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Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2467, 3 May 1888, Page 2

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce had a special meeting on Friday last, at which the Auckland members attended by invitation, in order to have placed before them several matters of importance which the Chamber desired them to bring before Parliament. The chairman, Mr A. H. Nathan, referred to the North Island Trunk Railway, and expressed the views and opinions of the Chamber npon its construction along the central route which was generally condemned, and stated that Auckland should be connected with Wellington by way of Taranaki, through the Stratford route. He pointed out the great difference in the cost of the two routes, and said that if Auckland had to depend upon the completion of the central route to be placed iu direct communication by rail with Wellington, it would have to wait a long time, as the money for it would not be forthcoming. Capt. Fraser, member for the Thames, refused point blank to support the proposed deviation ; he had voted for the central route, and saw no reason to alter his opinion. Hβ seemed quite oblivious to the painful fact that the colony is utterly unable to enter upon the extravagance of continuing a perfectly useless and unprofitable undertaking, even though it had been decided npon by the votes of selfish intriguers and followers, like himself, of a corrupt Ministry. Mr G. Aicken took a practical and common-sense view of the position and touched the right cord at once when he declared that " the country could not afford to expend two and α-half millions on the central route," and asked where the money was to come from. If the Auckland people ace entitled to con nection with Wellington, Mr Aicken thinks they should have it by way of Taranaki, which ie the cheaper line, and because Wellington is already in railway communication with Hawke's Bayou one side and Turanakion the other. It is becoming more aud more evident from information derived by reliable persons that the central route cuts through barren and worthless country, and should not be permitted to be constructed beyond the limits of the present contracts. For this reason, and also because the colony is in too serious a state of financial collapse to carry on any further the reckless policy of the past, we contend again that the Main Trunk Railway 3hould not be proceeded with, at least not for many years to come.