IN THE CLOUDS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1933, 16 December 1913, Page 12

IN THE CLOUDS.

ROSE-TINTED SPECTACLES. AND WHAT IS SEEN THROUGH THEM. [Br Sylvius.] Optimism is a delightful quality, and Wanganui is positively lull oi it. Whilst admitting that it has a goad deal of justification for promising itself u bright future, some of its worthy inhabitants have their beads so high in tho clouds that the rest of tiie world is shut out of the focus of tlieir dreams of greatness. At the f-ictr.'iit timo W.angamii is about, to ouihi itself a harbour, and' rather sorrowfully some oi' the writer's dear friends on Victoria Avenuo depict the ruin and desolation that is to befall all other ports in the vicinity. 'Poor old Wellington is going to bo a port that was —a sort of backdoor entrance to-Wanganui, to be used occasionally in cases or emergency, as when, for. instance, the \\ anganui water-' siders strike. Of course you must admit that Wellington is at the dead-end of the. island. Without my admitting anything'of the kind, my informant took "it for granted that there was no other view to take. "Vou know that when it was proposed to sliift tho seat of Government from Wellington," said lie, "thero were several claimants for tho honour, and- Wanganui was ono of them. It would have got it, too, I believe, if it had had fie : harbour wo are building to-day." Thi? was news i.ndoed, and X began to listen hard. "Oh, yes," continued my Wangamu friend. "Look at its geographical position—rlook at the map." I looked. "Look here is Wanganui with all this wealth of country stretching back to the Main Trunk line and up north toTaranaki, and here is Wellington down here somewhere —ah, yes, here it is— •so it was there after all. . "Now 100k —it will not be many veal's before the South Island Main Trunk will terminate at Pict.on, there in tho Sound. Then we will liavo our harbour, and the boats will run across to Wanganui, and people will either pickup tho train to Taranaki, or so via tho Stratford-Ongarue lino to Auckland. There will be no necessity to go to ■Wellington at all. The-y will bo able to cross in quiet water and get right through Mat way." The writer stated that it was all very nicely arranged, but tho run from Pic-, ton to "Wellington would be three hours, and that-to YVaiigamii six or seven at tho least with fast boats. How lie was going to arrange the quiet water was kept a dark secret. Has Taranaki an oiiy hand in this? "Then look," be continued, quite unabashed by my l'utile protest, "hero is tho route*from Sydney. On fine days Mount Egmont can be seen by those on the boats, why shouldn't they come to Wanganui instead of going all tho way down through the Straits to Wellington. fWhy, indeed?] Wanganui is the natural terminus for tlie Sydney boats on paper, and when this district is opened up wo will bo able to fill 'em lip -with return cargoes. That's all very clear, I think." The lucidity of the argument was impeccable. -It was crystal clear. It was the mighty shall be—the inevitable must. .Why argue?