The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 56, 24 April 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

We are pleased to. be able to, atiiiounceTthat ■ thei o£ exteading the wharf a.ge accdminodatipn at Foxtori is to be proceeded without -delay, and cbuseqiiently we may expect to see; tenders called for the work m"a few days. We are ; also- giren ttt understand that instead of accommodation far one extra yesselj there is almost a certainty" that provision w|U b,e m,ade foj^ the berthing of ihi-ee. Plans were ariginaily drawn and f oTwarded to thtf ■ Public "Works ■Department for $ fie lesser number, but thas(s have been supplemented by others, bkcked.up with a strong reGommeiidafion from Mr Eothera% the General Manager of; the linej f 6 r afi additionajl berth c When -it ; ;xSs:^t^;ed"iliat^ffi© : -pp^S&it enlarge- ; f meht is vinte^edi only; |o be temporaryj it bjeingtcontemplated a'^no,, carry- out f a complete harbor sehemej and thftt besides bnW .costing .About £IQO, the ad^ d'itional: , berth will '•■ Jo'rin a portion ;o£,the ultimaj^ ?^ there can; |be little^ doubt jbhafet^^epartnaeut; fwill :ac^: upon .tHe ; of Mr" ;Ep.theratoij - and ; addl jthe extra to ''tKe proposed plan. Arrangein,ents are also to be inad§ for placing |a tramway and shedjltlbSg the whole jexteiit oi jstty*. so :that'|tCQcks can Mn .alongside. ojE each^ vessel, and facititieawiU b^giyen i arts mall crafts lia -tiniber '.-ttf-,'.vth'^. extent of irbm2oj)do tor^sjp6l)>fset pep day. ;i Oie najvt^onrmissi6ner| |Mr Lawsan, has been for; tlie past ;week m the "district, and appel^; fully alive to tUjaJ necessity;; o.t; mailing suitable i proyis>ion for; the : yaatiauiber trade • which should ; be' ;^d&uraged, isensTble of thj^ studied neglect which i^x|giy'^ndvit^ ipter^sts h;as cx v pertehcM m the pa}ft: " *It cannot bey ! defied for a moment that thr^u^h ; the. inadequate provision hitherto made for- .'tb# transit i(,nd expo,rt of 1 ti tnber^ thousaLiids a,ud of ; ppunda' worth "of bus.hli£iY« baau 'jeL-klassly .burned; to Ay.as^B, ■■. \yhich , under other circumstances would, have eiiridhed th\e owuei- and the raihvay,-%nd ipcreased the trade of Foxto.n. Witn i*ie lixifi Qpeia H^ht through •to':, yanga.ftui.,. ii,iid Jhe increased facilities foi" export l)f the • o.ther end, there. .•■should be a pr*)S- --; 'pe.ro us : 'f ut v" re m stare for i$,Q. Manit.\vatu.-;>. ; Thev interests of all i. portions of the Cpuniv are idooXi^j.

for with the and development of the northern end a corresponding benefit must be experienced at Foxton, the natural and only outlet of the produce and trade of the West Coast of the North Island. It is consoling, then, to known that that port is now about to receive that justice and consideration which has been so long denied to it, and by a small outlay enabled to enter the race of competition with its nothern rival, even though the latter be taken under the protecting wing of a Cabinet, Minister. It is well known that on no portion of the West Coast is there to be found a supply of timber to equal that about Feilding and Palmerston, and now that the difficulties which have hitherto stood In its way have been removed, its progress and prosperity should make rapid strides. Mr Lawson's .name at the head of the department is a sufficient guarantee that no effort will be wanting on the. part of the Railway authorities to develop to the utmost the t trade of auy district through which a line passes, and under the new regime. progression will be found to be the watchword. Although m the matter of a daily mail between Wellington and Wanganui it appears the Government are somewhat chary at present m committing themselves to the arrangement, we fee! thoroughly convinced that before the line is a month open, the concession will have to be made, and passengers leaving the Capital m the morning, will be landed m Wanganui inside of sixteen hours. Ours is a progressive age, and experience has taught the fallacy of taking a narrow-miuded view of any question which is calculated to benefit the public. When the penny postage was proposed m England it was ridiculed as" the height of madness ; and coming nearer home, the reduction of telegraphic rates* m the -Colonies was prophesied to end m gigantic failure. The results m bath cases have shown the absurdity of such ideas ; for it has been invariably found that where the Government has studied the convenience of the public, although perhaps for a time entailing a loss, a trade has been created which ultimately compensated. for the - experiment. If, however, such were really not the fact, we hold that the public interest should be paramount to e\ery o.ther consideration, that pounds., shillings, and pence should nave but little weight when a boon to the, community is m the balance, and that m those go-ahead days of the Nineteenth Century, when steam has almost annihilated time and distance, the proposition to make a two-days' journey of 160 miles, or to wait from., fifty to six.ty hours for a mail, is . absurdly ridiculous and preposterous.