The Daily Times. THE OLDEST MANAWATU JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1875. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1884

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1330, 25 October 1884, Page 2

The Daily Times. THE OLDEST MANAWATU JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1875. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1884

The delivery of the Public Works Statement has been awaited with some anxiety by residents of thig district and from our telegraphic summary it will be seen? -that little causo for .dissatisfaction exists. We stated a few days ago, on very good authority that the Gorge Line would be one of the first to be Uiodertal?en ; by Government and thvS is,.bprne out by the Statement, m whica it ia proposed to complete the line from Napier as rapidly as possible and to let as much as possible by contract before" the next meeting of Parliament. This is all eminently satisfactory so far as it goes, bnt there is j ust one matte r that will require explanation. It will be remembeced ' hat dnring^the election campaign Mr Macarthur expressed himself strongly m favor of the junction pt the Napier line being at Palmerston and riot at Bunnythorpe. We have no doubt he is still m favor of Pals merston being the point of junction, but the Statement itself alludes to the line as "Napier to Woodville and Bunnythprpe." ]W« have no hesitation m . .Baying/ that a serious mistake' will be made if the line does join at< Bunnythorpe instead of Palmerston/ In a very short, time the latter town will be tbe terminus of the Wellington-Manawatu Eailway Company's line, and it must be inferred that the main object of constructing the Gorge line is to connect existing systems of railway with a view to making , them more profitable than" would' otherwise be the case, and enhancing the convenience of the travelling public. The dis-i tance frpnif Napier ,to Wellington will be shortened by several miles if the line joins at Palmerston instead of Bunnythprpe, andlhixisv a,.-;. fact which should receive due considerai tion iv the construction of a work which is to be a colonial benefit. We sincerely trust that the Ministry will alter the terms of the Statement. so. ;far as they relate to' this ' matter. •There is an evident desire displayed to lose no* time' m completing the Connecting : link between '-'b he East and West Coasts of this island, and it will be.; matter for; regret if /that link is constructed m any manner but that which will best secure the rapidity of transit and .the. ■ convenience of the public.