public spirit is quite dead at Kaikoura. It is only sleeping! But we would impress upon

our readers that it is the duty of all to aid in the prosperity of the district, for it means prosperity to every individual.—Kaikoura Star.