The Feilding Star. THURSDAY SEPT. 11, 18S4. The Northern Railway

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 38, 11 September 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY SEPT. 11, 18S4. The Northern Railway

It may be re-assuring to the settlers in the Manawatu and Oroua to learn that the Government proposes to select the best route for the North Island Trunk Railway, apart from all party considerations. The Wellington Post agrees with us that the committee, as proposed by the Government, can scarcely be regarded as an entirely satisfactory one, but ye do not go so far as that journal, which says that

" There are too many men on it who personally or locally have a direct interest in one or otber route, and whose judgments must be affected by consideration" apart from the actual evidence adduced. A committee so composed would not be at all likely to arrive at a unanimous report, nor would its report command the respect or confidence of the House. Unless practically a unanimous report is arrived at by the committee, the battle of the routes will after all have to be fought on the floor of the House, and the question will probably be determined on other grounds than the merits of the rou.'. selected."

We think that there are not enough local men on the committee. That Messrs Atkinson and Mitchelson would be more in place as witnesses than as members of the committee we agree, as they are really pledged to support one route as the best already. When we say that there are not enough local men on the committee, we specially refer to the omission of the member for Manawatu from the list. It is notorious, that the claims of the Oroua or Kiwitea Valley routes have been shamefully neglected, and the most solemn promises ma^e regarding their survey, have been broke a in the most faithless manner. The Post says that "the committee will, we believe, have ample evidence before them to enable a conclusion to be arrived at." In this belief we think the Post to be mistaken. Some of the evidence will be found to be inaccurate or misleading ; so much so, indeed, that it is not too much to expect that entirely new surveys will have to be made by independent men. The present Minister for Public Works, the Hon. Edward Richabdson, is the man on whom the Colony may pin its faith of having only that line selected which will open up the most country at the least. cost and with the best prospects of paying expenses. Apart from his honorable character as a Minister, we are satisfied that his instincts, as a practical maker of railways, would guide him in selecting the route which the committee should recommend the House to accept. We believe that an effort will be made to have the name bf Mr Macaethub added to the committee and that it is probable that some of the others proposed will be eliminated. If our member is added we are certain that gopd will result. He will ask for no more than justice .to be done to cur district, and if he is satisfied that such has been meted out, when the conclusions relative to the best route are arrived at, he will cordially support that which is really the best for the Colony at large, apart from mere local feeling or prejudice. In conclusion, we wish it to be clearly understood that we do not say the best route is to be found up the valleys before mentioned. All that we say is that a proper and complete survey— equal to that made of the other alternate routes — has not been made, and no decision can be arrived at as to its merits until such is done. We have little doubt that the voice of Mr Ma-arthub, from his place in the House, will be heard strongly on this