SIR GEORGE GREY ON RAILWAYS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 107, 6 May 1879, Page 4

SIR GEORGE GREY ON RAILWAYS.

[Per Press Agency.] Ngaruawaiiia, May 2. The following was Sir George Grey's speech at the turning of the first sod of the railway, after the presenting of the address : — " I return you. my sincere thanks for the address you have been so good as to present to md. I can assure you that it is to me probably as great a pleasure as to yourselves that so great a work has been inaugurated to-day by myself nnd my colleagues, one of whom stands by me here, a New Zealander himself, and whom it must delight you all to see serving his country at so young an age, ' giving promise of what the Now Zealander race will be. I say for myself and for my colleagues, we are determined to do our utmost by all means to aid the prosperity and advancement of New Zealand. That public works can pay will now no longer be doubted. 1 You are all aware some railways in the' Middle Island are already paying what, I in England, would be regarded as a ! sufficient rate of interest upon the l capital invested in their construction.' There, therefore, can no longer be any l . doubt that railroads in this country will ; find sufficient returns to pay interest on the money expended on their construe- ; tion. The first railroads made were : necessarily" constructed where pbpula-' tion was abundant. Population had! the largest number of votes, and clearly j the first great expenditure of works ofj this kind must be made where the! greatest number would, be benefited by| their construction. But, now the rail- i ■way > system has been so largely ex-' tended in all parts of the colony, where! the population is large, that we come' to a totally different'^state of things,! arid are now constructing railways' through the country to open up dis-i tricts where 'the "young men are now J growing up, and might speedily filli them, and I have no doubt whatever; that greater profits will be realised! from these railways than from those' "constructed in the thickly-populated i districts, as in. these districts the public; have laige tracts of laud to sell, to 1 ' which great value will be given by the* railways nojw being: made. I think you i will all agree with me that a policywhich has been so productive of great; benefit to the country should be zealously followed up, and that those who; have not yet experienced the benefit of? the public moneys, to which they have! largely contributed, should now in their' turn, have the country which they oc-' eupy filled with works of the same* character which have been constructed 1 in all parts of New Zealand; It is a' very wet;day, and I coald not say more if I were to occupy your time for an 1 hour, and I only repeat for myself and ; colleagues that' we are determined ; to 1 give effect to what we believe to be for ; the welfare of the people, and that the' country should ibe opened upas speedily! as possible. Rest assured that so fat! SB it' rests upon 'uS :we will spare no! single effort to push New Zealand ahead' in th^e great .career 'jipon which she has'< undoubtedly entered, and; I say further! to you that having seen what one New! Zealander' can "do in office, train i as! many of ytiur young men as you can toj conra forward, and" *\ef~ them aid in| carrying .on 'to in!e (highest pitch, tbaiJ country which has given them birth," !