PUBLIC MEETING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 855, 6 September 1878, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was held in tho Library Hall, Clyde, on Saturday evening last. S. Welsford, Esq., Mayor (who occupied the chair), said he had received a letter together with a copy of memorial to the Government from the Westland P.ailway Committee, asking the co-operation of tho Borough of Clyde in urging -upon the Government to connect the West Coast with the East Coast with a railway via Haaet's Pass, and thence to Wanaka, instead of with the proposed railway by way of Amherley to Christchurch. Ho said the whole question was in tho letter,'which he would ask Mr Fache, who had kindly consented to act as Secretary, to read. • The letter being read, which was to the effect that according to tho views of the gentlemen forming the Westland Railway Committee, a line of railway connecting the East and West Coasts by way of Haast’s Pass, though some GO miles further than a line via Amherley,' would be of immeasurably greater benefit to the country (though by-the-hye we notice that the Westland County Council decline to support the Haast route) as it would open up for settlement millions of acres of virgin land covered with valuable timber and containing no end of mineral wealth, while at the same time the highest elevation in the whole route was 1 1700 feet, whereas the alternative route passed nearly all through purchased land, while the elevation to get over was 3000 feet.

Mr Facho said he had a private letter from Mr Pyke, in which he was urged to stir the people up to get up a meeting in support of the Haast Pass route. For his own part he did not see that the benefits to be derived from connecting the two coasts would be ivorth the cost. He had some slight knowledge of the West Coast, and was firmly of the opinion that if alineof railway as proposed was completed to-morrow it would be a losing affair (or the next 20 years.

Mr F. J. Wilson said he looked upon the question as nonsense, the Government had laid down their railway scheme, which included the Canterbury line, and as ,it was bound to be supported by the Canterbury members to a man, as also by the Westland members, there .was but very little use iu going to a great trouble. It was to be admitted that the only thing to drag the upcountry district out of the lethargic state it has gradually but surely fallen into through, the draining away of all the wealth both of money and labor on the introduction of the Public Works Scheme, was the construction of railways, but at the same time it must also be remembered that a railway.wants a large and settled population along its course. It was natural that Westland should try for this lino, as the other was certain, and by getting it there would not only be a line of railway acroos AVestland but one the whole length from end to end.

Mr James Taylor said the Public Works Scheme was being now carried out by the man who gave Sir Julius Vogel the hint, viz., Mr Maeandrow, and that it was tho duty of every one to assist in getling railwavs constructed iu every direction instead of speaking on any one line.

Severn! other gentlemen having speken it was devilled that a committee consisting of Messrs Welsford, Naylor, Wilson, Fache, and Cambridge, be appointed a Committeeto co operate with the Westland Railway Committee, and that the Secretary inform Mr Pyko and the Westland Railway Committee of the meeting and the result. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.