THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1599.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11010, 14 March 1899, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1599.

; Tire letter of Mi. P. 01 ipliant on the ' railway subject merits some remarks, | especially us the Premier will soon be ' amongst us, and will, as a matter of ' course, feel it his duty to speak to us ' on that moJ. important of all local topics, the opening up of railway communication between Auckland nfld tho rest of the colony. Mr. Oliphant is not sanguine as to any pood being procurable from interviewing tho Premier, who is also, be it remembered, Minislor for Public Works, Tho Auckland and Taranaki Railway League had a meeting with the Premier some months apo on tlio subject, and Mr. Oliphant reaches 'h? pathetic when he describes the result. He says:—''My feelings when I separated from the deputation were that such interviews werj a failure in the ascertainment of truth." There is a fine Johnsonian ring about this sentence, but there is no novelty in tho statement made. A very large number, perhaps the majority, of those who undertake to interview Mr. Seddon on matters on which they feel deep interest and anxiety, come away with the conviction that tho process is a failure "in tho ascertainment of truth." Our present Ministers have taken as a motto the aphorism that used to be instilled into the minds of innuisitive little bovs and girls"Ask no nuestions, and you will bo told no libs." The only definite statement which tho Premier made on that occasion—according to Mr. Oliphant— was, that " he intended shortly to pass over the Stratford route and see for himself." We have not heard that the Premier has passed over that route, and the season is now so far advanced that we are afraid he has abandoned the intention, which at the time he spoke he no doubt sincerely cherished. Perhaps ho has forgotten. Rut Mr. Oliphant forestalls anything the Premier may do, or any conclusion to which ho may come, by saying that if he were unfavourable to the Stratford route that would matter nothing to the members of the Railway League, who know better. Mr. Seddon may, therefore, in any case save himself the trouble. But even if Mr. Seddon came back charmed with the country between the famous " point of divergence" and Stratford, it would matter very little to any person concerned. He knows that, and probably that is the reason why he has not gone. Mr. Seddon is a powerful politician, but he is nowerful because he has more sense than to waste his strength by pulling against the stream. He is not going to champion the ideas of Mr. Oliphant and the Auckland and Tarannki Railway League against the rest of the colony. He may talk vaguely to them, and refer to what he is going to do to satisfy his own mind. But the members will come away from any interview with the conviction that their efforts have been " a failure in the ascertainment of truth." However, before Mr. Oliphant irets to the end of his brief letter he comes round again to the conviction that the league must shortly interview Mr. Seddon on the subject. This time apparently not the smallest loophole will be left for equivocation. They will go straight for the " ascertainment of truth," and ask, in the first place, " Why have you not gone over the route as you promised 1" One would think it would be difficult to avoid giving a categorical answer to this question. But after all, such confidence havo we in our Premier, in certain contingencies, that we are inclined to bet that he will slip out of the net without very much trouble. As regards the next question, it will be still more brief and imperative. To quote the letter: "It will be simply this: 'Which route, sir?'" And Mr. Oliphant adds, "The Government which promises the Stratford route shall stand well with the provincial district of Auckland." We do not ' know that any authority has ever been given to Mr.' Oliphant to speak for the provincial district of Auokland. But [ wo will let that pass. As respects the J question, it will be as easy for Mr.

Seddon to pet out of it " as falling off n lop ;" it will be (to quote from Hamlet) '' as easy as lying." And here is just the point, the ' subject does not lie with "the provincial district of Auckland." All the rest of New Zealand hits a voice in it, and » voice that is more potent than that of Auckland. Mr. Oliphnnt is one of those who are deeply to blame for the delav which is now taking place. At the beginning of last session there was a movement throughout the colony, in which Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago took a special part, for more rapid communication from one end of the colony to the other. A committee sat on the subject, and took a large amount of evidence. It is quite certain that if the Central line were made, the communication between Auckland and Wellington, and consequently with the whole of the South, would bo several hours' quicker than by any other route. . There was a stronQ feeling throughout the House of Representatives that pressure should be brought to bear on Ministers to get them to push on the construction of the Central line, leaving the Taranaki connection, which is absolutely necessary, to be made when settlement has been carried through the King Country. Ministers, it was said, were not averse to the proposal. Hut suddenly the cry was raised in Auckland by Mr. Oliphnnt and some others, " Stratford or Nothing I" Of course, as the Stratford lino had not been authorised by Parliament, as Government could not legally spend a penny upon it, the conclusion was inevitable—'' Nothing 1" And that is what we are getting. Considerable sums of money are being spent at the Wellington end of the Central line, bo that Wellington interests, apart from colonial interests, are being attended to. But at the Auckland end we do not know that the process of construction can be dignified with the name of crawling. When tho point of divergence, which itself is a movable point, will be reached, we do not know. We would suggest that Mr. Oliphant should endeavour to elicit this from Ministers, were he not so hopeless in respect of any process for " the ascertainment of truth" from that quarter. We would stronely urge that the Premier should be seen when he comes to Auckland on this subject of connecting Auckland by railway with the Southern lines. If Mr. Oliphant and the Railway League decline on the ground that they have on a former occasion "failed in the ascertainment of truth," they will not object to others making a trial in that direction. The point ought to be urged on the Premier to push on the work. We must recollect that the project which Mr. Oliphant and his friends advocate, namely, the abandonment of the Central line, and the commencement of tho construction by Stratford, will have against it the whole of the Wellington members, and the great majority, if not the whole, of the Southern members. To transfer the work from one line to the other would involve the repeal of one Act and tho passing of another. And we say that Mr. Seddon and his colleagues, could not do this, even if they were disposed to try, which they certainly are not. Roth lines should be made, and both lines will be made. It is part of the Opposition programme that both lines shall be constructed. But to insist that the colony shall desert the Central line and go on with the Stratford line, is a. mero dream of men ignorant of the forces against them. However, we shall again have the Premier on the subject. We hope that this time ho will rfc>t be disposed to be "vague and ambiguous," and that the second deputation will not be ''a failure in the ascertainment of truth."