THE RAILWAY LEAGUES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1722, 12 April 1906, Page 3

THE RAILWAY LEAGUES.

■’; (N.Z. Herald). We publish to-day a letter from Mr M. J. Stewart, bon. secretary of the Katikati-Railway League, in which he makes the very good suggestion that a provincial conference of railway leagues should be called by the Auck* land .body. The suggestion will at once commend itself to all who take an active interest in railway construction, and should be acted upon in time to secure the presence and cooperation of our provincial members before they go to Wellington. It is all the more desirable in order that no misunderstanding may arise in our - provincial delegation upon questions of routes or allocations. The danger of this is shown by Mr Stewart’s letter, for though none of the schemes he summarises are in any way opposed to ■ one another, it is quite possible that this may not be realised unless the whole question can be harmoniously discussed, at a provincial conference, prior to the taking of action by our provincial members. The railway system of the province has now reached a point when it can claim the attention of every district, for toe East Coast scheme,, in its various aspects, affects the whole eastern country from the Coromandel to Gisborne and Rotorua, the North _ of Auckland touches the entire peninsula, and it is quite time that the question of a West .Coast route was advanced. We do . not gain anything by meekly waiting for the crumbs that may fall from the Southern table. While we have been hesitating to demand consideration for Kawhia and Raglan, the plan for railway communication between Westland and Otago has been sprung upon the colony by the Premier himself, and it is evident that until the North asserts itself it will obtain very little indeed. Upon this we think that all our provincial members will agree : with hardly an exception, so that the -suggested railway leagues’ conference would not be in any way a partisan r assembly, and would doubtless be assisted to its conclusions by the hearty assistance of members on both sides of the House.