Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1877.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 143, 6 April 1877, Page 5

Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA : FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1877.

We have to call the attention of the. settlers in the Kaitangata and Wanga-. loa districts to an important resolution, affecting injuriously their interests, ' Come to at the meeting of the directors of the, Kaitangata Railway Company, held last Saturday. We believe the directors have resolved to do everything* in their power to discourage any other traffic save that of coals, which pays them iest, and with this object in view, are shortly to largely increase the jates

charged for grain and merchandise generally. It is not pretended that the present rates do not pay the Company, but that) in the expectation of a lurge increase in the consumption of coal carried by the opening* ot the Lawrence Railway, they wish to monopolize as many trucks as possible for that mineral, the Government not being" possessed uf sufficient rolling* stock to meet the requirements of the grain season and e< a' traffic in the winter. We may here also notice the large charge made ior carrying- passengers on this line. Stirling- to Kaitangata, a distance of four miles, is Is Qd second-class, and return tickets ai*e no! issued j and it is actually now in contemplation to still further increase the charge. It is really high time that the settlers and business people in the district take steps to protect themselves from the arbitary and unjust charges contemplated by the directors of this company. The company is bound in a measure to s'udy the convenience of the public, seeing- that permission to construct the line had to be obtained from the peoples' representatives. Having 1 got such permission, however, they now take the bit in their teeth and ignore everyone save themselves. In doing 1 this they may find their mistake. The Bill authorising the line to be constructed gives authority to the Government to take it over 1 at any time, and as the line has now been proved to be a payable one, we think the present arbitrary conduct of the directors a good reason for making a representation to Government on the subject. We would be the last to advocate Government stepping in to deprive any company from reaping the legtimate profits of their perseverance and pluck in building branch railways that Government were afraid to tackle, and in this particular instance the Kaitangata Railway Company have had our best wishes, but there is a limit to forbearance, and now that the public interests are being so grossly ignored, and a most unjust tax placed on the grain, etc., it is time to draw attention to the matter with a view to a remedy, and we would suggest that a meeting- of those interested in the Kaitangata and Wangaloa districts be at once held, and a deputation appointed to wait on the Hon. Mr Reid before he leaves for Wellington, There are, however, others interested in this matter, as well as the residents in the district mentioned. So long as the line is in the hands of a company, everyone using Kaitangata coal in Balclutha is unfairly taxed in having to pay a considerable sum extra for the coal they consume. At present the railway -charges on every ton of coal delivered in Balclutha are Ss 6d to Stirling, and on the Government line Is 6d, or 4s per ton for a distance of only some six miles. Were the Kaitangata line in the hands of the Government, the carriage here would not exceed 2s per ton. It will thus be seen that in these hard times the abolition of this railway company would prove to many a household a much more profitable abolition than that of the Provinces, and not only would the public here be the gainers, but. in the hands of the Government the line would yield handsomereturns. Lasj winter Government wrought the line ior several weeks, and did so without employing a single additional man, and they could easily do so again. We believe that the line has paid the company very well, but wrought in connection with the main line it is bound to pay still better, and under Government management would doubtless give satisfaction to everyone.

There is one matter we have intended for some time past to bring under the notice of the Town Council and the citizens generally. We refer to the desirability of planting rows of trees between the footpaths and the water channels along the principal streets of the township. We are not aware that such a course has been adopted in this Colony, but it is largely done in the citiesof Europe and America, and with very marked effect. We, in the meantime, altogether ppss over the arguments that might be urged from a sanitary point of view in favour of the suggestion, and put it merely on the ground of ornamentation. Visitors one and all admire the situation of our township, and we know of no one in the Colony upon which the planting of avenues along the street would have so marked an effect. . Approached by the main road, either, from the east or the west, the township bursts suddenly in view, is seen to be situate ea a flat almost surrounded by the Molyneux river, the ! streets regularly laid out, and the houses having a neat and cosy appearance. It only wants the avenues to make it perfect. The planting and protecting of elms or poplars would cost a mere trifle— probably not a shilling a i head to the male population ; and with the richness of the soil the trees would grow rapidly, and speedily show the effect. The avenues could not in any way interfere with the traffic ; they hava been found not to do so in America, and we are sure the inhabitants would fully approve of the step suggested. We really cannot conceive of a single objection to it, and the surprise is that it has not been accomplished long ago. If the . Mayor or any Connciilor desires a renewal of his term of office, let him take up this subject and carry it through, and we have no doubt after the work is done it will be fully approved of. This subject was incidentally brought under the' attention of the Council at last

meeting 1 , and will, we believe, be fully considered on Tuesday evening. We trust it will meet with a favourable consideration, so that the work may be set about without unnecessary delay.