OUTRAM BRANCH RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 3645, 28 October 1874, Page 3

OUTRAM BRANCH RAILWAY.

The settlers in the Ontram district held a meeting in their Drill-shed last evening to decide upon the necessary steps for forming a branch railway to connect Outram with the Dunedin and Clutha line. The attendance was large, and Mr D. Borrie was elected chairman. After the chairman had explained the object of the meeting, Mr |Bnow stated that he and MrShaud had originated the meeting. The Government had promised the construction of the line, but. whether dene fey it pr not, the settl-rs should try to have one constructed. There was any amount of land available, the sale of which would provide funds, i f those pres-nt would put down their names for 590 or 1,000 acres of land each, the necessary money would soon be obtained. Mr James Shand, M. P.G., explained that during the last session of the Provincial Council L 12,000 was voted for tha maki' g of a branch line of railway from Grey town He need not tell them for what purpose. Tbe railway would do good lor all of them, and when other railways were completed, they would find themselves behind tbe times if they did not get this railway proceeded with. Last session of the Provincial Council a resolution was passed that the Province should go in for a loan of L 500,000, for the purpose of constructing railways. That loan had been disallowed by tbe General Assembly, but L 60.000 bad been voted by tbe Assembly for the construction of lines in Otago. The resolution passed by the Provincial Council provided for tbe making of several lines in the event of the loan being granted, bat, should it not be sanctioned, the Government were authorised to enter bate arrangements for the construction of the lines eith r by pub ! ic companies or private individuals who might be willing to risk their capital in the undertaking, provided that the arrangement s should nob include any guarantee, and that they should also provide for the purchase of tbe line or lines on iquitable terms. It was not sanctioned, and it seemed to him that the Government did not intend to take advantage of the sum for the purpose of making the lines, but the Government weald not be doing its duty if it did no-, take advantage of the L 60.000. The conditions were that the line should be approved of by the General Government Engineer, and that that officer should also approve of the plans mid specifications. The opinion of the General Government Engineer ia regard to this line was that it was the best branch line in the Province of Otago. It could be easily made, and it passed through a better district than any other line of the same extent in the Province. (Applause.) So the mceing would see that the line might bs paid for out of tbe L6O 000, and he thought the settlers should try their best to cause the Government to construct it out of that money which was available for it. 'there was another proposal. ;namely, for the settlers to take up 10,000 or 12,000 acres in the Lees Stream and Traquair Hundreds, to provide the accessary funds and inducement for the Government itself to make the line. He then said that there was a third way by which it could be made, namely, by private enterprise. Did the settlers think that lb would be worth while to risk their capital for the construction of this line ? He thought that it would. But, as he considered that the making of the road would do more gcod to the Government than to anyone e’se, tus it would increase the value of hundreds ef thousands of acres in that locality, he o»a----sidered that the Government ought to me&e the line. The line that they now wished to be made went through 20,000 acres of the best agricultural land in the Province, aad land which produced more tons to the acre than any other land in the Province. If the line were constructed, it would be attended with great|bencfit, aad would be the msans of making the township of Outram one of the best towns within a considerable distance of Dunedin.

Mr Snow estimated that during tla® year &hout £O,OOO tons and 3,500 passengers passed between Outram and i uuedin, but he had no doubt that these figures would 'show a very great increase if the railway were made. As far as his own capital was concerned, he would not mind taking a few shares.

Mr James Sim said that his opinion decidedly was that they should adopt the first proposition, namely, that of making the line out of the i 60,000. He was led to believe that Government did not think it worth while to have anything to do with that money. But when they did not get 1.500,000, but did get LOO,OOO, he thought tbat the settlers were entitled to LIO.OOO of it for the construction of this branch Hue, which, in his opinion, would be better thau any other that he knew of in the Province. When they abandoned the petition in regard to the course of the main line, Mr Reid stated distinctly that the Outram line should be formed with the inain line. Mr David Grant had no doubt that if the railway were made the result would be that the good and passenger. traffic would be doubled. The great amount of traffic to Waipori, Strath Taieri, the Maniatoto Plains, and other placesonght to induce the Government to make the line. Besides, he at present knew of produce in the district which at present would not pay to send to Dunedin, but would pay well if -,hey had a railway It would be a beneSt to both consumers and producers. He would propose “That a deputation be appointed to wait on the Executive and urge upon them the necessity of making the Outram Branch’,Railway out of the L 60,000 granted by the General Asserably. ” Mr James seconded tho motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr Snow proposed, “That MessrsP.orrie, Snow, Sim, Keropshell, Grant (of Gowr’e), Donald Grant, David Grant, F. T. W. M/Dermid, Richardson, Fulton, together with the members for the district, should wait upon the Executive at an early' date, to see what could be done in the matter,” Xha motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

It. was resolved that the ch irman. Mr Borne, and the secretary, Mr Richardson, should continue to hold their respective appointments for the present. A vote of thanks to the chairman coneluded the proceedings. The deputies met after the general meeting, and decided to wait upon the Executive next Tuesday, at 11 o’clock in the forenoon.