THE EXCOMMUNICATION OF NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 184, 3 September 1878, Page 2

THE EXCOMMUNICATION OF NELSON AND MARLBOROUGH.

Naturally enough the Marlborough papers are excessively indignant at Mr Macandrew's atrociously unjust proposal to deprive them of all the benefits to be derived from the public works scheme, while they are to be taxed to enable it to be carried out in more favored parts of the colony. Below we give extracts from the Pictou and Blenheim journals: — {Marlhorough Press.) Mr Macandrew's public works scheme ia notable becrtuse, of the whole of the £8,358,000 proposed to be expended during the next five years, not a penny is to be spent at this end of this Island for newly projected lines, and the Provincial districts of Nelson and Marlborough are to be left completely in the back ground unless they are to receive a sop in the shape of a portion of a sum of £958,000 needed to complete the railways already authorised in this Island. Of this there is no information given iv the Statement, and it is possible that all the money that cau be raised will be spent on Ministerial Districts aud neither Marlborough nor Nelson can lay claim to this distinction. The preseut position ia a beautiful exemplification of the strength to be found iv unity and power. Otago wants, or Mr Macandrew wants for it, railways in all directions, and Sir George Grey has the same wants for his beloved Northern District, while Mi- Sheehan has a similar craving to make the Native lands more valuable. The result of these several wants is to be found in the projected lines of railway ; but as it is evident that individual members of the Ministry could not obtain what they wanted without a mutual consideration, a heavy bid is made for the support of Canterbury members iv the shape of a promise of a very large expenditure for Public Works in that district. Should the bait be taken, there is little doubt but that the proposals will meet with the support of a majority of the members in the the House, as the Government have purchased the support of the most powerful, aud are quite regardless of the claims of those places sending but few representatives. Had Marlborough been the fag end of Otago, or some nearly iuaccessible place in the North, its wants would have been attended to, because it would have suited some of the members of the Government to have remembered its existence ; but sending only two representatives to the House their support or opposition is not worthy of consideration, and the poor may get poorer and the rich richer, while the Government has the power to compel their followers to vote aye or no as directed. The population of the Marlborough District is about 7500, and such a number as this in the eyes of the Government does not deserve attention ; but if one-tenth part the number in Otago, or amongst the Maories, werelikely to be inconvenienced or neglected, | an outcry would be at once raised by some member of the Ministry, and something would be done to relieve the inconvenience or atone for the neglect. Nelson is similarly situated, and with ourselves will be subject to Ministerial forgetfulness or something worse, and the people, like ourselves, are unable to remedy the monstrous wrong. We hope the supporters of the Government in our midst are pleased with the prospects; but it is a serious matter to many who have settled down with the Intention of making a home in Malborough, as not only will the cessation of Public Works retard the pro gress of the district, but the people will be called upon to support the prosecution of works of large magnitude in more prosperous places. {Marlborough Express.) In our last issue we pointed out the deeplaid scheme for connecting Dunedin with Hokitika and the West Coast, commenced last session, but while writing it we had no idea that this design would be developed so soon, after having carried the Strath-Taien length so lately; nor that the present Ministry could contemplate the construction of a railway through a mountainous waste, extending say 380 miles from Clyde to the Haast Pass and Northward to Hokitika, until " the Main Trunk Line" had been completed. The audacity of the proposal almost takes one's breath away. The proposed line will serve no purpose except to secure the West Coast trade for Dunedin. On all the route from Clyde to Hokitika, settlement—properly so-called— is Impossible from the absence of laud, excepting a few thousand acres of terraces on Lake Wanaka and Tinner Clutha. ***** T he new scheme is too long to discuss in detail; suffice it to say that the North Island is to be encircled by Railways, Canterbury gets reticulated by a few Branch lines and an intended line along the mountain range; while every valley and village in Otago and Southland— nay places that have neither inhabitants nor available land, are to get branch lines all centreing in Dunedin. Not one of these Otago branch lines has as much land or timber as the Rai Valley. Some of theni/.such as Switzers, Evendale and Catlin'3 River, which do not possess among them a greater population than Kaikoura and Amuri are to get 55 milse of rail, representing £275,000, while they are only distant respectively 15, 26, and 18 miles from the Main Trunk Line. This, the North portion of the Island, has always looked forward to obtaining at some future date connection wich Canterbury and the South. This idea of a Main Trunk Railway through the Islands was the grand distinguishing feature of Vogel's first proposals. There is more agricultural land between Blenheim and Amberley than there is between Clyde, Hokitika, the Buller and Amberley, In other words the two cross-country lines, with that of the West Coaßt, measuring some 500 miles, have in their whole length little or no agricultural land, excepting a few thousand acres on Lake Wanaka and a little heavily timbered land in patches along the West Coast. On the other haud we have reason to believe that there are between Blenheim and Amberley about 250,000 acres ready for the plough. ******* We must uuhesitatingly condemn this scheme, not only for the very obvious reasons already pointed out, but also on the grounds that it is most unjust to Marlhorough aud Nelson, showing unmistakable partiality to Otago and Canterbury in making branch lines before the Main Trunk line is completed, * * * While we condemn the greater portion of this scheme as being unjust to Marlborough and Nelson we admit its power as a political engine of the Vogei, type, one that will bribe the constituencies of the greater portion of New Zealand, and it will render futile for many years to come the efforts of those who wish to see New Zealand governed for the benefit of all. We 4o not attribute intentional sarcasm to Mr Macaxdrew in his asking members not to feel disappointed if their districts are negfepted pointedly addressed to pur member* apd

those of Nelson— but it is sarcasm of a very refined kind notwithstanding. So far as the Middle Island is concerned, the whole scheme may be summed up in a few words : " This is a grand national scheme fur the benefit of Dunedin ! "