THE CATLINS RAILWAY.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 189, 22 February 1878, Page 6

THE CATLINS RAILWAY.

A public meeting was held in the Waitepeka schoolhouse on Friday evening to consider as to the various routes proposed for the railway to Catlins River. There was a large attendance, and Mr William Dalgliesh was called to the choir.'

The Chairman having briefly explained the object of the meeting, called upon those present to express their opinions upon the subject.

Mr John Somerville said the object of the meeting was not to decide tho route the line should take. He believed there would be different opinions entertained as to this, but ultimately the Government would adopt the one thoy considered tho best for all parties. The Waitepeka' district had a sort of promise from tlie late' Government that a branch line would i be made to their district, but tho settlers in other quarters had taken action in the matter before them, and it was time the, Waitapeka settlers should let their claims be known. All knew that they had been very badly used by the late Government in the matter of railway communication, but he believed the present Government would be more likely to give effect to their wishes,' and the utmost exertion should now be made to have the railway taken by way of Waitepeka. After passing that point the Government could take it bywhatever route might be considered best. He did not care what route it took provided it passed Waitepeka. This might appear selfish on his part, but he could not lielp it. The railways he thought should be constructed to supersede as far as possible the ordinary roads, as they would be much cheaper and more serviceable.

In reply to Mr Whytock, Mr Somerville said the Catlins line should diverge from the main line at Inverteil. The Government would never for a moment entertain the idea of bringing it across tho island from Stilling. Had the Inch Clutha settlers joined those of Waitepeka at the proper time, when they wanted them to do so, the main line would have been taken across Inch Clutha and up the Waitepeka valley. They, however, would do nothing then, and they would not get tho branch 'line now. The line should be made so as best to suit the greater part of the settlers between the coast and the main line.

Mr R. Christie thought the line should be taken from Inverteil. by Waitepeka and Puerua. This would tap the bush, and while it would secure a large timber traffic it would also accommodate the settlers. The late Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands said- Borne years ago ; that the land in the upper Owake would never bring lOs an acre, but some of it had already brought L 4 an acre, and' were the railway formed it would fetch double that price. If the line were to be taken by Glenomaru it would necessitate the making of "a tunnel, but there were no obstructions by the Puerua route. •

7 Mr T).. Henderson freely recognised. the claims of ; the settlers in the .Waitepeka idistrict... The, late. (So vernment ignored at once.the claims of the district and jthe voice 6f the country upon the subject. As .matters !n'ow. ; stood he thought .the sett\prsvsfj Waitepeka should urge, the ful-

filment of the promise for a branch line, and allow the settlers of South Molyneux aud Catlins to carry biit the line to Catlins, as it was clear 'one line could not be made to suit the inhabitants of the various localities. As to . the tunnel referred to, he assured them that vr ere the line taken by Glenomaru no tunnel would be required, and. there were no engineering difficulties whatever. A flying survey of the line had already been made.; It would open up five or six hundred thousand acres of crown lands, and if continued to Edendale would shorten the distance to Invercargill by twenty miles as compared with the main line. From Inverteil to the head of Glenomaru the line would not cost over L2OOO per mile.

Mr Somerville said the settlers of Glenomaru were within four miles of water carriage, and we're the line taken by Puerua they would only be four miles from tbe railway.

Mr A. Petrie said were the line taken by Puerua it would accommodate the districts now being surveyed into sections for agricultural settlement.

Mr D. Henderson said there was already a very large committee appointed to endeavour to get .a line constructed to Catlins. That committee had resolved (mly to fix tlie starting pomt — Inverteil — and leave the route to the decision of the Government. -The Surveyor could be asked to consider the Puerua route as well as the one by Glenomaru.

Mr R. Christie asked what faith could be . placed.in that committee, seeing they had fixed upon Inverteil as a starting point, and afterwards some of them had signed a- petition to have the Hue to start from StMing and cross Inch Clutha.

The Chairman said the supporters of both routes — by Glenomaru* and Waitepeka — had fixed upon Inverteil as the starting point.

Mr' Somerville moved — " That a memorial be prepared and forwarded to the Government pivvving that tho line be taken from Inverteil by "Waitepeka to Puerua ; the route from thence to be left to the decision of the Government."

Mr Monfries seconded the motion,

In reply to Mr Jowitt, Mr Somerville said that by the route he proposed the line would pass within about two chains of his mill, and would be about three miles longer than by going direct from Inverteil to Glenomaru.

Mr Jowitt addressed the meeting at some length. In tho course of his remarks he said he had a strong opinion as to the route the railway should take. He thought it should go by Glenomaru, but ho was not prejudiced in favour of that route. He acted- in th7e_ matter not for selfish ends, but v for the" good of the inhabitants generally, and if the public considered the greatest benefit would be obtained by the line going by Puerua, and desired that it should go that way, he would support that route. As to the settlors in his district being within four miles of tlie const, that might be the distance ns the crow files, but not by nny practicable ro?.d, and even if they lived upon the coast it could bo of no assistance to them unleps they wanted to drown themselves. Thoy could not obtain water carriage there. He asked the meeting to bear in mind that the proposed lino was one to Catlins "River, and the interests of the settlers there should be consulted. At a meeting at Owake on Wednesday night he asked their opinion as to ths route they preferred, and the answer was by Glenomaru. The Millowners opposed the line to Catlins by any route, as it would be the means of starting many new saw-mills, but in tho course of a few years when tho bush would be used up within a reasonable distance of their mills, and where water carriage can be had, then

these same millowners would cry out for a railway. Thoy # endeavoured to persuade the settlors that tho railway would involve a tax to the extent of 2s an acre, and also that a ring of capitalists in Dunodin. were ready to purchase up all tho unsold land so soon as tho railway was decided upon, and the bona fide settlors 'Avould have to purchase at second-band at a greatly enhanced price. Ho (Mr Jowitt) pointed out the absurdity of the argument that any capitalist would buy up land upon which a tax of 2s an acre would at once be levied. There would be no such tax, and the land would be sold for bona fido settlement. He (Mr Jowitt) was one of a deputation that recently waited upon the Minister of Public Yforks with reference to the railway to Catlins. That deputation did not point out any route ; thoy simply wanted a line formed to Catlins River, and told the Minister they were willing to leave the question of route entirely in the hands of the Engineer and the Government. It was customary to accuse public servants of all sorts of evil and injustice, but for his part he gave but little heed to such accusations, as he did not believe the half of them. Mr J. Tf. Thomson had agreed to communicate with tho Government and keep the matter o£ the survey of the line before them, and he know he had done so. It would bo impossible to please all parties with the line, and if everyone insisted upon harping it made to his own door, the result would be that the line would be loft unmade. He put it to the Waitepeka settlers whether a branch line would not suit them instead of' insisting that tho line to Catlins should be taken round that way. Any line taken to Catlins must converge at Mr Lees' farm, and to take it there by Puerua would be a very circuitous route. If the line were taken by Glenomaru there would be an immediate traffic in timber.

Mr Whytock referred to the large sums being expended on the road to and at Catlins River to open up communication both overland and by water, and with that he thought they had every reason to be satisfied. , .

Mr Jowitt said a very large committee had been appointed at a public meeting to further the railway to Catlins. Mr Somerville and others in the Waitepeka district were members of that committee. As he (Mr Jowitt) had said, that committee had left the question of route aii open one, and he thought that instead of sending a memorial to the Government a resolution should be passed by the meeting in favour of the route from Inverteil by Waitepeka to Puerua, such resolution to be forwarded to the Committee referred 1 to. ; He moved an amendment, to this effect, and pointed out .that: should .the Waitepeka, settlers consider they were.: not receiving due;attention at the hands, of . th? committee, they had plenty , pf [time , af^enyarcis to

propose and forward a memorial to the. Government expressing their ' views as to the best route. ■ : . Mr Hay seconded the amendment. . ■ Mr Somerville was not previously aware of having been placed upon the Catlins Railway Committee. 'After considering tlie matter, and for the sake of ' preserving unanimity, he believed the meeting shouldpass the ! amendment instead of his motion. Further discussion ensued, in the course of which the conduct of the members of committee who had signed the Inch Clutha petition was severely animadverted upon. Ultimately both the amendment and motion were put to the vote, and the former was carried all but unanimously.

A vote of thanks to Mr Jowitt for attending the meeting, and to the Chairman for presiding, concluded the proceedings.