Railway Works.

And now he would be accused of sketching forth a huge borrowing and squandering policy. He wanted a little common sense to be brought to bear. In what he wished to say regarding the railway system of the colony, he wished to point out that no huge borrowing or squandering policy would be needed; but he would tell them what he thought would be necessary in this country for the settlement of the lands and the development of our resources. First of all would be the completion of and straightening of the Hutt Wellington railway. (Applause.) By that means they would get cheaper rents, he hoped for the workers of Wellington. (Applause), In the City of Wellington there were in a given area, Cuba Street and Cambridge Terrace—an area described by the Health Department—more souls to the acre than there were in any given area in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, or Glasgow. If, therefore, the death-rate in this area was excessive, we could point our fingers to the cause, and the sooner this was remedied the better in a young country like this, where we had lands within easy distances. High rents were charged, and then the accommodation given was not sufficient. This was one of the questions to be dealt with; and the duplication of some of the lines, and the straightening of the Hutt railway would have an effect in minimising the difficulty. There would be the duplication of the Dunedin-Milton line, and the extension of the railway north of Auckland, and when the through line was connected northwards to Whangarei they would have the North of Auckland with a complete railway system. The Wellington-Auckland North Island Trunk railway was being completed as rapidly as circumstances would permit, and he was looking forward to the time when, health permitting, he would take some of them in a train through from Wellington to Auckland, and he hoped when that time came still to be Prime Minister of New Zealand. (Applause.) Then there was the work of the East and West Coast communication between Wellington and Auckland. As they were aware, a railway was being constructed between Gisborne and Karaka, This required to be completed on the one side to join the Auckland system, and on the other to be brought down south to Napier to join the Wellington system; then if they completed the line from kawakawa to the North Island Trunk one on this side of the Poro-o-torao tunnel, and brought that down to Stratford, they would have the West Coast railway communication completed. For settlement purposes alone these railways were necessary, but they would not be constructed to-day or to-morrow, but as settlement proceeded and expanded, for it would not be possible to have roads He believed it would have been cheaper if they had never touched the East Coast road—or the East road as it was called—but had made a railway in the first instance. (Hear, hear.) The want of metal in the North prevented then from making good roads.