CULVERDEN TO WAIAU.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13495, 15 June 1914, Page 3

CULVERDEN TO WAIAU.

A thought suggests itself in regard to the anxiety of the Government to push ahead with the construction of the railway from Culver-den to Waiau, in North Canterbury—a. subject which we ("New Zealand Times") referred to a day or two ago. It is, that the executive head of the Reform party finds it very necessary to grant this concession to. a strong section of their supporters who, no doubt, are large contributors to their party funds. The people most benefited by the extension will be these largg landholders, and large grazing. leaseholders—most of them wealthy men, and the majority of them supporters of the Conservative party. Tho number of small settlers in that district is comparatively small. It is round about 'that locality that many of the wealthiest supporters of the Government reside; and even in parts where the land is cut up it is generally found to have been parcelled out to sons or relatives. It will save these men considerable expense if the huge quantities of wool from off their uplands can be railed to Christchurch from Waiau instead of having to bo taken in waggons to Culverden, nearly twenty miles further on. Two years ago the station-holders of - the upper reaches of the district went expectantly to the Government praying for extensions of their leases by way of compensation for alleged losses through heavy snowfalls, and were disappointed. The Government did not dare give that concession. But they dare to construct a line of railway under a pretence of national urgency. We do not say it is a bad thing to have this length of line constructed; but it is a disgraceful procedure to so specially cater for the select few when main trunk railways, which will do ever so much greater service to the .country, assist many small settlers, and throw open large areas of land for close settlement, are in consequence stopped altogether. But Mr Massey, we suppose, must placate in some way individuals who subsidise his party and who also put money into party newspaper ventures.