The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. The West Coast Railway Report.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 983, 30 June 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. The West Coast Railway Report.

The report of the West Coast Railway Commission, which has just been laid on the table of the House, will occasion a feeling of disappointment rather than of surprise. Although an unusually short time has elapsed since the taking of evidence was concluded, it is plain that the large mass of testimony has been carefully sifted, and if the construction of a railway to connect the two coasts of this island is not considered advisable, we have the consolation of knowing that the verdict is an impartial one, and that it has emanated from men perfectly competent to judge of the merits of the case. One of the most interesting facts elicited, which is at the same time unsatisfactory, is that the population on the West Coast is steadily diminishing, there beinga difference of 2,000 between that of 1878 and 1881, 1,500 of whom were males. This state of things is undoubtedly due to the want of means of communication between Westland and other parts of the colony, and would soon remedy itself were the cross-country line made. As to the great wealth’of the district, the report bears ample testimony on this point, the Commissioners laying special stress on the vast tracts of forest lands, and they recommend that the Government should take steps to reserve these from sale—a recommendation which it is to be hoped will be given effect to. The valuable coal deposits on the West Coast are, of course, spoken of as a sure source of riches, but comparatively little importance seems to be attached to gold and other minerals, as these do not affect the question of railway traffic to any extent. Another point in favor of the line is the uniform badness of the harbors on the Coast, so that there would be very little competition between the railway and the steamship companies. The engineering question has been gone into at considerable length, and we may take it for granted that there are no insuperable difficulties in the way, as estimates have been given for four alternative routes, there being a strong predilection in favor of that through Arthur’s Pass. So far it has been shown that the Commissioners are fully aware of the advantages which the construction of the line would be to this part of the colony. We have the prospect of the opening up of a large trade in timber and coal, estimated at jo,oop tons of the latter and 15,000,000 ft of the former annually, and a considerable passenger traffic; but when the other side of the question is dwelt on we must confess that the argument is very strong. “ The nature and circumstances of the soil,” we are told, “are such that along neither of the alternate lines can it be looked to for the support of a population earning a subsistence from either pastoral or agricultural pursuits; and although metals other than gold probably exist in many places, we have no reason to suppose they can be found in such quantity or quality of ore as to become for many years of any commercial importance, or likely to afford employment to a population of even moderate density. If such a population is resident on either side of a line of railway, it may be safely assumed that the traffic it creates on the line will be sufficient to pay tor the cost of interest, management, wear and tear, etc., and consequently, the number of miles to be run over is comparatively unimportant.” It follows from this that all that can be depended upon to pay for the maintenance of the railway is the through traffic from terminus to terminus, and it seems to be more than doubtful if this will be sufficient to meet the expenses for some years to come. This, together with the fact that there is at present no money available to commence the work, is the main objection to the line, and the Commission consider it a fatal one. Still, although the report is in its conclusion adverse to the wishes of the Railway League, there is no reason why that association should relax in their efforts to obtain the construction of the line. Ten years must elapse, according to the report, before the undertaking can be made 1 to pay for wear and tear, salaries and a fair percentage on the capital expended ; and it this is, true, it is quite as much as any railway in the colony can be expected to do, and, as a matter of fact, more than any of those now in existence have done. Canterbury has never had fair play in the allocation of

-.public money, and as to its being, as the Commissioners say, “manifestlyunfair to provide the community settled in Christchurch with cheap coal and timber at the cost of the taxpayers living elsewhere, and unsound policy to interfere with industries already in full operation by bringing others into existence through the aid of carriage unremunerative to ihe State,” it seems to us that the taxpayers in this portion of the colony have been paying towards a good many railways that certainly have not benefited us. A special loan was voted for the North Island Main Trunk Line, and if the West Coast railway is shown to promise remuneration in. the future, why should not this province have like measure served out to it ?