The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1884. THE KOPUARANGA SECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1618, 25 February 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1884. THE KOPUARANGA SECTION.

The acceptance of a tender for the Kopuaranga Section of the MastertonWoodville Railway is about the best piece of Rood news which we have had to chronicle for some limo past. It is another pledge that the railway through the Wairarapa ia to be retained as a portion of the trunk line of the North Island. A position which the promoters of the West Coast railway arc very anxious to take for their venture. It is also satisfactory from a local point of view to remember that the letting ot this contract will bring the small but vigorous settlements in the Forty-Milo Bush closer to us, It will benefit them by enabling them to send their produce to the Masterton market at a cheaper rate, and to procure their stores from this town at a.lower.cost. It has been the opinion of somo that [the extension of the railway beyond Master'on -would be prejudicial rather than-beneficial to this town, We have always had faith in Masterton storekeepers being able to buy and sell as cheaply as the business men of any town in the colony, and we believe that they will be able to retain the trade of the Forty-Mile Busb;:and to meet its growing requirements. Though tbepast four or fivo years have been a period of depression throughout the colony, the town of Masterton has progressed continuously. There was-a time when it made a forced spasmodic growth, but that was antecedent to the I period to which wo refer. . Of late years the steady development of its population and trade has been a surer augury of its future importance than was the more speculative stage; of its existence when it was advertised as the Chicago of New Zealand, Masterton's main chance in our opinion has always been the extension of communication between it and its outlying districts. It matters not whether the means of communication be roads, or railways. The construction of the Kopuaranga section will, we leel certain, help to unite town and country Bottlers, and to extend trade. The letting of this contract will also be useful duriug the coming winter season by finding employment for surplus labor. There will be a considerably less number of men engaged on County works in this district during the ensuing winter than there were last year, and it is satisfactary to know that any men who may be thrown out of employment from this cause will have an opportunity of working on tb'o Kopuaranga contract. The number of casual laboring men in the Wairarapa North employed on public works and privately forbnshfalling and other occupations, is very large. It would be, a grand thing for tjlfr Wairarapa if this small army of

strong men could bo settled amongst us, the laborer changing gradually into \ the small farmer, With a strong effective county system;much might be clone to attain so desirable an .end, but as things are we may expect to see the'men who are making our railways and constructing ouv roads, drift away to other districts, instead,, of turning the waste lands of the Wairarapa into pleasant pastures for themselves and for their families.