OPENING OF THE WAIRARAPA RAILWAY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1457, 17 October 1878, Page 3

OPENING OF THE WAIRARAPA RAILWAY.

[by special wire from press agency.] The train to Wairarapa left Wellington station with the Governor and members of the Assembly, artillery, volunteers, and other guests, at nine this morning. There was no demonstration. the train leaving without ceremony, and arriving at Feather ston at 1 p.m. The Governor was received with cheers, and the following address was presented by Mr Warded, Resident Magistrate: Excellency, on behalf of the people of Wairaxapa the reception committee beg to welcome you to this district, and embra.ee the present •opportunity of expressing the feeling of loyalty to Her Majesty by which they are animated, and of respect for her representative in the person of your Excellency. The event which affords ns this opportunity is one of great importance to us, and one upon which your Government and the colony may be congratulated. It commemorates the completion of a work which has been regarded as the greatest engineering difficulty in railway construction in this island, and an event, which, by affording increased facility of communication with the capital, will assist in developing the resources of this district, and in promoting the social comfort cf its inhabitants. We thank your ¥ xcellency for your presence amongst us on this auspicious occasion, and greet you with a mo ; ;t hearty welcome. (Signed) Herbert Warded!.” This address emanated from the whole district. His Excellency replied— ‘‘ Gentlemen, I thank you for the cordial welcome which you have offered me, and I receive with pleasure the feelings of loyalty which you express towards her Majesty. That is a feeling which lam convinced is shared in by every man in New Zealand. Long may the connection between this polony and the mother country exist and flourish. It affords me great pleasure to be here on this occasion. It is an event which, I trust, will be ■a greai future benefit both to this district and the capital, and I heartily congratulate you upon the completion of the work. I trust the time may not be far distant when this line will be still further extended from one end of this island to the other, as it now is through the Smith Island. [Cheers.] To a district which offers the most advantages to agricultural pursuits, •easy communication is one of the most important of all things, and I trust that before long the farmer will cultivate the land, and that this land will succeed in producing wheat in the same manner in which they have succeeded in producing it in the South Island. [Cheers.] Deptnd upon it the backbone of every country is its agricultural interest. I congratulate you sincerely on the completion of this work, and I have now great pleasure in declaring this railway ° P The crowd gave three hearty cheers and the artillery fired a salute of seventeen guns. The Governor and visitors tlien proceeded to the banquet hall, where 150 sat down to a sumptuous feast'