THE BATTLE OF THE ROUTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 45, 28 June 1913, Page 6

THE BATTLE OF THE ROUTES.

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY. Under the heading “Eltham’s Presumption,” the Manaia Witness writes editorially;—“Mr Wilkinson's reply to the resolution passed by’ the Eltham Chamber of : Commerce must command the respect and approval of the great body of the electors of Egraont. It is at once a spirited ana dignified reply, a vindication ■’of the right of a 'representative* to be the judge of his own action in a matter of vital concern to the great body of his constituents and to the country, and not the pliant instrument of a small and interested group of individuals in any part’of his electorate. Incidentally it conveyed a wall-merited rebuke to the handful of bumbles at Eltham, who dub themselves the “Chamber of Commerce,'* and on the strength of this cheap and empty title arrogate to themselves not only to decide the route of the railway, but to force their opinions on th,e member for the district. It is certainly a monstrous piece of presumption this, and it almost appears as if they believed they were addressing the member for Eltham and not the representative 61 the Egrnont electorate. The question ■s to the route of the railway is not one that can be decided by the interests ofJEltham, however urgent they may be. It is not even exclusively an Bgniont question. It is a national question, and it is creditable to Mr Wilkinson’s judgment and independence that he refuses to regard the question as in any sense a local or sectional one and declines in clear and decisive' terms to log roll or intrigue or in any way, publicly or privately, lend himself to the schemes of any section of bis-constituents. t Were he influenced by his own personal interests her would at once be in harmon- ■ iou* and active agreement with his Eltham constituents, but recognising that he has a public duty to perform ' he has, in his own words, “refused to make himself an advocate for one section of the electorate to the pos-

sibie detriment of other sections.” This is unquestionably the proper attitude to take up, and it will be so regarded by the body of the electors,” %