THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7948, 25 January 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1906.

Dealing with the Premier's proposal to add a new trunk line to hia lone list of railways under construction, the Lyttelton Timea says: "By all means let ua have Westland connected with Otago by railway. But tiret of all let us oomplete some of the more important lines we have in band. These lines have already cost the country millions by delay, and the addition of the Westland-Otago railway to the list could only add to the anhual charge of interest." « * * * * Our contemporary does not agree with the suggestion of concentrating the whole of the railway vote on one line at a time, though even that would be better than keeping a score of lines oreeping along at a snail's pace indifferent parts of the oolony. Every pound allotted to the proposed line would be so so ujuch taken off the North Island Trunk, the Midland Railway and the Otago Central, and would put their completion so much further away.

The "fair distribution" policy need not be a policy of bribery, but "it may easily become a policy o? wasteful extravagance. Public opinion, in the South as well as in the North, is now practically unanimous in holding that the North Island Trunk is the most important, from a colonial point of view, of the railways under construction. .Every penny that can be spared from less urgent works, and that can be profitably employed, should be devoted to this line. After its completion the Midland Railway and the Ohago Central could be pushed on in the same way. ***** It is somewhat surprising that our contemporary should discover that the delay in connection with the lines at present in hand has "coat the country millions," and especially so soon after the general election! But a faw weeks ago, so far as the "opinions" of the Lytcelton Times were concerned, everything that the Government had ever done, or would ever do, was, almost, if not quite, the height of perfection, and as for the administration, it was simply unimpeaohable. Of course, everyone who has considered the question at all is fully aware that the rai'way and public works construction "policies," if they can be designated by such a term, are most reprehensible and the very opposite of progressive. ***** Everyone knows, and the Minis ters possibly better than anyone else, that the speedy completion of the main lines, which should have been finished years ago, and especially the North Island Main Trunk line, would be a great benefit to the country as a whole. The paper already quoted from says that the "fair distribution" policy need not be one of but as a matter of fact, the so-called "fair distribution" poliny is one of bribery, and more than that, for it is d'reotly inimical to the best interests of the Colony. While an enor* moua expendituie of borrowed money is always going on in the case of works that cannot possibly be considered, from any point of view, as reproductive, the taxation burden of the people must inorease, and the development —>the real and permanent development—of the country must be retarded and the delay, or rather, stagnation, against which our contemporary su weakly protests must continue to be ruinously expensive. The British Board of Trade tables dealing with the imports and export of'coal ior the United Kingdom makes interesting reading. Last year tfie United Kingdom produced about 232,428,000 tons of coal, Germany 120,800,000 tons, Franoe 33,800,000 tons, Belgium 23,500,000 tons, and the United States 314,500,000 tons. Unlike the United States, which burns most of its own coal, Great Britain exports a very large amount, and it is interesting to note that British coal still leads in Europe. It is more marketable than the German coal, for it has been clearly proved to contain not only more gas, but to have a very much greater heating power. In another column a correspondent, signing himself "Mountaineer," suggests that an effort should be made to popularise Mount Boldsworth, so to speak, by way of decreasing the labour and difficulties generally of the olimb—which, if made on a clear day, is well rewarded ,by the view obtained from the summit. "Mountaineer," not altogether inaptly, describes Mount Holdswortb as the "Mount Eginont of the Wairarapa," and it is most probable, we should say, that many Masterton residents and visitors to this town would make the asoent every now and then could it be more easily accomplished than is at present the case. Numerous parties have at one time and another made the ascent, and were evidently pleased with their day's outing, for the determination has been, almost invariably, expressed of "going up again some time." Our correspondent makes various suggestions in connection with his proposal, and it is to be hoped that those who are interested in the scheme will discuss its feasibility. This might be done by calling a public meeting.