TOPICS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4304, 13 March 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK RAILWAYReferring to the North Island Main ! Trunk Railway, the Minister for Railways (Hon. J. G.. Ward), in his speech ■ at To Awamutu on the (ith instant, read the following telegram from the Minister few Public Works, which ho had received, 1 in reply to an inquiry made by 'telegraph ; i —“The Main Trunk Railway is making . good progress, there! being close upon one thousand men employed in connection therewith. See no reason to doubt that 1 my premise will bo kept, namely, that ) tho train will run to Kawakawa next September, and to Tauumranui a. yctir , later. Contracts have been let for all. j bridges as far as Taumaraimi South, and ’ also progressing well. Expect open to ■ Mangaweka this year; the work is well - in hand ahead of there.—Win. Halii Jones.’’ ’ THE CITY RATES. ’ Tho chairman of tho Wellington Ratepayers’ Association, Mr Hurrell, dcclar--1 ed last night that some of the largest 3 ratepayers in tho city are in a state of 3 alarm at tho present condition of things, i One of the largest owners of property D m Wellington, and one of our very'best u citizens, had that day told hint that lie ) had had a good offer for a lease of a = property for throe years, but one condition was that he should pay tho rates, and ho was so fearful that the rates 3 would-he increased that ho would not f conclude the bargain. Another large r ratepayer had expressed to him tho i opinion that there was nothing in the world to prevent the rates from going up in a short time to 5s in tho pound, f Mr Hurrell went on to say that all tho . ratepayers cbuld do was to soo that tho e money borrowed was borrowed for good and reproductive works.' Mr Arnold Suggested that those who were so fearful of the increasing of the rates'should e j conic out as candidates at the coming e I elections. Tho chairman, said the men J he had to had done a very large J share of municipal work in the city. N Mr D. B. Duncan observed that in any 1 case the. ratepayers had control of the ’ finance.