The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 88, 14 August 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1878.

We are pleasod to see that with his. severance from political life, Mr Tbavebs has riot lost his interest m the progress and prosperity of Manawatu. While a member of the Legislature, the ox-member for Wellington was an earnest advocate for the development of the vast resources of tho West Coast, and continually urgod the opening up of its lauds with the capital by railway communication ; and now that ho is no longer a member of tho Houso, and cannot plead its noccssity from his seat m Parliament, ho has used his energy and influence m causing a number of tho most prominent citiaens m Wellington to meet together to discuss the question . From the very elaborat e plan of operations or bases upon which Mr Travehs' scheme is proposed to boworked, it is quito ovidcnt that he has given the subject mature consideration ; still wo are bound to state that there are many views put forth and propositions made which we would scarcely feel inclined to aeeopt. It is freely admitted that the only causo of hesitation on the part of tho Government m proceeding at onoo with tho wort of construction, is that tho greater portion of the land through which the rail way would havo •to pass is still m the hands of the Natives. During a conversation which we had with the late Mr Heotob McDonald, a short time before His death, we learned from him that several large blocks of land had been parted with by the Maoris. Amongst. others, the Ngati Pariwahawaha had sold a block on the south side of the Otaki 5 the Ngati Tuara arid Ngati Kapiri, one block on both sides of the same stream ; a small block belonging to tho Ngati Raukawa Hapu, which was not disposed of, but, from their land to the boundary of the Ngati Tehij comprising five blocks, has been parted with by the Natives ; the Henri block, on both sides of the Ohau, arid Kberos to the north of the Ohau, is sold, as is also the land of the Ngati Huia Puritawhaoa, five blocks ; arid Watamii block, Ihakara's land, is all sold. Mr McDonald was a man so thoroughly posted up m Maori matters, and was so identified -with the country between Otaki and Foxton, that his statements are entitled to the greatest weighty andja ssurae /almost the appear? ariceo£eir"ca*7icrfr<j dicta. But even throwing aside the information given by that gentleman, and assuming: that the land wanted was still m the possession of r the Natives, we are assured upon the .most reliable authority that the Maoris l are willing to part with it upon what^eoms to us to be the most equitable and reasonable terms. We h* v a been assured by Mp Alexander McDonald, of Awahuri, whose position and dealings with the Natives fully warrants -him m speaking oa their be- 5 half* that the -Native 1 owners of land along tlie proposed route of line would be quite willi ng not only to yield, the : land for the. site; 'but* to give irilaiddi. tiott.: a i rep gift of largij blocks conw tignous thereto, only reservirig to tliomf selves a certain proportipii as; Nativo reserves. •Of: courses assuming this to be oon'eotjtlle aceeytatioA

or refusal of the terms by the Government would probably hinge upon the extent of area included m the reserves, and tho amount given as a free gift. We understand thero is a largo tract of country upon which advances have been made to the Maoris by the Govern mont, and although they cannot be said to havo been purchased or m the hands of the country, by the half-completed negotiations all idea of private enterprise m securing the land or dealing with the Natives is set aside. If the suggestion we have made abovo be carried out, we understand the Native land-ownors would not only refund the advances made by the Government, but merely ask that somewhere from fifteen to twenty per cent, of the whole of the land should be reserved to them as reserves, the remainder going as a consideration for tie construction of the railway, and tho consequent enhance* ment of the value of what they retain. Tho Natives havo got quite enough shrewdness to know that the contiguity of a railroad enhances the value of land from ten to twontyfold, and country which otherwise would remain a swamp or barren waste, by the construction of a railway has a high, value m tho market. Reverting to the conditions upon which Mr Tuavers proposes the line should be constructed, wo scarcely think the Government would bo induced to give a direct guarantee on the capital expended to tho amount of Gj per cent., and indeed we look upon it as scarcely a work for a -private company at all. We are inclined to take the same view of the matter as that taken by Mr Gilion, and instead of looking at it as an advantage to the Provincial District of Wellington, prefer that it should be put upon the broader grounds of its advantage to the colony at large. As such, then, it assumes the phase of a national work, and the State should be the first to move m tho matter. From what wo know of Mr Tbavebs we feel convinced that he has been actuated by no motive of self-interest m the step he has taken, and that now, as always, he has had the prosperity and advancement of tho country at heart; and although the meeting convened by him may not have been inclined to endorse the scheme propounded, we trust he will not relax his efforts to secure the end which he had m view. The Auckland members have formed a strong ooalition to push ahead railway construction m that distriot, and it is a matter for congratulation to see such a large array of names as constitute the committee formed at the late meeting. The Press and the public are agreed that the line from Wellington to Palmerston is one of colonial importance, and as a section of the Main North Island Trunk line, no time should be lost m bringing the proposed route to an issue. By the way, we should imagine a report of tho trip of Messrs Knorpp and Stewart should by this time be m the ha.nds of the Government. It is r-umored that the present Session will be a particularly abort one, and that Parliament will ho prorogued about the middle of October. If such be the fact, or m any oase, we think Mr Walter Johnston should lose no time m demanding from the Government some information ag to the surveys taken, the probable route of the line, and a distinct promiso that the work shall bo pushed on with all possible speed, otherwise wo will find ourselves entering upon another lleeess m exactly the same position as wo did last year.