NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2283, 31 August 1908, Page 2

NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

AUCKLAND CRITICISM

(Special to “Times.”)

AUCKLAND, Aug. 29,

Auckland papers are very much alive to the necessity of the immediate construction of the Gisborup Rotorua railway, and in continuants of a vigorous crusade and the twitting of (Southern membors, the “Herald” says that tho railway perspective of southern Ministers would be interesting oven ♦wore it not of such vital meaning to tho northward. Some are indignant at Mr Merries for pushing the claims of the Efht Coast, but seo nothing extraordinary in tho clamor for lines for Otago. Hon. \V. Hall-Jones does not see why tlie north of Auckland Jino should have a swifter run than a five-aml-a-qiiartor hour service on 138 miles between Auckland and Helensville, but lie is convinced that the spending of over £‘500,000 in Otira Gorge is absolutely necessary. In looking southward from Wellington, Ministers turn the, end of the telescope so that everything south looks largo and everything north becomes extraordinary small; but it may bo suggested to .Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues that an effort .should bo made, in the financial interest of tho Dominion, to encourage and develop districts which will be productive and whose output will bring gold into the country. At present the financial situation is admittedly tight, and it is plain that as people have not quite ns much money t 0 spend as they had; less goods will he imported and less rovonuo obtained than wo anticipated. What is the remedy P Tho remedy obviously is to push on settlement and the development of productive country such as the East Coast and tho North of Auckland, and to wait until less delicate times to squander money on southern railways, which will not develop great .stretches of land, and thus increase the revenues. This would be better and to us would bo quite as interesting as the present disposition of Ministers to belittle every suggestion for tlio improvement of tho north.