THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1911. THE RAILWAYS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10426, 18 September 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1911. THE RAILWAYS.

There was one (little item dn the Budget which does not appear . to' have ibeen appreciated at iits worth, either inside or outside ithe House. Tjhait litem had. ireference to the construction of railways. Sir Joseph Ward thinks that the time has arrived when a definite is/dheme .should be devised! for blunging the construe-? tion of raSHwayis within the Dominion to (something like finality* .With this objedt in view, he suggests the preparation of a sohediule of works to be undertaken before any fresh extensions of the scheme are anthor,ised or commenced. To .the accept-, ance of this proposal, mo reasonable objection can be offered. When <fche lines at present authorised are completed, together with such important projects ;as the Masterton to Waipukurau loop line and the Napier-Giisfborine-Auckland' 'connection, the DomKnion will he fairly well served! with railways, and there .might reasonably be a- cessation of .the expenditure of borrowed! money in this direction. The responsibility which devolves upon Parliament is in deciding .upon the 'schedule of necessary wiorbs.. This decision could not be arrived at without definite data as 'to the cost of the respective un-

dtertakings, iandi their bearing upon tlbe developinnetn/t of the an/temal re-

sources of 'the Dominion. It has teen, .suggested, for instance, that railways will be (required (to open up those ana-ceessibLe regions wliich ,are to be thrown open for settlement without the ballot. How nvany of these developrtneait railways wall be required ? M 'Parliament were to devote itself for the remainder of the short session to dasoussing- the (railway ipollicy of 'the future, it would be doing good service, &o the country W/ith an election, pending, howev and so many seats in jeopardy, ? me more effective method* must be f OUI!f j for placating the electors. I - ooedingly improbable, there'' t j Jat the one practical issue <y jnt<adn ' ed in Sir Joseph Ward's, < iTami;ioq , ueilt a,ppeal to ithe electors _, wiU fieoUM a place in discusaior, Aof All ,tfea same, it fthe close consideration of patriotic citizen and every candid ; at<? for p arlia . mehtary to- x<>urs tim 6 ar _ , rived ra ij Wia y construction policy o'/ t]ie .should be deaf'y,, defined',, -and (then a fcoHfeffort' to bring it )to <a point wfbiioh vf . jvM. bring fiiiality within a meas,arable distance.

WELLINGTON AND AUCKLAND.

The imeroamtile houses of Wellington are, through ttJhielir masterful inactivity, allowing .much of the trad© of t'lhe lower portion of .the North Island, to be diverted, to Ca.ucklaaid. It may surprise Wellinigiton merchants to ikniow tfhiat orders, are now toeing sent from "Mastentoii to Auckland, because they are delivered Wiiilh greater expedition rtli'an from the Empire City. The .radlwiay service, as it affects the Wairarapa and Forty-Mile ißusih districts, is Hn la chaotic eondlitiion. If rtihe 'merchants of Wellington place amy value at all upon the trade of /the Wiainaraipa, they ivtill join ik the. demand: for the deviation of the Rimutaka irailway, and will use otibeir method's for bringing this, resourceful disitriot into closer touch with its natural ceaitne.