The N.Z. Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1905. A CASE FOR A RAILWAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5734, 1 November 1905, Page 4

The N.Z. Times

(PUBLISHED DAILY). WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1905. A CASE FOR A RAILWAY

VIT3 WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE “ WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT.” established IBiG.

It would be difficult, indeed, to bring forward stronger arguments in favour of the completion of a railway anywhere in New Zealand than those which were adduced by our Special Commissioner in suprort of the Stratford-AVhangamo-moni scheme. The series of articles that have appeared in our columns under the heading “ Bush Settlement 3 have revealed the almost incredible hardships that have been uncomplainingly borne by so many of our sturdy pioneers of the hack-blocks. At this time of year, as we have pointed out, “throughout four hundred square miles of country having access by way of the Ohura Main road to Taranaki, there aro not five miles of road that- are fit for wheel traffic. 3 ’ And the inhabitants of this prison were placed there under the Government’s settlement policy. The roads, it has been abundantly "made clear by our correspondent’s articles, aro worse than no roads at all. The settlers in this district have a right—if any section of people in this colony lias a- right—to ho given means at access from their holdfngs to the nearest market.

A Government with limited means at its command should have nothing to do with railways that do not tap good country; hut in cases where good land has already been settled, and where a steadily increasing ’population is hampered for means of access, a railway should bo pushed forward to their assistance as early as possible. The southern Ohura country is preeminently such a district. There are largo quantities of stock and produce waiting for transport, and daily depreciating; and there is a very wide hack country coming into use whose only means of access will be the same hopeless road. It is confidently asserted by the settlers of this district that if they were relieved of the tremendous inedbus of transport they would ho able with the same capital to bring 30 per cent, more land under grass. The new blocks extend westward to the water-shed of the Waitara and eastward to the Wanganui river, giving a catchment area of 400 square miles of good country without going farther north than the Tangarakau coalfields. The engineering difficulties of the railroad, as already surveyed, are not great, and the Minister for Public Works in his lost Statement has admitted that “the extension of this lino would he of material assistance in developing a good class of country.” At present the rail-head is at Oruru, twelve miles from Stratford, and the formation is proceeding. on a. further section of three miles.

At the risk of laying ourselves under the imputation of fostering the cry of North versus South, lot us draw a contrast between this and the ‘Midland railway. Here is a vigorously-prosecuted scheme for forcing a railroad, in face of huge engineering difficulties, into a country that has nothing to compensate for all this generosity. From Springfield to Otira there are scarcely a hundred acres of arable, land. There is certainly none that can carry two sheep to the acre. There are no settlers—there never can be any settlers—crying out in the wilderness; for the whole of the route lies through the Southern Alps. Yet on this scheme £55,468 was expended last year, and £IOO,OOO has been appropriated for the current period. Compare this with the expenditure of £6217 and the appropriation of £20,000 for a line that is creeping laboriously towards an isolated expanse of rich, country which is already settled. Whangamomoua can never be adequately served fcy a road, even should it happen to be a good one; because the cost of maintaining a forty-mile road which will carry heavy through traffic will be enormous. It is distinctly a cafe for a railway; and until districts like this are served with railways it must always be a reproach to the Government to spend money on such works as the Midland.