Railway Committee.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 40, 15 April 1875, Page 6

Railway Committee.

A meeting of the Olutba- f&ilway Committee was held in the Gounoit 'Chainhertt- on the evening of Saturday, / the 10* inst; Present: His* Worship^ the Mayor (in the chair) and Messrs, Ritchie, Jhmne, Crammond, Macdonald,; Garrick, and JBr Smith. The coalman reported tint he had telegraphed 1 to ; Dnnedin, inquiring if ihe Minister of Public Vforlcs intended visiting Clutha, and ; if W, re* \ qn^athig- information as to the date" when, J he was likely to. arrive.- He didtowith thfe"riew ; oi enaoHngHfce- committee, if. it thought -advieable^to see 1 the ;H6nJ Mr B,fehardßon,f6r the purpose of urging the various matters npon his altentidri. T,he. telegram had /"been- despatched that day | at but ho fcwwer* BbS received. He added that he 5 was'- riotat-all 'surprised at nfrauSwer havihg been reeeivfedV as' the chances wrtriHhe Phblic WofW Office'^as closed oefoie the telegram arrived. The ac,. tion -c^tne'cpaiicmah- was : endbf*ed; by the, member s» and tvh axrangenirentmade^for the corimirWfe being' agaifrwdledtogether on receipt pi tbe /: reply.- The propriety of appointing/ a 1 depuration to proceed to Bqttediji, fer the purpose of having an iotertiew with. $fo 'Rienardso-n,' in case it might* not be hisrihteirtibri to visit the CUrtba;-.was nieptttined^ < If was, 'However, decided that, pending ,the arrival of the, re^ly : fo'the^ele^am; no final deter nima, tion on~the;poin.t shbiUoyh.f come t6. The secretary/ reported that,, in terras, of 'the resbtfitibn passed at- last- mee^mg, he hM notified W z Messrs Miller; ; M'Pberson, Green- * Robertson, and ' CfirlejJ Catli^s Biver; t^at they had beep ejected 'correiponding members, of. committee mm re tte "CatHn*s River rail way, and tbaMie had lirgjed f/^JBrn to take ihiihednvteV action, with thtfview of piaemg the committee in .possesion OfdetaHled ihfdrmatibn regarding th* 1 district, its l trade, Vt sources, ec^ The* ioßowmg/cemtonpictttibri from * the- Riverwas read . reply t— ** CatTinV River, sth April.* ffig. ft Carrick, Esq;; secretary Railway Committee, Dear eir,— Your f*yor of l,st. : u>st ( to hand, intimatipg "»atl have been' elected a corresponding member of the Clutha railway committee,. and that as I am deeply interested in the projected work, your committee may calculate upon my assistance in promoting the same. In reply, X have to state that if a railway wa* not likely to a prove a success, I would certainly not countenance such an undertaking, even although it were to be of personal benefit. But being strongly convinced that, owing to the aU but inex hanstible store oi valuable railway, building, and fencing timber, that would be connected as it were both with Dunedin and up-country 'districts, a line, to Catlin's for timber traffic afone would yield a splendid dividend* I unhesitatingly accept ofthp honor. Of course the quantity of timber cut here at present is no criterion to what would be required if a branch Hae from this, place were^de to j)in tbe interior trunk lines— a much greater, timber trade would then be opened up. I have only had time to meet Messrs Green and Curie, members of .our committee, who are both willing to lend their bast as sistance in this grand scheme, which, if carried out, would prove an enduring boon to the. whole province. I will; meet the other cprresppndingmemberß of committee, and; when once in working order, have no doubt but they will.fuinish such particulars as may be considered of use to promote the object. lam authorised by the gentlemen named to state that the quantity of timber cut at ttie lake saw mil( for the past 12 months was at the average rate of 60000 feet super, per week, the mill not working full time. The two, mills on the Owake river are jointly capable of cutting even a larger quantity. Reckon them to cut 60000 per week also> and estimate the fte'eht to Dunedin on these quantities at 4s pr 109 feet super., that alone wodld represent an annual outlay of L12;480 (exclusive of insurance). Considering the extensive beds of superior pipe clay available for. the. manufacture of pottery were, and the extensive seam of rich lime and iron ores which are supposed to underlie the whole district, a traffic therefrom would in all probability soon spring, up to make a railway to Catlin's pay, independent of the timber. Further, as genuine coal of superior quality crops to the surface from various parts, and from other indications, it may be concluded that it exists in beds sufficiently thick to work ; and if so found in close proximity to the iron ores, a lasting source of wealth wojild be opened up to the colony, eclipsing in my opinion Qtago^s best goldfifilds, even in their palmy day's. Supposing, for argument sake, that a railway to eatlin's would not pay as a traffic return, the advantage it would be to the 'GV e Went m facilitating the construction of ether lines, bridges, etc., at reduced rates would more than counterbalance the outlay, and be a lasting benefit to all the up-country districts where timber is scarce, The Government therefore would be warranted in commencing the projected line to Catlin's, and in having it completed with the least possible delay. It is the railway, in my humble opinion, that should be first constructed, so tbat limber could be easily obtained to carry on and complete the others.— l am, &c, Eobje&t IftUXB." A formal motion was I made and passed that the letter as read | form part of the committee's proceedings, j An announcement was. made that Messrs M'Neil and Hjehderson, tbe district mem- 1 bers<b/f Council, intended to visit Catling j River aljbut this week, for the purpose of meeting the inhabitants on that and' ottier subjects. The secretary like j •wise 1 nientfoned his. intention of rebornpanying them, and promised, that an effort would be made to get the corresponding/ aieml>eta of committee together on the occasion. In answer to a question put, it stated that no rep'y. whatever had been received to the application made tp the Mayor and Council of Milton, asking their cooperation in getting the railway; opened. The tact r of the request having been declined, as shown by. the newspaper report of the Council's proceedings, waa also mentioned- After a few remarks illustrative of the meager amount of mr telHgetes whicn governed the action of thaVbbdy ■ i* "'• whole, the matter ws, sllowed to drop, The meeting-, then; adjourned^ . .