MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD AND POHANGINA GAZETTE. GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1900. THE MANAWATU RAILWAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6825, 16 October 1900, Page 2

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD AND POHANGINA GAZETTE. GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1900. THE MANAWATU RAILWAY.

A general feeling of satisfaction will bo felt throughout this district at the proposal of the Government to take power to negotiate, during the year, with tho Manawatu Railway Company for the purchase of their railway, and such "other property" of tho company as they may deem it advisable to buy. It is true tho Bill introduced into tho House is of a perfectly non-committal character, and that oven if a bargain is agreed upon by the Crown and the company, it can only bo subject to tho ultimate approval of Parliament; but, however restricted its powers may be, it is at least a beginning, and, if there is any real desire on the part of both, or either of the principals, to remove the present anomalous position, we have little doubt that the negotiations will result in the purchase of tho lino by the State. It is unfortunate that the power now granted to the Government was not asked for last year when the question of purchase might then have been considerably simplified, and loss expensive so the colony, as under the original agreement an additional percentage accrued to the value of the railway last Juno amounting in all to seme £40,000, all or a portion of which the colony might now have to pay. But, -as maiters stand, we can only trust the Government to make the best bargain possible, consistent with getting the railway. Wo would not suggest that the lino should be got at any price, because oven too much could be paid for a railway, but it is certainly I worth more to the Government than it is to the Company, and in view of the prospective development of this district its value must increase proportionately every year, so that the State can well afford to pay its full value. Apart from the principle that private owned railways are contrary to the policy of this country, the Manawatu line is an inconsistency in our North Island system because its ownership prevents the Government patronising it as it should do to convey goods by tho nearest route, and as a consequence a largo part of the traffic of this coast is diverted, while that of the other is disorganised because the difficulty at the Rimutaka prevents the speedy haulage of tho amount of foreigu trallic which the " friendly rivalry" policy of the Government compels the Wairarapa line to cope with. Moreover under a system of State management it will be possible to get faster trains

which aro so much required on this coast, where tho passenger traflic is increasing enormously, and which will increase in evon greater rate whon tho North Island Trunk line is an accomplished fact. Under these circumstances jt is to be hoped that an honest effort will be made to do justice to the sharoholdors of the Company, and at the same time lid tho country of a railway anomaly which so long as it lasts can be profitable to neither tho company or the

colony.