THE MANAWATU LINE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 409, 11 July 1908, Page 4

THE MANAWATU LINE.

The Government’s Intention. In the course of the Financial Statement the Premier said Hon. members will recollect that an announcement was made in last year’s Public Works Statement of the intention of the Government to acquire the Wellington-Manawatu Railway in the maimer prescribed in the Railways Construction and Land Act, and in fulfilment of that intention the requisite formal 12 months’ notice was duly served upon the Company on December 7th last. The existing legislation on the subject seems to be defective in one respect, inasmuch as it does not provide for a railway vesting in the Crown on the maturity of notice of intention to purchase. It seems to contemplate that arbitration proceedings to determine the price to be paid for the line shall first take place, and as these may occupy some time (and it would scaecely be fair to the Company to hurry them even if such a course were legally practicable), the date on which Government would obtain possession of the railway without an amendment of the Act is very indefinite. In view of this it is proposed to introduce a Bill to provide for the vesting of the line in the Crown on the expiry of the notice to purchase, namely, on December 7th next. What is fair and just to the Company will be done, as we have no desire to deprive it of its dues. If the Bill passes it will have the effect of placing the whole railway between Auckland and Wellington in possession of the Government in time for the commencement of a fast through mail service, and will at the same time leave the Company entirely unhampered as to when it will take the necessary steps to bring the question of the assessment of the price to be paid for its line, before the Arbitration tribunal provided Tor in the Act,