North Island Main Trunk Railway.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2887, 1 May 1888, Page 2

North Island Main Trunk Railway.

Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., concludes his report in the Standard, upon the North Island Trunk Railway, with the following pregnant utterancea:

" It must now, I think, bo obvious to yonr readers that in authorising this line in 1884 we committed a miserable blunder, which, if persisted in, will saddle the colony for years with the interest on two and a quarter millions—the latest estimate of its cost. The nearest portion of the land is good, and fit for settlement, but can be easily and cheaply opened up by roads as soon as it is acquired from the natives, Muohaswe must all regret it, the inland portion has been hopelessly spoilt by pumice and volcanic dust, besides lying at an elevation of from 2000 to 2600 feet abovo sea level, let us meanwhile stock tho streams and rivers there with trout and salmon and thus attract tourists and travellers from Australia and elsewhere to our Highlands, Population is growing and will, in time, give the necessary through traffic to justify this line. West of Woodville and elsewhere in that district, we have many thousands of acres jn the hands of the Government the greater portion of it for many years—and ot a quality for settlement which no one has ever questioned. Why is this valuable land lying unopened and tenantless, while we have been prematurely spending oar thousands on native land So much inferior in quality ? Tho [answer cannot be very creditable to us. As to the line via Stratford, 1 cannot for a moment believe that the Government can seriously think of adopting ft.' ' '