WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

WEDNESDAY’S GALE. DAMAGE TO RAILWAY. (Special to "Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, August 17. The most serious damage done about the capital city by Wednesday’s gale was the extensive breaching of the railway line between the city and the Hutt Valley. The damage done here will necessitate tho reconstruction of the line and the relaying of three or four miles of rail, a work that will occupy several months, popularly estimated from three to six. Meanwhile many hundreds of people in the valley, daily travellers to their work in the city, will be seriously inconvenienced, even if tho Government docs all it has promised to do towards minimising their troubles. It is reported—as it probably would have been in any case—that the attention of the railway authorities had been directed to the possibility of this catastrophe occurring again and again, and that they simply elected to take the risk. This doubtless will he a subject of inquiry. Meanwhile it is certain that the Wednesday’s gale was a visitation for which tho most cautious authority might have been excusably unprepared.

RAIL AND ROAD. That there has been some laxity in this respect, however, may he judged from an editorial pronouncement appearing in the “ Dominion ” this morning. “It would be interesting to know,” the Government’s good friend says, “on how many occasions in the past twenty years the Wellington-Hutt railway embankment along the harbour front has been breached by southerly storms. Certainly this happening has not been as frequent as it was in earlier days. But the question arises whether the policy adopted lias not been penny wise and pound foolish. The water along this portion ot the harbour front is shallow, and filling would not be costly with the hill-faces across the road to draw on for filling material. Even if the filling were done only as a protective measure at the dangeious points it would he something. Road transport, especially for suburban traffic, is too serious a competitor to warrant anything but absolutely essential expenditure on railway development.” This maxim might well be given a wider application. APPROACHING ELECTION. The Reformers continue to take a very lively interest in the approaching general election and to lay their plans to ensure success just as thoroughly as they did three years ago. The Hon. T. S. Weston, Chief of Staff in their active brigade of organisers, returned to Wellington yesterday from a thorough inspection of the South Island territory and pronounced himself well pleased by the prospects he found there. The mild attempts that have been made to discredit the Prime Minister, so lie snsv, have failed entirely with the mass of the electors, and the good work done by the Government under exceptionally difficult circumstances is appreciated everywhere. The Opposition, led by Mr H. E. Holland, perhaps is scarcely so confident of raising its strength to twenty-five seats in the new laiLament as it was during the later parto. the recess ; hut it still is sure of making a very considerable advance. The Nationalists and the United Party aie still waiting patiently for something to turn up. A FRIENDSHIP BUILDER. air D. F. Wilber, whose death in New York was announced here yesterday, was well styled a friendship builder. During his term of office as United States Consul-General for New Zealand lie did more to cement tho friendship between the people of Now Zealand and the people of America than the respective Governments of the two nations could have effected by tho exchange of mere courtesies in half a century. For the time being, without relaxing any of his devotion to his own country, lie became a New Zealander, adopting the Dominion’s manners and methods, its outlook and many of its idiosyncrasies. 11 is personality, no less than his office, gave him a high place in the society of this country ; but he was as readily accessible to the lowliest individual ill Hie community as he was to the highest, and was helpful to all. His interest in New Zealand did not wane with his departure ifroin the Dominion. He kept in constant touch with many of the friends he had here and through them with many others. He was indeed a friendship builder.