Railway to Cromwell.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 196, 12 August 1873, Page 7

Railway to Cromwell.

The following is a copy of the petition framed by the Cromwell Town Council, praying for the extension of the railway as alx>ve. Copies for signature are being circulated as widely as possible throughout the districts between Teviot and Cardrona. As little time as-may be is to he allowed to intervene before the presentation of the petition in the Assembly.

To the Honourable the Speaker and the Members op tHe kocsE or Representatives,- - ■ " The Petition of the 'underaiymd Settlers in the Mount Benger,. Dunsfan, and iw«-n-arml Districts, Humbly sheweth: That your Petitioners have seen and heard with much pleasure that a reaoln tion has unanimously passed the Provincial Council of Otago, affirming the desirability of extending the Tokoraairiro and Tuapeka IJne of Railway (the portion of the Main Interior Line at present in progress) to Roxburgh, Alexandra, Clyde, and Cromwell ; and strongly recommending the Extension as far as Roxburgh concurrently with the progress of the present contracts between Tokoraairiro and Tuapeka. That your Petitioners are informed and believe that the Council came to the said Resolution upon the data contained in the annexed Report. That your Petitioners have carefully read the said Report, and from their personal knowledge and experience can vouch for truth of most of the statements therein contained, and concur most heartily with / *; the recommendations therein made. ’ That besides the facts mentioned in the said Report, your Petitioners feel convinced that if the recommendations are acted upon, the result will be to cause a very large increase of population in these Districts, both of the mining and agricultural classes, as many thousands of acres, agricultural and auriferous, would then be able to be profitably worked which now, in con sequence of the high rates of provisions and the slow, uncertain, and expensive modes of communication, cannot be occupied. That consequently there will be a great increase, both in the passenger and goods traffic, beyond that at present calculated upon ; and thus the proposed Extension will not only prove of great importance in. promoting the settlement of these Districts, but also.:will, prove highly remunerative in a commercial sense. Your Petitioners therefore humbly prav that your honourable House will take such steps to give effect to the Resolution of the Provincial ’. Council of Otago as to your honourable House may seem fit. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, ic. dre.

Interim Repout from Select Committee ox Railway from Tuapeka or Tapaxui to Roxburgh, Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell. ’ (Brought t ip.bg Mr MacKdlnr, July 22, 1873.) Your Committee has to report that it has met several times, taken evidence, and carei fully considered the matter referred to it. N It has now to report as follows :—Owing to the short time at its disposal, and the pressure of other Council business, it was determined only to report on the estimated tonnage and passenger traffic which goes and comes at present to and from the districts which would be immediately affected by the extension of the railway from Tuapeka to Cromwell. For the purpose of arriving at that estimate, the billowing gentlemen were examined : Mr G. F. Reid, Mr J. Mackerras, Mr Robert Wilson, and Mr Win. Fraser. The information received from these gentlemen is so important that your Committee is anxious to place t at your disposal, that it may in some measure assist you in forming a correct conclusion as to the advisability of pushing forward the extension , of . a railway to the districts mentioned in your reference. The population of the districts, as per the Census of 1871, more or less directly interested in the extension, is 12,386, or if Tuapeka is included, 16,760. The quantity of goods which is at present sent annually by carriers to places beyond Lawrence, the Committee estimates to be about 12,000 tons, and this is despatched at an average rate of £s,per ton. This quantity is exclusive of a large quantity which finds its way into the Wakatip district via Lake *v akatip, a considerable portion of which, it is understood, comes direct from Melbourne. It also excludes a quantity which reaches the Cromwell and Dunstan districts via the Lind is. The Committee estimates the quantity which reaches Dunedin from the same districts at about 3000 tons, despatched at about the same average rate of freight, the average time occupied in transit bourn fourteen days. ° Respecting the present passenger traffic, me Committee has no materials to form an exact estimate as yet. It has the personal knowledge of all its members that besides the wiawfcrablo number whe ccme up b y the

regular advertised coach lines, a largo and increasing number travel on horseback and by private conveyances. The number may he averaged at thirty persons per day going, and the same number returning. The average charge to each traveller at present may be fairly set down at £3 10s. each way. From the three sources of revenue which alone your Committee has indicated, there would be a return as follows : 12.000 tons, say at £3 per ton (present average rate, £5) ... £30,000 3.000 tons, say at £3 per ton (present average rate, £5) ... 9,000 Estimate 30 passengers per day, each at £1 10s. (present average, £1 1 *.) 28,080 £73,080 The intermediate traffic is left entirely out of account. In addition to the above might properly be be added the present coat of carriage of mails, escort of gold, and the saving in all departmental travelling expenditure. From inquiries made, and from the personal knowledge of several of its members, your Committee can state that excellent and inexhaustible lignite beds exist at several convenient places along the route of the proposed extension, such as Coal Creek, Teviot, Alexandra, Clyde, and Cromwell, which only require the construction of a railway to fully develop. Your Committee is quite convinced that owing to the whole of the up-country traffic passing mu Lawrence on the completion of the line to that place, a large sum of money would require to be annually spent on the road from Lawrence to Queenstown ; first in forming a proper road, and afterwards in' maintaining it; and further, that if such a I trade existed at the present time, the road: would be totally impassable for any traffic! whatever. j

The question whether such an expenditure would not exceed the interest on the outlay required for a railway, hardly lies within oUr province to discuss. These facts force on your Committee the conviction that it would prove a. great saving to the Province to construct the proposed line of railway at once.

From its inquiries and its personal knowledge, your Committee can say that the road at present from Lawrence to Cromwell is, even for male passengers, in a great measure impassable; for female passengers it is totally impracticable. The time occupied by passengers in travelling from Cromwell to Dunedin, and vice verm, even in the summer season, cannot be estimated at less than three days. In view of all the circumstances connected with the proposed extension of Tuapeka Railway, as brought under the notice of your Committee, by witnesses examined and the personal knowledge of several of its members, your Committee has to recommend very strongly—--Ist. The construction of a light line of railway from Tuapeka to Cromwell. 2nd. Your Committee at the same time desire verv strongly to recommend that its extension as far as Roxburgh be proceeded with concurrently with the progress of the present contracts on the Tokomairiro-Tuapeka line, so as to save the enormous expenditure which would he required to put the road for that distance in passable condition for traffic. James H.vzeett, Chairman. Dunedin, July 22, 1873.