Auckland Once More.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16162, 16 March 1918, Page 8

Auckland Once More.

The Auckland newspapers fighting for the defence of their innocent and downtrodden province havo always been interesting. but tliey are particularly interesting to Canterbury people just now because they are very much afraid that the Otirri tunnel may be finished some day. The ''Herald" -writes with gloomy anger of the "risk that by persistence of "agitation the inferior claims of the "Otira tunnel -will prevail," and its general references to the local campaign are such as ought t-o encourage the League to push on vigorously with the work that It has so well begun. Our contemporary appears to be just as firmly convinced as ever that the tunnel ought not to be finished. Formerly it used to argue that the completion of the East-and-Wcst connexion would not add a truck-load to the total of the country's production, but it has now taken a more candid line. The argument that " it is wise to finish the work and bring " into use the vast amount of capital "that has been sunk in the project" appears, so the "Herald" observes, to have "some show of reason." But it is only show. Reasonable, indeed, it may appear to Southern eyes, or to other non-Aurkland eyes, to spend the money necessary to convert into a national profit a national loss of £1000 a woek. This appearance of reasonableness, however, comes of ignoring a most important fact. "But tho fact is ignored," we are reminded, "that this programme in-

, " volvos indefinite delay in the constru-- & " tion of lines the national .value of - '' which is beyond question," these lines, t as everyone will immediately recognise • from the description, being those silut ateJ in the Auckland province. V»*e . ha'* c ofton wondered whether the Auck- > landers complaint that their province is , a dooply-wronged and badly-starved victim of Southern greed is genuinely , felt, or only .1 piece of tactics. It is ( possible that tho sight of a pound note 1 being spent by tho Government on soma public work south of tho Kauri linu really cause.} Auckland greater pain than can be soothed" by the cartloads of money lavished upon Auckland works, and produces the sensation of being starved. However this may be, the facts make the Auckland coniDlaint extremely amusing. On tho new railwa\ works in tho Auckland province alono there was spent in 191G-17 more than half as much again as was spent in the whole of this island, and * for years past the money has been divided on something like that basis. There is tho explanation of the slow progress of th? Canterbury-». estland connexion. Tho "Herald ' pays particular attention to the position taken up by iiho Minister on the labour question. It represents him as suggesting that "'the " rate of progress [of the tunnel work] will be determined, not by the relative importance of tho work, but by tho " energy of the League in finding labour for its prosecution." "He is apparently undertaking," it is added, "to " distribute tlie a% - ai!able funds in pro- " portion to the efforts of unofficial " labour bureaux." This doos not quits correctly represent tho Minister's attitude, but Auckland intends to take no chances, and accordingly "the business " men of the city ["Auckland] and of the " province generally" are summoned to give their assistance to the Auckland Railway League. Such is the enthusiasm of Aucklanders in the causo of their province that we have no doubt that the business men will confront tho Minister I with an army of workers ready to carry tlia spoil to the North. It is the business of the Tunnel Loaguo to take no notice of tho menaces that are coming from the North. Just causes do not always triumph in politics, but no just caus9 can get very far without courage and energy on tlis part of its supporters. Canterbury does not wish Auckland any .harm; it does not desire to see any halt in the progress of the northern part of tho Dominion; but it cannot allow Au.lnland greed and selfishness to injure tho prospects of a work of an importanca comparable to that of the North Island Main Trunk line, which would not have been completed to-day if, instead of forboaranco and sympathy, the South Island had displayed the jealous hostility that Auckland now displays towards evory non-Auckland interest.