The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 442, 14 October 1869, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1869.

The morning papers are fighting the battle of the railways. The Government' party wish the province to go on with the Southern Railway, and to a tramway to the Leeaton and Selvvyn districts. They, make a pretence, too, of wishing to carry. on the Northern Railway afc the same time,' but it is so obvioualy a pretence, that we should think no one can be deceived by it for an instant. Any one who had read the Press lately must have discovered, the strong bias of the Writer in favour of the Southern Railway and the tramway. Indeed, the Governine.nt hardly cares to hide its purpose."} It only asks for money sufficient to make an attempt to purchase the land for the Northern .Railway, and says tUat if the land does not cost too much, if will call the Council together to have a talk about the railway. But it proposes to obtain money to go on with tho Southern works at once. The Lyttelton Times argues strongly in favour of the Northern line, and hints. .that the balance declared by the Government to be in hand does not exist in fact, and therefore that it ■Would be most unwise to enter upon so litany, works without sufficient means. .The Times omits an argument which appears to us to carry weight. ; The -South has had its turn by the expenditure of more than £200,000 of ■public money upon the railway to the Selwyn. It ought thereforeto wait. It is all very well for the Government «nd its land-agent friends to point out thafthe continuation of the southern .railway will open up for sale a large extent of waste lands, and thus increase the public revenue as well aB 'their own. But we say " turn and turn about." Lit those be served first who have already invested large sums in the purchase of waste lands, which they can now turn to very poor account for want of railway accommodation. Let the province keep its pro-

mise to thejCJortherii settters before throwing any; more plumsih the laps of the great freeholders of the Selwyn and neighbouring districts. Fair play is a jewel. "^fAs for the tramway it will cost only £5000, and: will serve the purpose of a large and rising district. Moreover, it will please Mr 3 ollie, give Mr "Wra. White another job, and enable Mr Stevens to pacify his angry constituents. "Where so many good ends can be served for so trilling an outlay, no one would be hard hearted enough to say n&'Q