AKAROA RAILWAY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 366, 23 January 1880, Page 2

AKAROA RAILWAY.

To the Editor of the Alcaroa Mail.

Sir, —I have been very much pleased to observe in your last two or three issues some signs of an awakening amongst your community to the necessity of urging and keeping before the public generally your undoubtedly righteous claim to consideration in the expenditure of public monies.

Your beautiful district, cut off as it is from all reasonable means of communication with the outer world, will undoubtedly receive from at least two members of the present Government (I mean the Premier and Mr Rolleston, who have always manifested a great interest in matters connected with the Peninsula), as great an amount of consideration as it is possible for them to give, but you must consider the very difficult problem they have to solve, viz., to finish twenty-five uncompleted railways which are already begun, with the balance remaining to them out of the last loan. They having promised not to go into the money market again for three years.

It is quite as well that you should look this matter fairly in the face. But you must not lose an opportunity of urging your claim fairly and constantly, nor for a single instant lose sight of the valuable auxiliary you have in the " Lakes Forsyth and Ellesmere Reclamation Trust;" or the equivalent promise made when the Trust was disbanded. If a committee is appointed, as your correspondent " Progress" suggested, this should be one of the things they should look after with the most unwearying attention, and assert their right to with the utmost pertinacity, It has surprised me to observe how lax 3'ou have all been over this matter, when it is considered of what vast importance it is to you and the large vested interest you kave to contend with in really the only other port in the whole of the Canterbury District; for although our fellow colonists of Timaru are making strenuous efforts to complete the work they have already commenced, its use when completed will be, after all, somewhat problematical, and if any means can be devised by which the traffic from the South of Canterbury can be diverted to your port for shipment, thousands who scarcely know of the existence of Akaroa, or at least only by name, will wonder why such a splendid harbor was not utilised before. Therefore, I would say to the inhabitants of the whole district —for it affects you all —put your shoulders to the wheel; make yourselves heard at the next session of the Assembly; urge on your local representatives to agitato as much as in them lies ; stir up your local talent (remembering the old adage of " God helps those who help themselves") to exert themselves. The latent energy that did exist amongst you cannot be all worked out. Where are the men that were instrumental in getting the Trust formed, your municipality founded and endowed, and all the various benefits you have receivod under it accomplished ? Stir them up, and in a quiet, but persistent way, keep your claim before the public and the Government. The advantage may not be instantaneous, but it will come surely ; and wben you see the first large vessel leaving your port for the Old Country laden with the produce of the New, you will have the satisfaction of feeling that you have been instrumental, possibly in only a small degree, of conferring a lasting benefit on the whole of your fellow colonists, for such, I believe, would in time come to be considered—The Opening of Akaroa Harbor. Yours, &c, COSMOPOLITAN. To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail. ♦ Mil Editor, —Sir, I noticed a letter in the Mail signed " Progress," calling attention to the apathy shewn by Peninsula residents in matters of social import, and it is quite refreshing to see others ready to take up the theme. May I express the hope that it will not prove a flash in the pan, but lead to some good and meritorious result. I do not agree with "Fosco's" opinion as to tbe cause of the lack of interest shewn, and scarcely think his six months residence qualifies him to pass such strictures as he has thought proper to do, nor have his Peninsula friends reason to be gratified with his Diogenestical criticism. However, there is a gleam of sunshine— a balm in Gilead—in having a gentleman of Mr " F's" mental calibre amongst us to guide«and support our feeble efforts in trying to obtain justice. The questions opened by the writers in your late issues have more than an ordinary interest, and are worthy of a large amount of attention from settlers. It is not sufficient to point out how we have suffered by our want of united action in the past, and as it may not be generally known, 1 will give one or two instances. Starting with the old days of Provincialism, the Government left a legacy to the Road Boards in the bad manner in which the various roads were laid off, and it was clearly their duty to have made good this blunder, by sending competent surveyors to re-grade where necessary; and they should have further accepted the onus of satisfying claims to compensation from this cause. This would have allowed tbe money received for making roads to have been put to its legitimate use, i.e., providing means of access to the different hold-

ings. Ever since the appointment—some three years ago—of the Lakes Trust Commission, we have been looking forward for something substantial being done by the Government, but the last session of Parliament has been the most barren, in results, as far as we are concerned. This ia certainly very trying, when we were led to expect so much. This is much to be deplored, as the country is committed to a system of taxation which will make it chary of courting further liabilities, even when the probationary time expires that they can again enter the money market. Mr Joblin expresses /the opinion that Vve have reason to be gratified with the Government action with regard to the railway. I scarcely see how he arrives at that conclusion, unless he thinks we should be thankful for the small—very small— mercies received. And his letter has a tendency to lead us into a sense of false security when all our energies are required to protect the rights concede! to us by the late Governmrnt. He points out a further cause of rejoicing in the fleshly surveyed lino to Akaroa Harbor. The benefit to that locality by the line in question seems very problematical; the difference in tbe cost of the two lines is very slight, while a long grade of 1 in 50 like that last surveyed would prove a serious obstacle in the way of any shipping port becoming very important, owing to the increased cost of haulage. On going over Mr Johnson's report made to the Lakes Trust, I find that the first portion of the line is given as almost level, and no difficulty occurs until three miles seventy chains from the tunnel mouth, where the grade is lin 47. This should not be such a difficult matter to improve, by either building a viaduct or making a detour under the hills. From the entrance to the centre of the tunnel a grade of 1 in 1056, descending from thence to Barry's Bay at 1 in 60. The estimated cost given by the Engineer for this line is £139,722, but this amount was thought to be under-estimated by the House, and was put down there by the experts at about £256,000. Against this they have a long uniform grade on the second line of lin 50. This would not be a drawback if the line was solely for the carriage of the Little River timber to market. Even then it would necessitate a branch line being made to the lower level. But as a main trunk line leading to an important harbor, this extra grade would greatly mar its future usefulness. There would be a further objection to the long route in the greater extent of open cuttings which for many years would be a source of expenditure in wet weather owing to slips and consequent stoppage of traffic. The cost given for the upper line is £325,644. It is not my intention to follow this question further at present. But I will endeavor to point out our special claims to the consideration of the country. There have been some 200,000 acres of land sold in the Akaroa County— a large portion since the abolition of Provinces came into force. Deducting the grants to local bodies; this left a large margin to be added to the Consolidated Revenue. We shall further shortly be called upon to supplement this by a large payment under the Property Assessment Act, and as this is chiefly to meet interest on loans from which we have received so little benefit, it makes the neglect of, and consequent hardship to this district all the more apparent. Without we put our Bhoulders to the wheel and follow the maxim of Daniel O'Connel to "agitate, agitate," we stand a poor chance of our claims being recognized. How this can be best done is the next question. The only apparent way is by united and persistent action, and " Progress'" suggestion of forming a society of settlers seems feasible, and I agree with that writer that if properly managed would be most beneficial, and need not be an item of any considerable coat. Not wishing to tax your readers' patience too severely, I will conclude this for the present.

Yours, &_., BRAMBLE