NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4033, 9 February 1892, Page 2

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Deputation to the Mlnistorfor Mio . Werto. [By Telegraph.—Preas Association.] Wellinotoh, Tuesday, • An influential deputation waited upon the Hon, Mr Seddon this morning in reference to the North Island Trunk Railway. ' Dr Newman, in pointing to the fact thai' a tender .had been lot at the north ; end and that tenders bad not oven been advertised for a section from the southern end. remarked that the future prosperity of 'Wellington almost depended on something beiug done at the south end. The people ol'this district wo anxious that a tender-, should be let at once as they •' were afraid the vote would lapse and the .deputation had waited' on 'the 1 ' 1 Premier to ascertain the cause, of " the delay. It was also pointed out : that. : the feeling in the country districts/ from Marton to Wellington, was very strong in favour of.thework' being gone on with at.the south end, and that some' : alarm wa's ■felt'at'tlie'.' agitaMon aroußed in Auckland, in-re:., , gard to the route of the line, Mr Fisher observed'that the > people ,of. : Wellington wore ■not; going, to. ,-,-be outdone in the natter of agitation,.

Tho Hon. Mr Seddon said tlio prinoipal reason tenders were not called for the Makohino Bridge con i tract at" the 'south end was that plans were not ready. The staff was kept vary busy of late, and only tlioso works which were most pressing, suoh os the Te Aro JKailway, had been put in hand. In fact, top much sweating |Jiad been done in putting somo of works in hand, and e cpuld say that never before in the history of the Public Works Department hild suoh an amount of work been accomplished in such a short space of time. If ho had pushed on with the preparations lor this contract, it would have meant an inorease iu tbo staff, Besides, tlio Native-difficulty in regard to the <■ lands through which Ihe section was to pass had not yet beta settled, and it would be useless to call for tenders for the Makohine Bridge contract until the railway was nHe to it, Ho

assured the deputation that plans for the work were now being prepared, and helPjtJ every reason to believe tbo Nativo difficulty would soon be overcome. Taking the political phase of the mat'er, and the agitation in Auckland, he could say that as far as the Government was concerned, their policy was contained in the Public Works Statement, and there would be no divergence from that without the sanction of Parliament. * % ro^e Government to allow tlio in particular centres to direct their policy during the recess there would be no end to the confuBien. Parliament had voted the money for the work and defined tlio route, and Government intended to adhere to what Parliamentsanctioned, He had given tbe depuiation full particulars of tbo cause of the delay and felt satisfied they would not say the Government had acted wrongly, Ho explained why ho had let "the tender for a deviation at tho north ond, and said if Government liad paid attention to the pressnro brought to bear on them from Auckland' people to put tbo work in hand at " their end ahorily after the session 'closed, it would have entailed a great los 3. What had been ilono was in accord with the wish jf Parliament and in tho interests of the colony, and Government intended to keep that course throughout. He also mentioned that before letting tbe five miles at the north end lie ascertained from Mr Oadman that tto position of the Nativo Lands turfjgh which the section passed warranted him taking that step. In conclusion he assured the deputation that tbe vote for the railway could not lapse, as the contract was under ; * way,

(From Our Own Correspondent),

Wellington, Tuesday. The general feeling is that the Minister's reply was unsatisfactory, and that lie seemed to burke the main point at ißsue. The deputation was large and infloeutial, consisting of Dr Newman and Messrs U, Fisher, M.H. R., H. D. Bell (Mayor), Fraser, Zohrab, A. D.B, Brandon, Luke, Lancaster, Yogel, Kirk and others.