The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 1877.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 802, 7 August 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 1877.

fequal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious o i political

f Here shall the Presi the PEon.rc's rigl.t . maintain, Unaweil by influence and unbribed by ga'n

"Mr Rowe, M.H.R., has telegraphed to the Thames intelligence that the Government do not intend to place the Thame3 Valley Railway on the schedule of the public works this session." So says the Auckland Herald of Saturday, and, after the allusion made m the Treasurer's Financial Statement, we are scarcely taken by surprise. The Treasurer stated on that occasion, "It had been found impossible to carry out a promise made last year to submit this session estimates for the completion of the railway system, and it had been considered that delay was preferable to an incomplete estimate for the purpose. There fore, the Government would only ask this session for a sum sufficient to unite the already uncompleted sections of the trunk line of five hundred miles from Amberley to Kingston, and for extensions of the' main line m other parts of the Colony." These works it was estimate I would cost close on a million sterling. Now, admitting the "prior claim of the main trunk line, admitting the argument which would doubtless be urged by the Government, that, if an exception were made m favour of one district, every other district m the Colony with an equal claim would demand similar consideration or raise a cry of favoritism; admitting- that even the necessary money is not available, there is still another phase of the Thames- Waikato Railway question left for the Government to consider. Mr Morrin has made a definite offer to the Government to construct; the line if a guarantee of six per cent, is given. Six per cent, on £90,000 means ,£5,4:00 per ? annum—- supposing that the line does not pay, or only pays, working expenses — but it only means the difference between the possible profit of the line and that sum. Whatever variation there may be m the amount of liability can only be m the direction ot being lessened, and there is every reason to assume that this would be so. We put it to the Government, then, assuming that they will not undertake the work itself, are/they prepared, for the sake of an amnnil liability no greater than this, to stand m the way of the opening and settlement of so large a tract of country as this line would traverse, and m that of the interests of the two important districts it would connect.' If the Government cannot see its way to recommend the one, surely it may reasonably be asked to do so m the case of the other. An Opposition journal would tell them, and tell them truly, that it is not the annual cost of a Government steamer, but, to put the matter m another light, we tell them that it is not the amount of the enhanced price to be obtained from the first important sale ot Government land between Waikato and Thames that may be held after it is known that the railway Hue is to be at once commenced. Dii'ectly aud indirectly the Colony would gain by giving the guarantee asked by Mr Morrin. Of course it may be said, aud will be said, by those who advocate the retention of all lines of railway m the hands of the Government as a source of colonial income, that to break the rule is objectionable ; but m answer to this we point to the Statute Book of tho Colony. Iv 1875 Parliament, m passing the Railway Compauys Act, admitted the correctness of the principle as applied to branch lines. Where that Act falls short of practicability is m the conditions and terms it offers, which are not calculated to attract capital to such undertakings, but, as we have said, it affirms the principle of allowing private enterprise to undertake the constiuction of lines which it may not be desirable, or even possible for the Government to enter upon. Bufc, though we have not seen the draft of Mr Morrin's proposal, we are quite justified m stating that it -provides for the ultimate absorption of the line by the Government, so that even that objection ceases to be one of princi-

pie, and bocomes simply one of l^gWe^wJirich is open to settlement details coino to be arranged. I^^The casfe of the Thames Waikato ll¥*%llX * 8 oue wu * c ' 1 uas peculiar ||lain^^) Nei t her Grahainsto>vii Sior ; |Waijsalj is urging it for tli^kkej "of I<|?£l expenditure, nor is itlui^edj as?f iiO construction of many raiilviiy^ have been urged, and successfully too, for the sake of securing as much of the public expenditure for one Provincial-district . as [.was being granted for. another, but simply because the want of it is a crying j evil whjch keeps a large tract of land, between settled district, little better than a waste ; and because it cuts off the cultivated districts of Waikato from a profitable market, and a town of .some eight thousand inhabitants from drawing their supplies of country produce direct from the nearest point. A railroad has become as great a necessity to the two communities as a. road is to the individual settler to connect him with either, and,- therefore, it is that the people of both Thames and Waikato are justified m asking from the Government and the Legislature a special recognition of their claim. The words of the' Treasurer we have Quoted simply shelve . the matter. Delay is preferable, he says, to an incomplete estimate of the cost of the completion of the railway system. Are we, then, to wait for the Thames Waikato line until the Government of the day are m a position to put . the finishing touch to the railway system of New Zealand ? Yet this is clearly the meaning of the portion of the Financial Statement we have quoted. This would be, indeed, the hope deferred which makes the heart sick. The Government which can see no earlier way to the completion of a public. work so urgently called for as the railway m question, should be but too glad to avail itself of such an offer as that of Mr Morrin m this individual instance, and should diligently seek for other Morrins to complete other portions of a scheme which., elscwise, Avill need be matter of the dim future. From bur special correspondent's telegram it will be seen, that Otago members are putting presure on the Government to get their own branch lines constructed by private enterprise.