In responding to the toast of the New Zealand Ministry the Hon. Mr Cadman said ib wa3 impolitic at present to recommend a track of the new railway at all, either by the central or Stratford route, for ib would be impossible to do either without raising a fresh loan. Thab would be a question for a future Ministry to decide. With reference to the Stratford route he told them

HE WAS FAIRLY ASTONISHED at the nature of the hundred miles of country they had travelled through from the point, of divergence on the Ongaruhe River. They were the first party to travel over that line, and they were all exceed ingly well pleased with the quality of the whole of the land, its suitability for settle ment purposes ; and most of the land thoy had seen was quite as good as any they had around Stratford. Ib was capable of sup porting a great population, and it was cer tainly in the interests of the whole of the colony that

THIS TRACT SHOULD BE OPENED UP for settlement, and it was advisable that the land should be acquired and made available for selection. He had recently travelled through tho central route, and could now see the great diflerenee in the two lines. He expressed the thanks of himself and party to Mr Hursthouse and Mr Julian, the guide, for the care and assistance shown on the bush trip:

Mr Frank Lawry, responding to the toast of the House of Representatives, said he bad seen both routes, and agreed with Mr Cad man that making the railway over either was at present

UTTERLY OUT OF THE QUESTION. If, however, ib so happened that it were possible to raise a loan for trunk railway purposes, he should strongly favour the Stratford route and vote dead against the central line and the proposed route across the desert base of Tongariro. There were on the central route one hundred miles of country along which the line passed which WOULD NOT FEED A GRASSHOPPER* and would be utterly worthless. 