The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1870,

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2284, 1 September 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1870,

Wb do not expect consistency in tlie opinions expressed by our morning contemporary. Experience proves that it is not included in the editorial estimate of virtues. But we were not prepared for so glaring an instance of blowing hot one day and cold the next as we have had in the last two issues. Yesterday morning, in honor of the excellent lecture given by Mr Justice Chapman on the “ Political Economy “ of Railways,” the public were treated with a very weak echo of it. Wo havo no doubt his Honor will the more highly appreciate the compliment paid him when hj« sees the article this morning. Yesterday the Daily Times could see immense advantage in the construe-

tion of railways. We are free to acknowledge that the laudatory article might be read either as an ironical criticism of his Honor’s lecture, or as a bit of literary toadyism, according to the taste or feelings of the reader. It might have passed as an honest but weak assent to the principles laid down and ably illustrated by Judge Ciiap- ' man, had it not been that this morning the ill-concealed truth is blurted out that in the editorial opinion of the Daily Times, that most necessary work the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway “ will assuredly fail to realise the “ expectations of the people of Port “ Chalmers.” It certainly depends much upon what they did expect to result from its formation, whether they

will be realised or not. There may have been people who formed very erroneous and extravagant notions on the subject. There were those who used every effort to prevent its being formed, and they were men whose station in society gave them no small degree of influence. They left no stone unturned that they were able to

turn, to throw impediments in the way. We suspect the writer of the article in the Daily Times has had his opinions colored and tinctured by contact with these men of contracted —or rather perhaps we ought to say concentrated—ideas. Luckily, the utility of railways is so manifest that their opposition has proved unsuccessful, and their wiser plan will bo to adapt their conduct to circumstances that must henceforth control them, and which they can no longer control. The construction of the Port Chalmers line is a necessity. Were it not the first step in a system, it would still be advantageous. Yesterday, whether sincere or not, the Daily 'Times expressed the following opinion : —“ The assurance “ that what has been accomplished so “ easily among our neighbors may be “ accomplished just as easily here, will “ bo gladly accepted by every one.” Wo have no doubt that if the editor of the Daily Times were asked why the Port Chalmers Railway would not realise the expectations formed of its utility, he would enter upon a comparison between the natural highway the river, with its lighters and steam accommodation, and the cost of forming the railway ; and he might by a few fancied statistics show how much more cheaply the one could be worked than the other. Tire same style of calculation has been gone through in numberless cases before. If he has any knowledge of the history of English railways, he will remember the elaborate calculations laid before the House of Commons by canal companies, river trusts, and carriers by water, to shew' that the Leeds and Manchester, tW Hull and Selby, and other lines running nearly parallel with canals and navigable rivers could not succeed. But experience proved their calculations false : they did pay, and did not reduce the traffic by water. There Were prophets ecpial in farsightedness to the writer in the Do/tly Times, who predicted that the Melbourne and Hobson’s Bay Railway could not compete with water carriage by the Yarra. But the railway has succeeded, and has not destroyed the river traffic. And it will be so, we hesitate not to say in regard to the Dunedin and Port Chalmers line. One great drawback to Dunedin’s prosperity is the high rate of freight from EngInnd, as compared with Melbourne. This does not arise so much from the difference of the length of the voyage between Great Britain and the two Colonies as from the difference of time required for loading and unloading vessels, A ship laid on for Melbourne is soon filled up, because the Victorian merchants not only import for their own Colony, but for others. Their travellers compete successfully with those from Dunedin in many parts of New Zealand. Tradesmen that might, under more favorable circumstances, be supplied from Dunedin are their best customers, and will remain so until prices are equalised by increased facilities for unloading vessels. Every help to rapid unloading is an aid to a reduction of every reduction of freight' helps to extend trade); every extension of trade increases the demand at home : every increase of demand tends to lessen the time required for loading ; the time for loading and unloading being equalised, an equalisation of freight follows. There are other advantages that we anticipate from the Port Chalmers Railway which we have not space now to enumerate. They may be of a more sober character, than the editor of the Daily Times attributes to the people of Port Chalmers ; but as those expectations must be founded merely on the ideal, ignoring the practical, wo need not trouble ourselves to deal with them.