AUCKLAND RAILWAY VOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12074, 18 September 1902, Page 5

AUCKLAND RAILWAY VOTES.

o VIEWS OF MEMBERS. [Br TELEGKAPH.—SPECIAL COKRESPOXDEXT.] Welt.ixgtox, Wednesday. Although some of the Northern members would hi ve been better satisfied if the vote for the North Island Main Trunk line had been nearer the amount asked for by the deputation which waited upon the ActingPremier last month, they seem disposed to accept the inevitable and make the best of what they have got. The smallness of the vote for the North Auckland line is a source of a good deal of dissatisfaction. Some of the Southern members say, " Fancy a-quarter of a million for the Main Trunk," but the general feeling among South Island's representatives is that the line stands first in colonial importance, and must bo pushed on, Fowlds, when I asked him what he thought of the Main Trunk vote, remarked : " It is .about as much as we could expect, but the main trouble, it seems to me, is that the Minister is not getting men put to work on the line. I don't know whether he cannot get the money, but unless the number of men employed is greatly increased without delay, we shall find his next excuse will be that he could not spend the money in the short time between now and March 31. I think the vote of £20,000 for the Helensvilla Northwards lino is miserably inadequate, compared with - £60,000 for the Blenheim-Waipara line, and £100,000 each for the Midland and Otago Central lines. I believe this is' the first time in the history of the colony when the votes "for railway construction in the North Island exceed the votes for the South Island." Mr. Napier says that ho is satisfied that the Government could not, under the circumstances, have allocated more than £250,000 for the North Island Trunk railway, out of the ways and means available for railway construction. Very large demands for votes for roads had come from the Auckland province, as well as other districts, and &e representatives of the back-block settlers in the House are urgent in their demands for roads. The vote of £250,000, Mr. Napier thinks, will carry the line well on towards the south after crossing the Wanganui River at Taitmaranui. The completion of the s line will be delayed a year longer than was promised, but at the rate of construction now resolved upon for the current year, the line cannot fail to be completed by March, 1905. Mr. Napier says this is the best that can be now hoped for, as even if pressure were brought to bear on the Government to obtain funds locally on the security of the North Island Trunk railway assets, lie doubts if the House would this session pass the necessary legislation. On the whole, Mr. Napier is disposed to give credit to the Government for their tardy recognition of the just claims of this national work. With regard to the votes for roads, it may be mentioned that last year the total amount voted for roads construction and maintenance in the Auckland province was £177,645, of which £98,104 was expended. This year the total vote for" roads is £134,651, against which there was a liability of £23.680 on March 31, 1902. Of last year's vote £27,916 was appropriated for cornfields' roads; this year the amount is £27,527.