Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1889. UNITY.

Manawatu Herald, 26 February 1889, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1889. UNITY.

What a marked change has coino over this portion of the West Coast within the last twelve years, aud every change has been for the better. In opening up new country the whole action taken is, as it may be described, in the dark, the developement of one portion, enabling in some unexpected manner, Another district to be opened up, and so the area extends, oven as the circles on the water widen, after the stone has made its opening. We are led to these remarks by viewing the posi tion now held by the port of Fox ton, as in conjunction with the district it serves, and we recall th;j many hard tights in the days gono by, amongst the new centres of population, as to which one would take the lend. The fight was strong

and long, but it has ended in as good a compromise as could be wished, failing success. FofctOn though not the town of the lafge counties of ManaWatti) Oroua 1 arid Horowhenila, as it promised in the earlier times to be, yet holds such a position with regard to thd sea, that the success of her rivals reacts to her advantage so much, that their 1 growth becomes an object as much to be desired by the port, as by themselves. Under these circumstances we hail with genuine delight the very excellent relations that exists between the local press, and the power that is wielded by them, fairly combined, should result in the district securing that attention at the hands of the Government, which has for some time been shown more in words than deeds. Our contemporary the Manawatu Times referi ling to the question of improving the bar oi ike river, very justly observed , that a small expenditure, ekilfully j applied, jwould be, the means of doing good service, not to Foxton alone, but to the whole district, including the towns of Palmerston and Feilding. Our representative in the House made a request to the Minister of Public Works last session, (similar to the one he had put the session previously), that he would obtain the opinion of an expert upon the chances of effecting an improvement at a reasonable cost, and as yet, we are awaiting a reply. Now we very much doubt when that reply is received if i will be of any value, and in case we should iinfortunately be correct, we would request our contemporaries the Manawatu Times and Feiiding Star, to keep this question before the electors, for as it has been most strongly put, the port is, the only safety that Palmerston and Keilding have again excessive railway freights being levied. To put this more c early before them we may simply instance the extraordinary manner the Manawatu Kailway Company charge the settlers situated along their line, when clear of competition. The residents at Otaki, which place is distant from Wellington 47 miles, are charged for carriage more than goods are carried through to Longburn a distance of 37 miles further. The West Coast line is one that is of great convenience to a large numbfr of persons in all parts of the colony, and it is right that every effort should be made to make it pay, and the Directors would probably instance the cutting in freights between Wellington and Longburn, as good business, and as part of a plan to run the steamers off the coast between Wellington and Foxton ; and they would again instance the charges made between Wellington and Otaki to show that direbtly opportunity warranted it, the full rates allowed by their Act were charged. The very desperate effort that is now being made by the Eailway company, should be its own warning to the two towns we have mentioned, of the danger of allowing ateinpora ygain of reduced rates by rail, to make them lose all interest in water carriage, or some day they may discover that the steamers have been starved off the coast, leaving the Rai way Company to gorge on all the trade of the district by charging double or treble the rates they now do to Longburn. This is no more than proper business on the part of I the company, just as much it is the | proper business ou tho part of the ! importer to see that no «uch action i shall be successful. The success of cither action lies only in the hand of the importers, they alone can direct the manner their goods shall come, 1 and as at times a delay is bound to ! occur, when dealing with the ocean, they should so distribute their imports, that perishable goods or those needed in a hurry, should be sent by rail, but tbe general stocks and heavy lines should go by water. By ; these means both ways can be kept open, and at the lowest cost, and we feel sure, it is more by overj sight that they have permitted the larger portion of their trade to drift to the railway.