The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 9.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 362, 9 January 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 9.

As it is a matter of great importance to the residents in the Little River and Akaroa districts to clearly understand what appropriations were made last session for the construction of the railway, and what are the probabilities as to the extension of this line from the point where the present contract terminates, we propose to lay before our readers such particulars as we can vouch for as being correct.

It will be remembered that the sum of £30,000 was appropriated in the session of 1878, and that in consequence of this vote a contract was entered into for the construction—that is for the earthwork and culverts—of the line from Lincoln to within a mile or so of Lake Forsyth, a distanoe of seventeen miles ; amount of contract, £14,704. This contract should be completed by, we understand, the 23rd of March next; and it would therefore be necessary, if it were intended to push forward the work with dispatch, that a contract should be entered into before that time for laying the sleepers and rails, so that the work could be proceeded with without delay. We were therefore astonished to learn by a telegram from Wellington, which we published on December 12, that the estimates of the Government, instead of increasing the appropriation made in the year 1878, proposed to reduce the amount then voted by £9,500 —that only £20,500 should bo voted. This amount would of course be insufficient to cover present contract and provide and lay the sleepers and rails for the first seventeen miles. On the 15th December Mr Macandrew, at the request of our member, brought this matter before the House, He was the Minister for Public Works, who moved the appropriation of £30,000 in the year 1878, and he was the proper person to ask • why the Government proposed to reduce that vote. Mr Oliver replied that the vote was supposed to be sufficient to cany on the work steadily till the close of the present financial year. Mr Montgomery pointed out that reducing the vote from £30,000 to £20,000, when millions were being spent elsewhere, shewed that the Government were inclined to throw cold water on the undertaking. This was denied by Mr Oliver, Mr Rolleston and Major Atkinson ; the last named gentleman stating that the Engineer-in-Charge informed the Government that the vote was as much as could be spent in the present year without commencing a fresh section of the line.

We are under the impression that the Engineer meant that the vote would carry on the work till the end of the financial year, the 31st of March ; for we understand that when it was pointed out that a fresh vote could not be taken till the end of next session, probably in August, a member of the Government assured Mr Montgomery that there would be no delay whatever, and that the rails would be laid immediately after the earth work would be completed. Probably the rails required will be taken from the stock ordered from England for all the linesforwhich £100,000 was voted in 1878. We think this assurance can be depended on and that therefore the probability is that the trains will be running within nine months from this date.

With respect to the extension of the line : Before the House met in September we understand Mr Montgomery wrote a letter to the then Minister for Public Works Mr Macandrew requesting him to place on the Estimates the sum of £150,000 to be spent within the next two years on the railway to Little River and the tunnel, pointing out that this district was entitled to have this appropriation out of the £5,000,000 loan. That Mr Macandrew did favorably entertain this application we believe, but there was a change of Government and the intention of the present Minister for Public Works is this, that next session a vote will be taken to complete the line to Little River, a distance of 25 miles from Lincoln. Wo arrive at this conclusion from an examination of the Immigration and Public Works Appropri ation Act passed last session. In the seventh schedule annexed to that Act there is the following item :—" Southbridge branch, Little Hiver. 25 miles; estimated expenditure, £05,000; amount appropriated for expenditure during the nine months ending the olst March 1880 £20,500 ; balance for future appropriation, £74,500 ." From this it would appear that the present intention is to proceed no further with the line than to Little River. We. must say that we are very much disappointed. We think the Government might have asked at least

for a further appropriation this year to allow of a contract being accepted from the 17 mile section to Little River. There is plenty of money now that the £5,000,000 loan has been raised, and it was not too much to expect that this work would have been pushed forward with all despatch. Had there been an inclination to' use expedition, the authority could have been taken to accept a contract for the additional eight miles. As the matter stands now there must be a further appropriation before a tender can be accepted. Much time will be lost and the 17 miles when completed will be of little service until the line be extended to Little River. We hope the line to Little River will be surveyed and tenders called for before the House meets in May. As the Government have promised to bring down the Estimates immediately after the House meets, perhaps votes can be taken for expenditure on various lines and authority given in the month of June to accept tenders.

Our readers are aware that the Railway Construction Act of 1878 continued the endowments made in the Trust Act of 1876. These endowments are of great value ; worth probably £120,000. We may mention here that the Public Works Bill when brought down last session contained a clauae repealing that Act. If this clause had been carried as in the Bill when introduced into the House these reserves or endowments would have been swept away. We are glad to be able to state that Avhen our member pointed out the manifest injustice of this claim, Mr Oliver agreed to the required amendment, and the endowment still remains. By the Act of 1878 the money receeived from the sale of these endowments " shall be applied in the construction and maintenance of a line of railway to Little River and thence to Akaroa ; and the Colonial Treasurer may from time to time cause all or any part of such money to be issued and applied accordingly." If the proceeds of these endowments be applied to the extension of the line from Little River, and £95,000, part of the proceeds of the £5,000,000 loan, be applied to the construction of the line from Lincoln to Little River, there will be sufficient funds to make the tunnel; but this will depend on the reading of the Act of 1878. That this matter will engage the attention of the residents of the Peninsula and of our member, we think there can be no doubt; and we can say for ourselves that no effort will be spared on our part to assist in furthering the progress of a work which would be of incalculable benefit, not only to the district through which the line would pass, but to more than one-half of the people of the provincial district of Canterbury.