Spirit of the Press.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 426, 10 April 1880, Page 23

Spirit of the Press.

The deep interest that has been excited in the AVest Coast Railway, and the variety of statements, not all trustworthy, that have been circulated relative to the country to be traversed by the proposed line, induced us last week to publish alithographed map, correctly pourtraying the railway system of the Wellington district. In the present juncture of affairs the map will, we hope, be accepted as an appropriate presentation to our readers. We have incurred considerable expense in producing the map, but that is as nothing compared with the necessity of throwing as much light as possible upon the vexed railway question, and to enable the public to judge for themselves in the matter. The map is compiled from authoritative sources, and the letter-press remarks upon the routes are absolutely reliable. Hitherto, the subject has been obscured by a great deal of vagueness. Conclusions have been jumped at, and Imp-hazard assertions accepted as veritable. Especially has this been apparent in the ideas entertained respecting the character and disposition of the country through which the line will pass when it is constructed, and of the country which the line will command. Native proprietorship has in a measure been ignored or lost sight of, and this is a chief factor of the argument, Also there has been decided misapprehension respecting the land held by the Crown. Attempts have again and again been made to explain all this verball) 7- , but not one has yet succeeded, and hence the effort we now make to combine illustration with verbal description, and by the aid of distinctive coloring to unmistakeably define the disposition of the country..The map discloses what land is held by the Crown, what by the natives,. and land for the possession of which the Government is negotiating. It also sets forth the character of thecountry, whether open, timbered,, hilly, or flat; heights ;;bove sea level, and the progress of railways. It will be observed that the-G-overnment holds an immense stretch of country on the West Coast, but then the fact of much oft hat country being mountainous, hilly, and densely timbered is not to be overlooked, and also that the key to the greater part of the Crown lands is in the hands of the natives. They have sold land, it a true, and that largely, but with their usual astuteness reserved to themselves the choicest portions. All the rich alluvial land skirting the coast line is theirs, and, as the map shows,, nearly every mile of the proposed railway from Porirua to Poxton traverses native land. Not more than ten miles of it is laid down on the green coloring. The yellow coloring denotes native land, of the value of which there can be no question, and it is this land which the Government are making every effort to acquire. Negotiations, however, have to be conducted with the utmost circumspection. The natives know full well how much the value of their land would be augmented by the construction of a railway through it, and in the face of all the agitation to force the Government into action, they are not at all likely to abate their demands in the slightest, even if it will be possible to persuade them to quit at any price. And their land, the yellow strip on the map, cuts off all the back country from the sea. Need we point out the indispensableness of shattering this monopoly? Admitting that the main object of constructing the West Coast railway is to connect the port of Wellington with the rich Wanganui and Taranaki districts, yet the secondary object of opening up land for settlement is not one whit less important even if it ought not to occupy first place. We feel quite sure that our fellow working men, Avho are so eager to promote the construction of the line, desire to keep this object in view. They would like to see their " ain folk" benefit by it more than those who are alien to them, and we would remind them that they are liable to overshoot the mark in their haste, for bringing owners of native land to reason is simply a question of

pounds, shillings and pence, and the finances of the colony are not in a condition to bear extraordinary strain. Of course it would be better to construct the railway through native land than not at all, but how infinitely preferable that the railway should traverse land held in fee simple by the colonists, and dotted with their homesteads. Than ourselves no one can more earnestly desire connection by railway with Foxton, but then we can very plainly see how good effect may be marred by undue Baste. We certainly think that for the present at least the promotion of the railway OTight to be governed by the time-honored adage, JTestina lente. Persistently keep on the trail of the game, until the scrubby country of native obstruction that now impedes the chase is passed through, and then slip the gaze hounds—execution of purpose. There is no other way of escaping the predicament, except by purchasing land at Maori price, or constructing the railway through native land. We know that the Government is striving for the acquisition of the land we allude to, or portions of it, but we may state plainly that negotiations have not been in the least assisted by the recent railway agitation. The Maoris are all eyes and ears when their interests are involved, and know full well how to drive a bargain and how to wait their opportunity. We are not counselling inaction until all the native land on the line of railway is acquired, but to finesse for its possession, and eertainly to secure at any cost some parts of it before the determination to construct the line right through is made public. We commend the figures of the map to our readers. It will be observed that the Crown holds only 160,000 acres on the proposed line to Foxton, of which but 1000 acres are open country and 5000 acres flat forest; the remainder is hilly forest, or very hilly or mountainous. But there is plenty of good land between the hills and the sea beach in Maori hands, whilst it may certainly he assumed that much of the hilly forest country will be admirably adapted for agricultural purposes when cleared. Inducements to construct the railway abound, and it costs us an effort to even hint at delny. Still, the case is one of those that must be stripped of all sentiment, and submitted to the governance of the strictest business rules, amongst which that of prudence may be allowed to predominate.