EKETAHUNA-WOODVILLE RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3911, 12 September 1891, Page 2

EKETAHUNA-WOODVILLE RAILWAY.

Discussion in tho Houso

In the House, yesterday on the motion to go into Committee of Supply, the Hon Mr Mitchelson criticised the various proposed railway works. He said any expenditure at each end of the Eketahuha-Woodville

railway would be useless for a long time to pome, and be was'' ashamed" the Minister had been led away by the member for Masterton. (Oh I" and laughter.) The money should be spent solely at the Eketahuna end. Dr Newman said it was important that the line from Wellington to j Auckland should be completed, and

also the Eketahuna-Woodville Bail

way, and yjt only £17,000 was to be spent towards completing the 27 miles necessary to complete the latter. Mr Hogg was quite prepared to wait for a larger expenditure on the Eketahuna-YVoodville railway until the country was in a better condition financially than at present, although be fully realised how important it was that the line should be completed. The work was being dope at each end of the line in accordance with the wishes of the settlers.

The Hon Mr Fergus contended

that the money to be expended on the Eketahuna-Woodville railway would not make more than two miles of line, which would be idle until the completion of the line. As a matter of fact, the money had been spent merely for the sake of gaining pop ut« larityin the* district. The Government were taking a'leap irilhe dark, and before this time twelve months they would find that instead of gaining applause they would ..receive qondemna'tiqn frojh pne encj of the Colony to the other. The Hon &r Richardson thought they might as well throw their money into the sea as commence the Eketa-huna-Woodville line at both ends. The Hon Mr Rolleslon said the Eketahuna line would cost £160,000 to complete, and yet only £17,000 was propos'e"d*t6 be spent upon \t. Ejther ii would be unproductive for some time, or a much larger sum would hare to be spent upon it to make it of any productive benefit to the district.