THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12759, 9 January 1905, Page 4

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Mr. Seddon has dropped any pretence of impartiality and is now not only an open partisan of the Midland Railway but is using his best eloquence to persuade the West Coast that it is the one thing needful to ensure prosperity. "My view is tha*. the Midland has not had proper attention, and I have no hesitation in expressing that opinion." and he blames the Canterbury people "for their indifference." Sir Joseph Ward is taking much the same line in Otago towards the Otago Central, and other .Ministers are vigorously assisting. Plainly, the Seddon Administration is making a frantic effort to hold the South Island electors' by inciting the rail-way-fever and securing the railwayfever vote. It is hardly necessary to point out who ill pay for this plan of campaign if it succeeds. Last year the North did not get as much for all its lines—the Main Trunk is a national line-—as was given to either the Midland or the Otago Central, the former of which is disproportionately costly owing to its rugged and mountainous route, and the latter absolutely worthless. Yet the Premier drums up his following with the diatribe that the Midland ''has not had proper attention," and Sir Joseph Ward talks of dropping all other work when the Main Trunk is finished and building the Midland to the end first, and then the Otago Central. It can neveic be said of the supporters of the Seddon Government in the North Island that when they wore smitten on one cheek they hesitated to turn the other.