The Evening Star THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2610, 29 June 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1871.

It is a healthy sign for the future of the Province' that thevalue of railways

as a means of interibmmnnication is at length recognised.S6*'general has now become the conviction that a change in muvrpad system if necessary that when a line of railway' in the Oamavn district was proposed on Tuesday only one person was found to put forth some of the old arguments against it. The objection raised to Mr Sumpter s motion was that it was unfair to assess those in the district for the maintenance and cost of a railway who were not benefitted by it. This argument is very specious, but not very difficult to answer, if we arc informed what “ district” means. In the United States it is always estimated that by the construction of a railway a district is benefitted directly to the extent of fifteen miles on each side of the line; but this manifestly assumes that a parallel line is carried out at some thirty miles distance. But it is evident that the whole of our arrangements for the transport of goods must undergo a change to meet the requirements of the times, and fully to develop the capabilities of the Province . that all our labor in the construction of metalled roads will at no distant date prove worthless: and that we must be prepared to adopt a general system by which vehicles and modes of traction may be adapted to our new conditions. That our present roads are unequal to what is required of them is evident from the following extract from the departmental report of the engineer of roads and works :

The practice of loading waggons in many cases to such an extent as to submit our roads p to a fatigue much greater than is allowed in Britain, and to which I referred in my last Annual Report, not only continues but increases, it being no unusual sight to see teams of 9 and 10 horses conveying loads which must amount to about two tons on each wheel. An additional danger to that incurred by the road surface, is the risk which is encountered upon the older timber bridges, which were originally designed for traffic much lighter than that which they are now submitted to, and this is increasing every day, as the timber becomes weakened by natural decay. I would direct the special attention of the Government to this point, so that some means may be adopted for the preservation of our public works, from a treatment involving an expensive maintenance and rapid destruction.

We give this extract to show that metalled roads are not even equal to sustaining the work at present required of them, and can only continue available by increasing the cost of distribution of goods. It is evident that this implies restriction of trade and diminution of comfort to those in the interior. The prac- , f 1 IJ macl?ing n a 1 arge number of horses to them, is one means of economising labor, . In all probability those nine or ten horses, through having only one waggon to draw, do more work than the same number attached to two waggons, ahd most certainly at one-half the cost of driving and attendance; the clear advantage being that one driver only is required instead of two. If, therefore, carriers are restricted to the weight they shall place upon the waggons, the cost of carriage will be increased and the productive power of the Province decreased by the transfer of labor from reproductive employment to that of distribution. There can be no doubt, however, that this system of loading waggons heavily tends very materially to increase the cost of maintenance of roads under our present system, which in everything, even to the construction of bridges, has been adopted in view of the continuance of our old roads. Their utility too is very circumscribed, and if we continue to depend upon them, will much limit our markets. Let any farmer calculate the cost of carting two tons of grain a distance of twenty or thirty miles. He must have a waggon, four horses, and a man employed two days, and in one way or other, the cost will be something like a shilling or eighteen-pence a bushel on his produce, for he will have no back loading. This is a very serious drawback to our prosperity, for it limits the power of disposing profitably of our field produce to very small distances. It is therefore a matter for very careful consideration, whether in the interest of the Province we should continue to spend annually large sums of money in the construction of inferior roads, when at as small a cost in the original structure, and at immeasurably less annual outlay, a better system can be adopted. We have been so long accustomed to regard railways as undertakings for private enterprise, that we are slow at learning to look upon them as district undertakings like common roads. We are glad to see that Mr Reid has made this advance. We have no doubt many persons will be ready at once with the objection—- “ But we must have common roads.” Very likely this idea will be the chief obstacle to improvement for years to come, and will remain so until it is found necessaiy and profitable to adapt carnages to roads. When the value of tram-foads as feeders to main lines is once established, every farmer and stockowner will fall in with the new necessity, and will find means to the readiest and least costly mode of plac-

Ing his produce pn the main line. And the sooner this fact is realised the better, for it is necessary to successful working that a well-devised scheme should be adopted for the Province that each part,, may work smoothly with the rest. Were our experience in Otago sufficient when Mr Sumpteu’s proposal comes again under the consideration of the Council, it would be well if some plan could be hit upon suitable to the whole Province, for unity of action in working out a system would secure the greatest efficiency and economy.