Railway Deviation.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 23, 17 December 1874, Page 5

Railway Deviation.

PUBLIC MEETING AT WAITEPEKA,

A public meeting was held at the Schoolhouse, Waitepeka, on the evening of Friday last, to consider tbe reply receive! from the Government, to the memorial relative to the railway deviation. Mr John M'Niell, M.P.C., occupied the chair.

The Secretary to, the Committee, Mr Somerville, read the reply received by hia Honor the Superintendent from the Hon. the Minister of Public Work's, a copy of which appeared in our i-6ue of the 3rd inst. He (Mr Sommerville) then proceeded to say that he had had come communication with the representative in the General Assembly for the district (Mr J. W: Thomson) on the subject of this meeting. It was Mr^Thomson's intention to have been present, but circumstances had come in the way which prevented him irom being amongst them. Mr Thomson had communicated further with the Minister of Public Works on the subject. The copy of that communication was read and submitted to the meeting as follows :— " Sir,—l see from your letter of 20ch ult. to his Honor the Superintendent of < >tago re deviation in Clutha and Matanra line of railway that the Engineer-in-Chief has recommended the route by the Four-mile Creek. I may state that the peoole of Warepa, Waitepeka, Peurua, and adjoining districts, not only feel that this recommendation, if carried out, will in a great measure exclude them from participating 4 in the advantages of. railway communication, but are convinced that the Government in a pecuniar? point of view wid commit a mistake. It is true that the original route by the valley of the Four-mile baa been largely departed from. Tbe railway is now proposed to be taken through a small valley on the property of Messrs .Sandilands and Haddon. This route though iather nearer the districts above mentioned will not, owing to the nature of the country, be in the slightest degree moreservicable to these districts thaa the route as originally surveyed by the Four-mile. I thiak the fact that the'route by tbe Fourmile was 60 impracticable that it bad to be abandoned, shows that the settlers were correct in the opinions they expressed on that point and must appear to you a sufficient justification for any trouble they may have put you to in bringing the subject under your notice. The reasons for taking the line by way of Waitepeka have already in various ways been brought before you. I need not therefore repeat them. ■ I may state, however, that they are still of as much force as ever they were. I really trust that the Government will not be guided'entirely by the decision of the. Engiueer in-Chief. The people interested did not argue the question entirely from an engineering point pf view. This they were not in a.position to do. At the same time they expressed the opinion from their best knowledge that the Waitepeka route was vastly superior to the other, and that it did not present any engineering difficulties. Tbe Engiaeer-in-Chief seems to have considered the question solely from a professional roint of view. The other reasons advanced come more legitimately within tbe province of government, and I trust that the Government when they consider these, will see their way to give effect to the wishes of the very large body of settlersinterested in this question. But if the Government do not see tbeir way to adopt the Waitepeka route, I would take tbe liberty of suggesting the desirability •in calling for tendera, to call for tenders for tbe Waitepeka route as well as that recommended by the .Engineer-in-Chief, leaving it optional with,the. Government to select either the one i oute or ths other. So confident are the settlers in ; the districts mentioned of the merits of the Waitepeka route, that they are convinced that, besides a better gradient, the cost of . construction will be little, if any, iq excess of that recommended by the Engineer-in-Chief. I may also state that so zealous are the settlers in this matter, there is a ( proposal amongst them to pay the interest on any extra expenditure that may be incurred in adopting the Waitepeka route. I may instance as anapparent proof of the few engineering difficulties, in the Waite- , peka route that the - survey staff was ..en- -,'' gagedpn this part of the line only one. J month, whereas the survey staff at present at work have been enga : gerT,t*b months, and are not yet •' &c, James W. Thomson." - ' •-•v>;>7 i l ,pr;',

After discussion, the following.were.- -•■! elected a Standing Committee, to.catry out,- 'i' the intentions of the, and further;, y the interests of the proppßed;railway;devia«.c4 tion r-r-Messrs . J. ;.W.^Thomspn,''^-iJrj[^'^- r a Henderson arid Somerville, Wm.' Morten, \D. r;i Whytbc% f ] W. A. Tolmie, Hay, A. O. Begg, andlL qaoruin. r '" ='"; - ' 'y; ] y Messrs McNeill; were elected ■ wait upon' at present: in; enlisting his 'aid'onbehalf ■ £ =• •. ! ; :-;Tdie"me^e , ihg-.tbenise^^