RE-NAMIMG OUR RAILWAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2320, 24 May 1887, Page 2

RE-NAMIMG OUR RAILWAYS.

(Nrcw ZjcAt.AND Times.) When children grow up into man's estate, the pet names of the nursery are usually discarded. "Buz/.y," or "Sissy," or " Popsv," or ''Daddies " becomes Mr A. otHVliss Z', is"tho'case may be. The sarnje rule dfton applies to institutions, and it is eqiially applicable to our New Zealand railways. They are rapidly attaining their full growth, and it is lime that their "nursery names" were replaced by some more consistent and appr6priate-ildsigMations. A very good example lias already been sot, and an excellent precedent established, in this respect. It, was a brilliant stroke of speculative genius to substitute for the intolerably cumbersome and repulsively incuphonious title, " The East and West Qoast (Middle Island) and Nelson Railway" —a . frightful mouthful indeed !-—the name, of one of the best managed and inost'successful railways in Great Britain —the " Midland " line, whose ramifications embrace all the four corners of the extending from Cumberland "in the north to Surrey in the south, from Wales in the west to Norfolk in the east, and' whose name has long • been the synonym for all that is excellent in rail-way-working. To call this: new line "the Midland Railway of New; Zealand," was to score a distinct point in its favour at the outset in the English commercial world. Why should we not take a leaf; out of that book ? We have in the North, Island a main line which bears a special title, and a very clumsy one too —the North Island of New Zealand Main TrunkiLinc—but that is also specifically .] applied by Act to a particular' section of the line, the length extending from Marton' to Te AwamutU.' The MartouPalmerston section is equally entitled to the name, and so is the . Wellington and Mannwatu Railway, but at present confusion' might be created by insisting on its accurate and more comprehensive application. Wc therefore offer the suggestion that the name of another celebrated and ad-mirably-managed English line be imported for the occasion, and thft the main line of this Island, extending from Wellington to Auckland and the extreme north; shall be'officially designated "The Great Northern" railway of. Mew Zealand. This would be ! simple, comprehensive and expressive. Similarly the arm from Martori to Napier might be balled the "Eastern" or "North-Eastern" line. Again, the main line of the South Island deserves a better, title than 'j HurunuiBlnff section." The direct railway to the South of England is rather awkwardly called the London, Brighton and South Coast; but in Ireland there is the Great Southern and Western, and the HurumiiBluff line would be much better named as the "Great Southern" Railway of New Zealand. All these would be sensible and convenient designations than'those'now in force, and there is not the slightest difficulty in the way of bringing them into use.