Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1895. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5192, 27 November 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1895. THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Tm: Colony lias sinned in the matter of the Midland Railway, and it was inevitable that sooner or later it would have to pay the penalty ot its transgression. Many years ago it was ascertained by independent oxpert evidence that the railway, if constructed, would be unprofitable. It was inevitable that there should be a big loss upon it, irrespective of whether it was constructed by a Government or a Syndicate. Sooner or later this big loss must make itself felt and wo are now getting a foretaste of tho penalty. If the line held out the slightest prospect of being reproductive, the Colony would have made it, but it was admittedly such a bad venture that other arrangements hat) to be made. The White Elephant!was handed over to an English Syndicate, and money was raised at Home to carry on .tho warfare. ' The, -loss' inseparable to the undertaking was apparently transferred to a, corporation of English shareholders, but ovon then there wero misgivings, People here knew that trouble would arise sooner or later, and that to a certain extent the credit of the colony would suffer thereby, The trouble came, and the Government, unable to solve It, cut the knot by resuming possession of tho White Elephant, This has led to further trouble, in fact to litigation on an elephantie scale. It is called arbitration, but under certain circumstances arbitration is more costly than a dozen law suits. Probably from twenty to fifty thousand pounds will bo spent over the Midland Railway arbitration—a golden harvest for lawyers, but an extensive addition to the loss incidental to the Midland Railway project; Whether the euormous costs will come out of the pockets of the taxpayers of this Colony or the depleted purses of the English Syndicate we know not, but in ' either case it will be a sore thing for i I New Zealand, The Colony is bound 1 to lose money or reputation, The ! White Elephant will remain with us \ probably for all time,and for another J generation will bo a burden on the j people of New Zealand. If it taught j us the folly of making unprovable ] lines, either directly or indirectly, it i might be of some advantage to us, •

j but whenever a railwaying in New Zealand desires to compass an unprofitable line it will have it either , by book or by crook, and tho Colony will pay the penalty.