THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1909 RAILWAY MATTERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 160, 31 May 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1909 RAILWAY MATTERS.

THE conference of Railway Leagues held last week at Auckland dealt with a matter of considerable interest to the King Country in referring to the Stratford-Main Trunk Railway. Evidently tbe Auckland public Is awakening to the fact that the line in question is of the utmost importance to the city and that Auckland's interests will be greatly served by the early decision of the Government as to tbe point of connection with the Main Trunk line, and the starting of the work at tbe Northern end.

It is a matter for extreme regret, as far as the district is concerned, that the Minister for Railways, for some inexplicable reason, has come to the conclusion that the interests of the Dominion will best be served by concentrating the work on the Southern end of the line. The chief reason advanced by the Minister was that the greatest portion of the country, including the Obura, through which the line would pass would find the best outlet for its produce in Taranaki. How very wide of the mark is this opinion can be readily estimated by ■ the settlors concerned. However, it j I will be a somewhat difficult matter to convince the Ministerial mind of its error, and only by the co-operation of all who are affected by the attitude can we hope to accomplish the desirable end. We trust that an effort will be made to induce the Auckland members to support Mr Jennings, the member for the district, during the coming session in bfe endeavour to obtain a

definite pronouncement from the Government on the question of route. Until that important issue is decided unrest must be rife in the district and progress considerably retarded.