RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8517, 23 August 1907, Page 5

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 22. Replying to a deputation from Marlborough, who urged the claims of railway connection between that Province and Canterbury, and particularly the necessity of pushing on the line to Ward to keep faith with the settlers who had taken up land, the Premier said the Government recognised that this line was a colonial work. He repeated that the North Island Main Trunk Lim, whith had to be completed, would take a large portion of the money available for railway construction. Little or nothing would be spent on the Midland tunnel this year, and tha North Island Main Trunk would be out of the way next year. Every district that wanted a railway could quote an argument in favour of it. No district was in a singular position. The Government could not possibly do all it was asked unless it went in for a loan of four or five million pounds per yeai\ This would be a mad policy, and would do an immense amount of harm to the country as a whole. In allocating the money this year the Government would c'o its best. Its position was an exceedingly difficult one. Until the North Island Main Trunk Line was out of the way a large vote could not be given to any line.