THE LEPER STATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14701, 19 June 1911, Page 6

THE LEPER STATION.

It is possibly very natural that Mr. Laurenson should be desirous of removing the Leper Station from Quail Island, where it has been so long established without any apparent inconvenience or great discomfort. It is indicative of the attitude of a certain order of politicians towards Auckland that this part of the Dominion should be treated as the natural dumping ground of everything undesirable and unpleasant. Our over-loaded tunnel lines must not be duplicated ; our insufficient railway yards, railway rolling stock, and train facilities must not be improved;' our disproportionately small railway mileage must not be increased ; but, unless we bestir ourselves, we may have the Leper Station thrust upon us. The difficulty with Auckland is that the metropolitan electorates are too staunchly Ministerial at election times for its members to have the influence to which their numbers entitle them. If Auckland seats were more doubtful a most benign change would be seen in the attitude of the Government towards our legitimate interests, and we should no longer have to agitate noisily to obtain the paltriest consideration for legitimate local claims, or be perpetually watching to prevent the grossest infringement of our local rights.