THE MANAWATU RAILWAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4322, 3 April 1901, Page 4

THE MANAWATU RAILWAY

tflie public issues in.volye<J,ia. l tbe ,ques.

j tion, of; the suggested:, purchase). 01, the Mauawatu railway *by the;>{Rvfer Ament are so important that it is ; tb : be hoped tlio shareholders bf the WellingtouMan’awatu' Railway Company will approach the witli a club-sense, of , responsibility at .their meeting to-day. It may be difficult-for them, ;in. view of .all the ,cir.cvnm?tAnce4..-.W f '4?.aV the matter in, a judicial frame,of mind. They have been alternately tantalised and'threatened' until they -may’ well have lost patience, and 'hay almost "be disposed to adopt the motion of which Mr T' Kennedy Macdonald has, given no.tice, and te. assume a very “stand-offish” attitude towards the Government,. To do so would, in bur opinion, be a great mistake, becqriso it would! tend -to' delay a consummation which everyone must recognise t.o be as inevitable as it is desirable. The Manawatu railway must ultimately become a State possession. Everyone is agreed upon that point, and everyone also grants that it must be acquired upon, terms equitable to all concerned. To facilitate that end should bo the aim of the shareholders. They must see that friendly negotiation offers the host prospect of an early settlement being arrived at. The Government is simply standing out for terms which it believes it to be its duty fo secure in the interest of the public. It will not help matters if the company takes a stubborn stand, and insists upon tlie letter of its bond. Public opinion will probably support the Minis, terial view, and public pressure will doubtless insist upon the execution of the Rimutaka deviation and suck other improvement of the State lino as will satisfy the requirements of the j country. But all this will waste valuable time; and while time is flying, the development of the district is being retarded. The shareholders of the Manawatu Railway Company, who have proved themselves patriotic in many ways, will surely not ruin their reputation by closing the door of amicable negotiation and claiming their “pound of flesh/'

At the same time, we trust, the Government will also recognise the pressing .nature of the need for taking this important line of railway into the State system- The city of Wellington and the country districts for over a hundred miles’ radius are suffering great inconvenience because of the game of cross purposes that is going on between the

Government And- the Manawatu Company. The State line over the Himutaka is utterly inadequate for the goods traffic; it is cosily to work; it is dangerous to life. Travellers by it are in dread of what may happen llu'ough a slight failure of some engine when on tho steep portion cf the incline. Settlers begin to -think that nothing ’ but an appalling disaster will secure attention to their wants iu the matter uf hotter means of railway transit. No one can dispute the fact that if the Government acquired the Msnawuu railway the bulk of the country traffi: could be more safely,, economically ami expeditiously canned over that lino than is at present the coca Such acquKition. on fair terms, is the true solution of tha ; problem of. railway communication between Wellington and the rich country beyond the ‘ ranges. The stumbling-block is tho question of what are fair terms. That question is surely not insoluble. . Wo are pretty well convinced that tho purchase, oven on the hard terras provided in tho s\atute. .would' he remunerative to the Statesbnt Ministers refuse to' believe so. and they are likely ,to. carry, the public , \vith them in their contention.. What, then,, is to bo done? Is tho development of the country to ’bF blocked, are the interests of the whole community !to suffer, because : of the conflict of opin- • ion? Decidedly net. If friendly negotiations do not -provide a way r out of the “impasse" now rea'chcd, the sover- • eign people will assuredly "find a way, ' or make it." - i

In the interests of all con corned, wo would earnestly counsel the shareholders of the company to leave an open door for further discussion of terms cf purchase by the Government. , Ministers would probably sacrifice something lor the sake of regaining possession of the land remaining in the company’s hands. Unless the land is surrendered, they will steadfastly refuse to purchase under the conditions of 'contract. There must be giro and take, if an undesirable. Conflict is to be avoided, and if the country is', to,be savoch from .the.costly expedient of making a now line, with easier grades, l over the Eimutaka., In the last resort,, the question - of price for the Manawatu railway might be decided,by arbitrators; ; but we trust there is sufficient “sweet j reasonableness” to be found among shareholders mid Ministers do render .such resort .unnecessary;' It is the plain duty of the company, and .of the Government to lose no time in arriving at an agreement; and to that end it is necessary that the shareholders should to-day instruct the directors to keep open, the negotiations for the sale of, tho line, outside . of the terms -of . contract*.