THE WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18710, 16 May 1924, Page 8

THE WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

Though the exact purpose of the agreement between Harbour Board and City Council, discussed last evening, is not stated, it appears to be an effort to overcome the difficulties which have been thrown in the way of constructing a railway to Prince's Wharf. If the proposition means' all it implies, it must be characterised as an extremely unwise move. The Harbour Board went to Parliament direct, seeking authorisation of the line. This was not obtained. The opposition was neither well-reasoned nor temperately expressed, but it prevailed, at least for the time. The Harbour Board has a good case for its lifie, provided satisfactory assurances are given that the traffic will be carefully controlled. There should! be no difficulty in providing them. Why then does it change its method of attack, by seeking authorisation in an entirely different manner? It is simply furnishing excuses for more of those hysterical outbursts against the whole policy of linking the western waterfront with the railway system, _to which Auckland has grown unhappily accustomed in the' immediate past. The nature of the opposition hitherto and the extravagance with which it has been expressed have disposed judiciallyminded people to think the Harbour Board in the right, even before they reached that conclusion by impartial consideration of the *lCacts. If it spoils a good case by such foolish tactics as those implied in its' latest move, it will risk the loss of both sympathy and support from many people favourably disposed toward its policy of direct railway access to Prince's Wharf.