THE HUTT, WAIKANAE AND PALMERSTON RAILWAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5224, 19 December 1877, Page 3

THE HUTT, WAIKANAE AND PALMERSTON RAILWAY.

The Wanganui Herald of the 13th instant thus refers to the above-projected railway : “ The Hutt, Waikanae, and Palmerston North Railway Bill, after having met with many vicissitudes in Committee, finally ended a brief, but not inglorious, career in the Upper Chamber. The Council found that they had too much to do at the close of the session, so in the ordinary sacrifice of the “ innocents,” Mr. Travers’ pet scheme fell an easy victim. Mr. Macandrew, however, promised that despite the action of tha Council, the survey would be proceeded with (luring the recess ; so that, should the promise be carried out, the. delay will be utilised, and, we presume, Mr. Travers will again introduce the Bill early next session. The object of the promoter is to construct a line from Hayward’s Heath Station on the Wellington and Masterton Railway to Pahantanui, and from thence by the Horokiwi Valley to Waikanae, and from thence to Palmerston North, where a junction with the Patea Manawatu line could be made. Mr. Travers evidently does not consider the work one of such vital public importance as would warrant the Government including the scheme in its list of public works, so adds to the preamble of his Bill that whereas it is further expedient that one or more block or blocks of land should he reserved for sale or sold in order to provide for the cost of constructing such railway, so tho.t no burden in respect thereof should be imposed on the Consolidated Revenue of the colony. Perchance it may be considered that the line already surveyed from Masterton to Woodville to join the lines running from Napier on the one side and Wanganui on the other will be sufficient for the development of the country, although the construction of the line so surveyed is only problematical. Mr. Travers confidently believes the natural difficulties of the surveyed route are such as to make railway communication between the West Coast and Wellington a matter in the distant future, so in order to bring about the much-desired consummation, a wide tract of country is to be set aside to pay for another route. This reserve is to consist of not less than 250,000 acres, to be selected and set apart from the waste lands of the Crown lying between the Paiknkariki on the southward and the south bank of the Manawatu river on the northward, and between the sea coast of Cook Strait on the westward, and the westward slopes of the Tararna range on the eastward. The Bill provided for the survey to be made, as soon as conveniently may be, of the route, and estimates prepared of the probable cost of constructing the railway; but the Bill having been discharged from the Order Paper, the contemplated survey rests upon the promise of a Minister. This much is evident, that the Wellington politicians intend to use every effort to tap our coast line. The opening of the railway from Wanganui to Eoxton and Palmerston, and the improvement of our harbor, will, we think, keep us well ahead of such enterprise.