PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, AUGUST, 19, 1880. A THROUGH RAILWAY.

Patea Mail, 19 August 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, AUGUST, 19, 1880. A THROUGH RAILWAY.

The Wellington-Foxton railway scheme has been brought before Parliament by one of the members for Wellington, Mr. Levin, who in a forcible and temperate speech showed that much of the country inland from the sandhills is highly suitable for settlement; that travellers who have scurried along the coach road by the beach—as those flying Commissioners did—could not help forming an erroneous impression ; and that as the Government had seized a railway reserve at Wellington on the plea that the proceeds were needed for the Foxton lino, it would be a gross breach of faith for the line to be abandoned, after £30,000 had been spent on the first section. Why not complete the line to some near point, say to Porirna harbor, and so make the first unfinished link of some use ? But all this pleading was thrown away upon a Treasurer who has no treasure. He only says, “ Don’t you wish you may get it ?” Some members of the Ministry arc supposed to be favorable to the Foxton coast line, as preferable to the much longer and more expensive route via Manawatu Gorge ; but this report needs confirming by some official declaration. The dwellers along this coast will appreciate the importance of completing the through railway to Wellington by the shortest route and in the shortest time. Until immigrants can land at Wellington and take a run up the West Coast by railway, and have the quick and cheap facilities of looking at the character of our land and our settlements, this North Island cannot hope to progress in equal ratio with the South, over which it has many natural advantages, if only equal facility enabled new-comers to make a quick run along this coast and judge for themselves. Travellers from the South arc coming this way every day, and it is their unanimous testimony that this West Coast is a pleasing surprise ; that the land carries more stock in winter than they had believed possible ; and that this district is par excellence the garden of New Zealand.