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Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3058, 3 December 1878, Page 2

Ik (o-day's isju^jwrr^ contemporary refers to a "a mott unfavorable ire ply to • message o£ inquiry " sent by Mr Boweio ft.be Hoi|j Mr' Mtcandrew re the comymeocemeDt of >the railway. The telegmoo

referred to, which has been handed to us for publication, is as follows :— • " Dunedin, Dec. 2. " Wm. Eowe, Esq., M.H.E., Thames. "'lh-e intense dissatisfaction to which you refer must, I fear, be allowed to get more intensified ; it will not make the xailway, which Government is as desirous of pushing forward as are the complainants themselves. It is manifestly impossible to commence the work without working plans and surveys, which require time to I prepare. This work was directed to be ' done shortly after the Eailway Bill became law, and my desire is to prosecute; the undertaking vigorously, and to urge on the speedy completion of the line uninfluenced by unreasonable impatience.— J. Macandbew."

We must admit we fail to see anything particularly unsatisfactory in the wording of the telegram—it is obvious that a survey, will have to be made before anything else is done. At a meeting held a few days ago it was stated that the line from the head of the navigation had been all completely surveyed, and it is evidently this survey which is the bite noir of several members of our local bodies; they fearing that the Government will commence the surveyed portion of the line first. We learn on the best authority, however,: (hat there is not a single plan prepared on which work could be commenced, and that a complete resurvey will require to be made, even the course the line will take being a matter of uncertainty. The Government, in whom we have every reason to repose the greatest confidence, willsee that justice is done to the Thames in the matter of the railway, and it must be very annoying to them to have everything they do misconstrued by the very community they seek to benefit. In the face of direct promises from men like Sir George Grey, our member, and Mr John Sheehan, all that the Auckland press and an interested section of the Auckland community can do will, we trust, be harmless. The Grey Ministry have acted straightforwardly with us so far, and it is time enough to make a noise when any crookednesses are detected.