The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1883. The Inland Railway.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 104, 15 May 1883, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1883. The Inland Railway.

! itf.rk are throe j>ro]io-el lines over which a railway can be formed to connect the present lines tit 1 c awa!inmi, and each route lias its cotprie of advocates and supporters who believe that their particular one is the best suited to promote the interests of the Colony in general, and the particular district-; they are desirous the railway should run through. This is perfectly natural and, following ti.esame course, we will, as far as the ft ace of a short article will admit, endeavor to point out a few of the advantages to he gained by the Government adopting what is called thfc Feilding or Bahton's line, as thia said lii.c bepins at I<\'ildinsr and passe? through the Kiwitea Block, and continues on for 63 miles to the Rakitapauma district, whore there is clear open country. 'Hi ft land that, would be opened up by this route consists of splendid bush land, covered with valuable timber, consisting of totara, rimu, and white pine, while there are numerous natural clearings contaiiiing splendid arable land. The engineering difficulties are less than the ordinary ones presented on the other suggested routes. The highc-st | elevation above th« sea level is 2,L > 40 feet, to reach which the gradients are easy for the whole distance. No bridges of any size are necessary, as the streams or rivers to be crossed are comparatively small. No. large j cuttings or sidings are to be made. Su;ii>omii»; this line were :.dnpted, as soon as the first ten mi. -s was opetwd the revenue derived from timber freight al'te would be about £700 per mile for an expenditure of £200 per mile. Beyond this for twenty five miles further the revenue would be. the same from the same source. A.fter this, for the remaining twentyeight miles, agricultural produce of all kinds would rapidly become a large and increasing means for supplying freight. As the bush land is cleared it would be stocked wi;h great and small cattle, to be afterwards broken up and prepared lor grain, for which the soil is admirably suited, and will return forty or fifty bushels to the acre in any part of it. We quest'on very much whether any section of; the line from Te Awamutu to the Manawatu would make such splendid returns for the capital invested. We have carelully noted what has been said in favor of the other rival routes, but in no instance has it been shown that the money returns would equal those of the Feildin^ route, as surveyed by Mr Barton. It has been stated that the Wellington Chamber of Commerce purpose forming a committee to consider the advantages or disadvantages presented by the three proposed lines, and we hope that they will be actuated by a wholedame desire to support that which presents the preatestadvantagesfor the Co'ony at large as a means of direct revenue, putting aside all party feeling or bias, only accepting undoubted facts as evidence, and forming a judgment upon them iv the same business-likt! manner they would exercise if they were a Directorate oi a Joint Stock Company. The opinion or recommendation of such a Committee, supported by the whole bor.y of the Chamber of Commerce, will have considerable weight with the members of the House, and will go a long way in deciding the. question.