Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 19. 1895.

Manawatu Herald, 19 November 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 19. 1895.

The Desired Railway. > i At the last meeting of the Mana ' watu County Council the Chairmau ' reported the result of the last inter ' view with the Premier on the subject J of the Levin Great ford Railway. ( He reported that an expert was to 1 visit the district and the Council ' agreed to place a pppcial train at his service if advised in time, and Mr J. G. Wilson agreed to accompany him J on his tour of inspection. This is c not only wise but right, as the Pr. j c mier has in a very fair manner ail- * raitted the report, of the railway ex a perts might be influenced indirectly, and therefore arranged to send an J unbiassed person to report, 80 w°, a the settlers, should thereto c do al a we can not so much as to make his ° visit a pleasant one, a 9 that might l be urged as an ai tempt to use undue influence, but so that his movements ]: may be expedited and the whole resources of this wealthy block be " made plain to him. We have urged t; mch particular centre to meet to- j n 'ether and arrange how this much ; c lesired visitor shall be treated and shown around, and how evidence j ihall be produced to eauae him to ¥

fonder over the proposals. Country settlers wb>n they do move, mow solidly and powerfully* but they take a long time to be j)ersuad-d to move, and we thus once again urge them to be up and doing. Shall the Levin Greatf >rd Railway be made ? has certainly absorbed a surpri-ina amount of' time* consider ing i he advantage* it wou'd confer on a large number of fellow colonist.? and without draining oße ha f penny fidin bhe G vernment. Ii ?n» one • eally objec in# to the proposal on reasonable grounds? On^ new papnr remarked that the Govern ment should object to it as it Would not pay, and the promoters ought to bf protfCtpd fir the g&nd name of ohe Colony. Of Course this id beau iful, coming after the Bank of N^w Z aland business and the Colonial Bank amalgamation » not mentioning the number of gold-mining companies at Auckland which have been obtaining some gold, if not from the mines at any rate from shaieholders in London. The Colony has no business to interfere with private speculation, and taking the world around ihe majority who possess money know well enough how to tak--ihe best care of it themselves. Whave no objection to gold mines on the West Coast or in Auckland being floated in London, whether thty are likely to pay or not, and therefore we cannot see why others should object to "English capitalists investing in this Levin Greatford Railway should it so please them. " Whether it pays or not ?" someone may ask, and we answer •• Certainly, whether it pays or not," for until the line is opened for traffic it cannot be determined as a certainty whether it wil be a paying concern or other wise. The promoters, judging by their actions, are neither lunatics or children, they have the money and they need an investment. It is a fuct that in the Old Country a safe investment to yield even two to thre<p^r cr-nc l< particularly hard to find, and thai to those who are lo 1 fie. d ing the immediate interest on theii capital, such an investment in a New Zealand railway, running through one of the richest districts in the Colony, and connecting s ime <>f ih«* di-nsest popivated c untry by a sh rter route with the Capi a ! , must hay a very tempting outlo >k to them, and to all who think over the matter a moment. The general average earn ings of the colonial railways are close on three per cent, with t.hi« point of very much value to an En glish investor, viz., that their capabilities are as y«t not half developed, therefore promising larger receipts and rhus larger profi s in the near future. Having thus cleared the decks of the charge « f the promoters having b.en milled by rhdr correspondents in the colony, tad also the suggestion that ih«y w re unable to lake car*» of themselves, we now approach the consideration as to why the Govern ment, sh .v.d raise any obi ction. At present the L vin*Gi'e»tfo d lin would connect the Manawaui Railway Company's Line with the Go^ veinme.nt Riilway, and were thistate of things likely to remain ih Government would probably have made no obj c ion. Of course thGovernment are going to buy »h Company's line, so at least thty my, and we tnuac not sherrfire doubt t , but there is a great deal more of the future than the present in the deal. Take it, however, that the G< ivernmen were possessed of the C •mptny's line, would not the proposed loop do a greit deal towards increasing (h<traffic both North and South ? A saying., of. . fifteen, miles carriage in goods or pa^s^nger rates is an ium which every colonist is bound o study and, it is admitted, cheip r fares encourages more mov^nvnt. The qn-sti.m in consideration is not only that of the people's dwelling between Levin and Grt-a f >rd, but it concerns most vitally the interests of Wellington and Wanganui and N w Plymon'h, and the agitation ranid in thi- dis rict should be help d H d ayinpirhis-d with by them. T ! c vrh le thing is in a nutshell Engii b p omor.ers Will build the raiwiyif the G »vernm n? will tik >. running' poweia <»ver if : h'-y will build compound bridges over "h« r wo rivers : thy will agre- to s -II th ir property to the Govrnm»n at a rime and at a price to be m greed upon. The good faith of the promoters is shown in this c ear light, md yet — our Government *c- n s ] i nger from afar a nd hesi t« tes o 3-rmit the expenditure of £200,000 n public works in this district.