The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 23, 1900. THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK LINE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 182, 23 July 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 23, 1900. THE NORTH ISLAND TRUNK LINE.

In the course of his reply to a monster

leputation, consisting of over one hundred and fifty parsons, who urged the more rapid construction of the North Island Trunk Line, the Eight Hon. the Premier made some remarks which will be generally approved. The Premier, as reported by the Ntw Zealand Tims, said " This was not the only work of national importance, and the Government must not consider any particular portion of the colony, but must deal with national works as a whole and for the good of the whole colony. One argument against the hurried completion of the work was toi be found in a remark made by Mr. Nathan, wbo told them that the unearned increment of the land along one section of theline amounted to .£450,000 and that the unearned increment of land along the Manawatu railway was .£4,000,000. A quarter of a million of money had baen taken by the Atkinson Government from the million loan fo.the purchase of native lands. A wiser step was never taken by any Government. To acquire lands that would be greatly increased in value was a work of statesmanship. More lands ought to be acquired; if they were not going to give untold wealth to many people, they must have legislation passed which would provide that the land which was so greatly increased in value should pay something towards the cost of constructing the line. If the hands of the Government were forced in this matter the owners of the land would demand a heavier price, or would not sell at all. There were syndicates in Wellington that were trying to get this totara timber that was spoken of, and he had to block them. There was another syndicate in the Taupo district trying to get restrictions removed from native land, thousands of acres, with valuable timber upon it, and some of the men in those syndicates were bringing pressure to bear on the Government to get the railway completed, while they were quietly securing the timber. To carry out tbis work at the speed asked for would mean an increase of 33 per cent, in the cost, and if the bridges were procured from America or Great Britain they would be brought into conflict with the Trades and Labour Council, which Mr. Oooper represented. One of the charges made against the present Administration was that they had raised the expenditure on public works, which was only about £300,0C0 tbe last year of the Atkinson Government, while last year it was over one million, and yoi those who levelled those charges against them were trying to force them into borrowing about £3,000,000 this year. He was not goiogto do it, and that was plain English. Borrowing meant 'boom,' and boom meant 1 bust,' and he was not going to be a party to anything of that sort. The million loan authorised last year had not been raised, owing to the fact that the time was not opportune, and to the state of the'money market, on account of the war, and he knew they would own he was quite right in determining to wait until he could get better terms. Let them wait until they could float a loan at 98. The Government would, however, take the necessary measures for considerably increasing the expenditure on the line, and he could tell them that tbe line would be finished to Kawakawa in eighteen months instead of two years, as he promised last ssfsion. As to the Manawatu railway, be could tell them that gentlemen from the Welling ton district bad been in London quietly buying up Manawatu railway shares ; while as to the company's balancesheet, he said he would like to take the land at the company's own value. That uuant that pressure was to be put on the Government to buy the line, and those who had bought into the company would reap a goodly profit. He would be no party to do anything to force tlis company or the shareholders to pare with the property except on reasonable terms, nor would the Government railways be worktd in opposition to it or with a view to put pressure upon it. He pointed out that the works required in this district—purchase of the Manawatu railway, Rimutaka deviation, straightening of the Hutt railway—and the North Island Trunk railway totalled ! about two million?, and that was without considering roads, which were very much required in some parts of the dis trict. The Government intended to increase the expenditure on the North I Island Tiunk railway, but in doing that it intended to consider the demands of other parts of the colony, and when they thought over the matter/ they would find the Govern.uect w sj uot very far wrong in what it had don? I in the pist, wha'. it is doing n<w, oi l, wliitv it vQ do in titw future,"'

According to the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. Hall-Jones) there are 105| miles of this line still untouched, the rails baing laid on only I\\ miles, with an additional 33 miles in hand. By way of Awakino only 60 miles, and by way of Stratford only 100 miles, are required to give through communication. The work by either the Awakino or Stratford routes is much cheaper and lighter than on the central,