The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1913. STRATFORD-TE KOURA RAILWAY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 26, 1 October 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1913. STRATFORD-TE KOURA RAILWAY

In dealing editorially with the Strat-ford-Te Koura railway, the Auckland “Herald” states, inter-alia : “This line, like other promising North Island lines, has for years been' belittled on the Public Works Estimates. Before the Main Trunk railway went through, the fertility of the'Ohara Valley was the great argument advanced in favor of the Stratford route for the Auck-land-Wellington connection. To provide railway facilities for Ohura the I construction of the line must be vigorously undertaken from the Main Trunk end. This will not retard but hasten I , the completion of the through connec-j tion between the Auckland and the) Taranaki provinces, and even the Taranaki residents who have initiated a| regrettable rivalry between the two ends of the line will not dispute the statement that the section from Te Koura into the Ohnra Valley will give prompt and handsome returns to the Railway Department. In Taranaki it seems to lie taken for granted that the vote must be a small one, insufficient to permit of the lino being pushed forward from both ends. On no other assumption could they have come to the conclusion that Auckland has endeavored to ‘stop’ the construction from Stratford eastward. This is an entire misconception.” How the “Herald” can reconcile the foregoing j with the resolution passed by the h Auckland Railway League is incom- j prehonsihle. The resolution carried! by the Auckland Railway League call-1 j

ed upon the Government not to expend any further votes on the btiafford end of the line, but to make all future expenditure, at least ior two years, .on the Te Koura end. to accuse Taranaki residents of having “initiated a regrettable rivalry be-

tween the two ends of the lino, in face of the resolution passed by the Auckland residents, is altogether too ridiculous, but so thoroughly in keeping with the ' ‘Herald’s” methods. A very friendly feeling should exist, and always has existed, between Auckland and the province of Taranaki, but such selfish and unreasonable action as that taken by the Auckland Hallway League, and bolstered up by the

‘Herald” in its misleading article, tends to alienate friendly relations. With its Exhibition effort on hand Auckland does not want to offend hei neighbours, surely. It is perfect!j legitimate for the people of Auckland to endeavour to induce the Govern-j ment to make all reasonable progress, with the line from the Te Koura end,j but they have no right whatever to j interfere with the progress of the line at the Stratford end,' and it might as well bp thoroughly understood that the people of Taranaki will brook no interference in this - direction. Within twelve months or so we are assured large ocean liners will be visiting New Plymouth, and naturally the settlers out east are looking forward to railing their produce to the nearest port | for direct shipment. This being so it is of vital importance to the province, and concerns ns all, that the line must steadily progress until a junction is made .with the Te Koura end, and the latter consummation is what is demanded from a national standpoint.