RAILWAY TO FORBURY AND PORTOBELLO.

Evening Star, Issue 3610, 17 September 1874, Page 2

RAILWAY TO FORBURY AND PORTOBELLO.

This morning Messrs James Smith, D. Prondfoot, G. W. Eliott, and J. B. Bradshaw, as representing the promoters of the above railway, waited upon the Superintend dent for the purpose of ascertaining what amount of assistance the Government will give to the Company in respect to concessions of land, and for the working of the Company’s line by Government plant. Mr mith explained that the promoters wished to know what facilities the Executive were prepared to give the proposed Company to enable them to carry out its object, which was to construct a line commencing at Rat* tray street, going along the foreshore, parallel with the Anderson’s Bay road down to near Tolmie’s corner, and from that point making two branches—one to the Forbury, crossing the Anderson’s Bay road, and running through land at present belonging to Mr D. Proudfoot, parallel to the {Sandhills, flown to them and thence down the Forbury road; the other branch running from lo.nues corner to Anderson’s Bay, thence to Portobello, and ultimately to the Heads. Ihe facilities which the promoters thought necessary would be these, which he understood the Provincial Goverment were digposed to grant when the projects a railway to the Forbury was mooted last year, viz., that the Government would give the necessary land, and. in the infancy of the comi pany, undertake the working of the line with i its rolling stock, under an arrangement i which would suit the mutual convenience of i the Government and the Company, leaving to the future the determination of other arrangements for working the line. His Honor : I should say, Mr Smith, that the Government will be disposed to just make the same concession as was agreed to in the case of the Forbury Railway? I think this is more important than that: this is an extension, and if public interest justihed the Government in agreeing to certain > proposals m one case, it must be much more so in the other. So far as the working of the railway is concerned, I think the Government may fairly do that on fair terms : but that will be a matter for negotiation, £ i don’t think the Government should expect anything in the shape of profit-probably only the actual outlay. There would be outlay involved for additional stock, for I don’t i suppose the plant we have got would suffice, i hen, so far as the road line is concerned, to a certain extent the foreshore is vested in tho huperiufendent; therefore there will be no i difficulty so far as that is concerned : but after that point, as you are aware, it is vested in the Crown, but a representation from the Provincial Government will, no donbt, put that right. . Mr Proudfoot inquired if, in tho event ; of the company wanting to work the line on ' its own account, there would be any difficulty in getting sufficient land for a station His Honor replied that he did not think there would he any difficulty, but if be had anything to say m the matter, he thought it be desirable to take that course without having anything to do with the Government, in which case he thought it could be arranged to have a separate station. He suggested that Jetty street, where the unnal used to be, would be a good terminus. & Mr Pnom, foot said Rattray street would be better, because nearer to the Port line. His Honor : You might arrange to have a joint station, even if you undertook a separate line. Air Smith : The more the whole railway system dovetails, the greater convenience there will be for the public. His Honor did not seen any difficulty in constructing a separate line beside the Clutha one. Mr Proudfoot said the only thine weuld be .a little more expense. 6 His Honor : Would it be necessary to «sume the waking of it yourselves ? Could it not he arranged to use the Clutha line as far as it goes ? ■ : Mr Smith pointed out that when the traffic became very great on the Clutha line, it would become very inconvenient to serve both parties; and Mr Proudfoot remarked that with seven trains daily on the Grfeeu Island, and probably eight a-day on the proposed line, they would be sure to clash • while he would not care to be responsible for ftGCIU9QtB« Mr Smith said that what the company wanted was dimply the right to a portion of th« land for a railway station, with a view to ultimately using it for its own traffic; but in the meantime they would utilise aa far as possible the Clutha line. His Honor replied that at present the station was legally in the hands of the - General Government. He could uot sneak as to what views they might have on the subject. It might be out of the hands of f p e /r Vl ffV Government in a year, though he did not think that very likely ; but soS as the Provincial Government were con. ‘"“to SpVSS ectory , also that the Government should communicate with the General Government, t0 Becurin g a pledge from them. His Honor agreed to do so. He would e * re the thing was put on record. Mr Smith remarked that it was proposed construct the Forbury portion of the line first, as it possessed little difficulties of Con! Btruction—difficulties so little that be waa coujdba running by ?he next raci° W «assays 18 prepared to support. Uovernment They men for a time : and. following y ol the (io'emment