The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2159, 7 April 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1870.

The Clutlia Railway is at a stand-still. Notwithstanding the advertisements in other Colonies, no contractor has offered to undertake the work on the prescribed terras; and, so far as we can see, no one is likely to come forward. This is hardly surprising, considering the way Otago went about the business. It is not very encouraging to anyone able to undertake the work to learn that the negociations, which proceeded so far with a company as to tend to a draft agreement being drawn up, were brought to an abrupt conclusion on grounds so frivolous as those explained in the late debate in the Provincial Council, nor that there is a class of politicians amongst us who, after having consented to guarantee a certain per centage to any company constructing the line, condemn those business arrangements by which they may realise a profit by skilful financial operations Neither does the history of the Port Chalmers line offer much more encouragement to contractors. There is something novel in the idea of the thing. It is a leap in the dark—a contract for a railway of some sort or other—neitherparty knows exactly what —for the Government binds the contractor to no plan, nor, as far as we are aware, has the contractor marked out any plan for himself. It is an experiment on a large scale to which the Executive have committed themselves with a degree of faith that they failed to exhibit in the well devised plans of construction prepared by competent men. There must bo some charm in the mystery out of which the Railway is to emerge in full working order in eighteen months \ but we confess we should have preferred going into the matter with a full knowledge of what waste be done and what sort of a railway was to be constructed. And it would have been equally satisfactory had the Government engineer been one whose talent was known, for the civil engineering as exhibited in our roads and bridges gives no good ground for expecting anything but a botched Port Chalmers line—probably a cross between a tramway and a railway—a something calculated to fulfil the literal conditions of the contract, but not a turn of a wheel beyond it. Whatever the products of this blind bargain it is too late to mend it, and if it turn out bettor than we anticipate none will rejoice more than we shall. But it is evident that we must go on another tack, and perhaps the difficulty experienced in not getting on with the Clutha line may switch us into sraight running. What is there to prevent the Government putting aside a sufficient area of land available either for sale as money is required, or as security for a loan if by waiting a-while the value of the land may increase 1 There is no absolute necessity to sell land at twenty shillings an acre, that can have a special value given to it by adding facities to internal communication by means of a railway. Wo know that common report talks of certain lands having been purchased by well-informed individuals some years ago, in faith that the Clutha Railway would mar-

vellously add to their value. Common report too—but nobody has a right to believe such a notorious liar as common report —says that in order to invest these far-sighted purchases with additional marketable value, the line would have to be taken across a swamp at rather a heavy cost, which might very advantageously be avoided. Of course, no one believes anybody in Otago capable of such jobbery, and especially those who were in a position to give direction to the line had it been constructed. If however it is true that such enhancement in value is to follow the formation of the Olutha Hue —and it is undeniable that such must be the case—the duty of a Government is to secure that advantage to the Province, and to withhold such territory from sale until the money is wanted. We are not greatly concerned to know whether the reports alluded to are correct or not. If true, the arrangements anticipated were not completed, and the Province is still free to adopt the most advantageous course. By the proposed plan, a railway would be constructed that would become Provincial property. We suggest it rather than the line should not be constructed, although, if formed by a company and worked by them, we are inclined to think it would be better for the Province, provided the same course of not selling the land in anticipation were adopted. The money invested by the company would be so much extra capital introduced into the Province, while the additional price received on the sale of lands, access to which would be provided by the railway, could be profitably spent on other necessary public works or on immigration.