A TRAMWAY ALONG THE MOLYNEUX.

Dunstan Times, Issue 297, 3 January 1868, Page 3

A TRAMWAY ALONG THE MOLYNEUX.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DUNSTAN TIMES. Sir, —I take the liberty of addressing you in reference to a subject which, if carried out, would be of vital importance to your district and the province generally. The scheme is the connexion, of the navigation of the Molyneux with a horse tram-f way, say twelve miles below the Beaumont (which is considered the head of the river navigation) to the Dunstan, a distance o sixty miles, thereby landing freight at somewhere about £5 per ton from Dunedin to the Dunstan. The return freight would be say 60s. per ton. The water transit 605., tramway 305., making 80s., and 20s. per ton as reserve fund for improving the navigation of the river, which would be paid into the Treasury for that purpose by any eteam eompany that might be connected with the scheme. When th« navigation of the river has been improved the public would reap the benefit of having freight reduced to 80s., anH probably to 70s. This carried out I have no doubt would lessen the cartage on your Bupplie* one half what it now is, and the mode of transit, both for passengers and cargo, would be preferable to any other in the Province. The actual time required to lard goods shir-red at Dncedai for the Bunaran woi Id , be, say, water transit sixteen hours, and I

tramway, at three miles an hour, twenty hours. Passengers would travel per tramI way at the rate of eight miles per hour, ! and thus travel from theDunstanto Dunedin in eightaen or twenty hours. From the ad-' vantages to be derived from the proposed scheme I imagine you will coincide with me that, provided the Government undertake the completion of the Work, it would be an invaluable boon to the province at large and your district in particular. 1 have ho doubt if a tramway were completed to the Dunstan it would Very soon find its way to the West Coast, as the writer has advocated long ago. The proposed railway to the Clutha Ferry wouW be of no benefit whatever to your ''istrict without the feeder I speak of, and nature has provided this route for that purpose. Some long time ago the writer am 1 Mr. Douglas (of the firm of Douglas, Alderso", and Co.) waited upon his Honor the Superintendent in reference to the proposed tramway, when I suggests-: the financial scheme for paying for the same, that is to say, provided the Government would give an equivalent in land at 20s. per acre for the amount expended upon the construction of the works, the tramway reversing to the Government on completion. Ido not know whether the present Government will think favorably of this scheme—his Honor appeared to do so at the time—but I imagine, to have it carried out, you will have to stir up the folks in your district, as also at the Lakes, and so bring the matter prominently before the public, and then, perhaps, you may succeed. I may mention that I have had some eighteen years' experience in opening up roads in California, and I believe that the proposed scheme would have been carried out years ago in any other country save this. I am, &c., A. L. MURRAY. Clutha Ferry, 30th Dec, 1867.