The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1887. KAKAHU MINERALS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1561, 5 March 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1887. KAKAHU MINERALS.

The paper read before the Christchureh Industrial Association, and which we published a few issues igo, shows Kakahu to be as rich as Q »lconda in mineral wealth. Gold, iron, coal, pottery clay, 'slate of a superior quality, and many nthcr <■ '<<»"u\ substances are lying there in profi.ii.ja and needing only the application of labor to render them useful to man. It ia certainly most extraordinary that nothing has bean done in the matter, but Mr Stansell told us plainly that nothing could be done until accesß to it was obtainable by means of a railway. The cost of catting out the minerals either in their natural or manufactured state would render it impossible to develop the resources of the place in a successful way. Five years ago we pointed out the same thing, and as a result some agitation was set on foot to urge the matter upon the attention of the Government. Mr Postlethwaite was then member for the district, and he made efforts to get a sum of money placed on the Estimates to make the railway, but he did not succeed, and the matter has been lost sight of since. There can be no doubt but that if we bad an energetic representative in Parliament we would have had this railway made long ago. The representative who preceded Mr Postlethwaite never took any interest in local matters; he always aimed at a higher standard than the interests of his constituents; be sought to appear a statesman above these things ; his ambition whs to pose as " the orator of the House/' and elbow bis way by the power of his tongue to a Ministerial seat. He never bothered about Kakahu, he never bothered about his constituents, and the result was that he had to seek "fresh fields and pastures new." Mr Postlethwaite, who succeeded him was not, we believe, very enthusiastic in pushing our claims to get a railway to Kakahu, but ia deference 'o the wishes of the people he made •efforts to get the Government to place £35,000 on the Estimates to make this line. With the Hon. Mr Wigley he waited on Ministers on the subject, and they refused to hear of it. The same Government were log-rolling heavily then, bo much so that when Mr Postlethwaite addressed Wb constituents shortly afterwards in Temuka he described them as " Yankee log-rollers," and said they log-rolled away the money at caucus meetings. A North Island member—Mr Sutton—told hia constituents that he had sold his vote to the Government, and got some local works done for it. Had Mr Postlethwaite acted as Mr Sutton, and many others did at the same time, he would undoubted'y have had the Kakahu line placed on the Estimates. Had he told the Ministry " You will not get my vote unless you give my district this railway," his representation would have received due attention; bub with Mr Postlethwaite's exalted notions of what Members of Parliament ought to be it was impossible for him to stoop to thin, and we confess we cannot blame him. He was the only representative of this district who made an honest effort to get the railway tnnde ; be was sincere and honest in anything he did, and when he came before his constituents they hooted him for his pains. They did not treat him well, and they have not mech right to complain of him now.

Since Mr Rolleston baa been member for the district there has not been a word about this line. He wae a member of the " Yankee log-rolling " Ministry who rejected Mr Postlethwaite's request to place the Kakahu line on the schedule of railways, and it was not likely that he would suggest to another Ministry to make a line which hia own Ministry had rejected. He could not do it, and he will not attempt it, for according to party politics the duties of ex-Mifiistera are to criticise the Government and turn them out of office as soon as possible. There is no worse representative than an ex-Minister. He works for nothing but to turn the Government out; if he has a scheme he will nurse it warmly in his o-vn bosom until he gets into office, so that he may reap the benefit of it. We cannot therefore hope that Mr Eolleston will get a railway to the Kakahu for us, and consequently the mineral wealth of the district must remain undeveloped. And now, Would this line pay 1 .It appears to us that there cannot be any doubt about it, for if it were once made a township would sprijg up in Kakahu, and before many years its population would be as large as that of Temuka or Geraldine. It would find employment for a large number of people, it would assist in industrial development, and it would be the turning point in the prosperity of the district. But it is useless for us to expect it at present. We did not get it when other districts got their share of the spoils, and we are afraid we are now too late..