Our Railway.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4236, 29 July 1882, Page 3

Our Railway.

[By Aegtts.]

Some years ago, while sitting in the House of Eepresentatives, Wellington, I heard the member for Newton, W. Swanson, make use of a remark that is being carried out by the present Ministry in reference to this district. He said — " "While we are in office we will. help our friends; when you get into power you can do the same." But, unfortunately for this district, when our friends were in power they promised lots and did little. Tanranga is to have its railway, at a cost of £250,000, Government finding land in lieu of cash, and where is the difference? Bat then the member for that district rotes straight with the Government. Hamil-ton-Te Aroha is to have its line, farther cost £92,000, (no ratting with the member for that district!); Cambridge, £50,000; Kawakawa, £17,500; Whangarei, £7500; and £100,000. for roads for the same district, and so on. The members for Auckland North are fond of the goose, and always to be found when wanted. Auckland, with one fifteenth of the population .of the colony, is to have one-tenth of the proposed expenditure, ami Ihe" Thames and Coromandel, with a population one»eighth of the Province, havfi a^nroinise of £23,000 to be spent sbmeiiitt^SH this district—a tremendous sum to spe;fcil'?flr"a district where there are over 400,000 acres of Grown lands, and - where many million pounds worth of cold have been obtained, with prospects of as many more.' ' What has become of all the promises of the different members of the present Ministry when they visited this district ? We were to have a sum put on the Estimaies to make the bridges from Thames to Coromandel; a sum to open a bridle track between the same points ; a Bum was to be available to improve the road from Paeroa to Katikati. They are not to be found on the Estimates, and unless a very different diversion * is made of the present votes from those of late years, this district is going to have a small proportion of the proposed expenditure, and such proposal is a disgrace to the Ministry that brought down the bill, and to every member of the House of Eepresentatives knowing the district and its wants, and who are found voting for the. paltry £23,000. It also teems strange that in districts with neither the prospects or population, and where the local bodies have large revenues, .money can be found, and the members of the A.C. Force sent to do the main roads. If money cannot be. found to .help the

local bodies to keep open the main lines of communication the sooner they resign and allow the General Government to tokr charge of the roads the better.