The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1887.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7998, 17 October 1887, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1887.

The question of diverting the route of the North Island Main Trunk Bailway so as to enable Auckland to connect with the line in Taranaki instead of at Palmerston is agitating

the minds of our friends iv the north. The Auokland Star, -which appears to be the most active in the matter, Bays, " When the Wellington intrigue to shut Auckland out of tho Taranaki and West Coast trade was set on foot, meetings of merchants were held, and the people kept hammering away until, aided by local official influence, they succeeded in biasing the minds of the members of the House aud attained their purpose." Our contemporary is not altogether correct in this statement. If those who had any influence in Auckland at the timo had helped Taranaki instead of showing a leaning for the present route, ifc would never have gone that way. Was not Mr. Mitchelson, Minister of Public Works, and Major Atkinson, Premier, and is it not a known fact that whilst they were pretending they were in favour of the Taranaki routo they were having the plans and specifications of the Central Line pushed on with all Bpeed on the quiet? Did not the Auckland Herald send a Mr. Nicholls to write up the Central route and to show that the barren 'scoria lands were plains of fertile soil ? Did not Mr. Mitchelson make a aham visit through ibis district, and report un-

favorably on it ? and even the Star itself was very lukewarm about the matter. There were rumours at the time that large landowners in Auckland had influenced the Press as much aB anything as to the direction the route should go, and the Auckland papers took their cue from them and wrote accordingly. We showed over and over agaih'that the truthful, unbiased explorers were all in favour of the Taranaki route, and that it would be found almost impossible to make the line' in the direction it is now going except "at a great expense. We^were told., then that surveyors and engineers had been along the route, and that no engineering difficulties existed ; "but no sooner was the question decided by the House as to which way the line was to go, than obstacles were mentioned which had not been referred to previously. We cannot blamo the Wellington people for trying to get the line made so as to draw the trade towards their city ; but we certainly do think the Auckland people deserve censure for what they did in the matter. If the papers there had not shoicn an inclination for the present route ; if they had worked to have the line brought this way, it would never have been carried through the scoria' territory of the Tongariro country. The Auckland Star says : "It is not, however, too late to prevent the perpetration of a great wrong to New Zealand." If our contemporary means that the House will be prepared to reverse the decision come to in 1884, we are afraid it is mistaken. The Wellington members as well as the representatives in the south, would as a body oppose it. The latter especially, for knowing that it was not likely to be finished for the estimated sum, they would have a ohance every time a further loan was required of getting double the amount voted for works in the Middle Island. In these days of retrenchment, it would not be as well either to ask for too much. What we would suggest, and which would be more likely to meet with support in the House, is that all work on the North Island trunk line of railway be for the present stopped. Let us get more population into the Colony, and the land in the centre of this island more settled, before we talk of the railway through it. Let us, however, get a good metalled road constructed connecting this district with Te Kuiti; and, with the land settled on either side of it, we might five or six years hence begin to think of going on with the railway. Past experience has shown that it has been a great mistake making railways through an unsettled co a ■ iry ; for the lines cannot be utilised j. robably for some years after they have been construoted. On the other hand, where roads and settlement have preceded them, they have proved profitable concerns. Let the people and the Press of Auckland, and we in Taranaki, advocate the making of a main trunk road between the two places. Let us get the present line stopped where it is ; and the benefit that will result to the district from suoh a course will be incalculable. Why should the Star wish to divert the " trade which now gives employment to several steamers?" Auckland has the trade with this coast all in its own hands, and as a railway, if made, would only compete with the steamers, we can see no wisdom in the change. A good metalled road would not interfere in that way, although, no doubt, cattle dealers would prefer driving their herds to market overland to the risk of sending them by sea. Even if there was a railway, a road would have to be made, and the settlers, would use it for sending their live stock along in preference to the train. When the price „ of cattle, is low, the cost of sending by" railway has to be saved, and the animals are then driven to the nearest port for shipment. The conveyance ofoattle on the Manawatu Railway , we notice, has been abandoned owing to the cost, and oattle are now sent by road to the Wellington market. We would, therefore, advise our Auckland neighbours to direct their energies towards getting the House to stop, for a time at least, the work on the North Island Main Trunk Line, and get a sum voted to enable the Government to make a road to open up the country between Auckland and here. According to Mr. Skeet's estimate, the road from Stratford to- Taumaranui could be made and gravelled for £75,000, and this sum would soon be recouped to the colony by the land it would open up for settlement. The people who would occupy it would all help to add to the revenue of the country, and when there was sufficient population to demand it,, the railway could then be made, and ifc would prove to bo a profitable work too.