WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2073, 15 October 1880, Page 3

WEST COAST RAILWAY.

A preliminary meeting of those interested in the construction of a railway to the West Coast was held yesterday at Messrs B. Wilkin and Cb.'s rooms. There was only a moderate attendance.

Mr Bobert Wilkin was voted to the chair, on the motion of Mr Ulrieh.

Mr Wilkin said he understood a proposal would be laid before the meeting for the construction of a railway to the West Coast from the end of the present line. Mr Thornton would explain the proposals. Mr Thornton said that he had had a plan prepared which showed that from Hurunui to Beefton a line might be constructed in ninety miles. Hurunui, he might ■ay, wag the terminus of the present scheme of Government railways. As to the amount of land required to be taken, he might say they would have to take 280 aores of freehold, 120 of leasehold, 12 of reserves, and 84 of open land. Mr Wicks, who had lived on the West Coast for many years, would tell them is to the mineral wealth and natural resources of the country. As the meeting would see, the line now projected would link on to the Government line at Hurunui.

Mr Wicks said that he thought the matter was of so large importance that whether the project was begun in a small or large meeting did not matter. The people on both East and West Coasts had reason to feel slighted when the mil way which was to connect the agricultural and mineral localities together was neglected altogether. The ooal mines in the neighborhood were now established facts, and a large number of people had gone into mining speculations on the faith that tbe cross island railway should be gone on with. In 1875 Sir Julius Vogel gave a deputation from the West Coast to understand that the cross island line would be constructed. This Ministry did not carry out this work, nor did the other one which followed it. He did not know until he came to Canterbury what was the reason of this, when he found that it was owing to Dunedin pulling the strings of the political matters and preventing the railway being taken except by Dunedin. Two engineers had volunteered to go out to inspect this line if the expenses of laborers and packhorses were found. As regarded the mineral traffic, ho would point out that the Brunner line was one of tho beßt paying in the colony. As regarded the concessions to be granted to the company, it was for them, when a company was formed, to make terms with the Government on the subject. As regarded the value of the timber, he might say that paying as he had had to do Is per 100 ft. royalty, the value of the forest land at that low rate came to about £2O per acre. There were a number of trees growing in the Inangahua and Arahura vallies, whioh did not grow on this side, and produced most valuable timber. It must also be recollected that the mineral traffic was one whioh continued all the year round, and oould be worked at a slow paoe. He would now call attention to the samples of coal from the West Coast, viz., the Coalpit Heath coal, whioh has a large seam ; then theie was the Brunner coal, which was pronounced at the Sandhurst Exhibition to be the finest gas coal in the world. It was so much thought of that the Bendigo Gasworks had given the Brunner Company a contract for supply of coal at 15 per cent higher rates than they had paid in Australia. Mr Wicks then referred to other samples of coal from the West Coast.] As regarded the gold pioductions of the West Coast, he might say that the country around Beefton was full of quartzbearing reefs. One claim, the Wealth of Nations, had taken out a ton of gold, and had divided amongst their shareholders some £35,000. This mine waa, however, suffering from want of communication. Besides the quartz fields there was also large alluvial deposits. Copper ore had been found and marble was also there in quantities. The line whioh was now projected would, unless some nnforseen difficulties of an engineering character intervened, pass through this country. The development of these industries only required the opening up of the country by railway, and he thought that there was no risk in any company taking up the matter. He felt sure that the West Coast would heartily co-operate with Canterbury on this matter. The stock buyers had told him that if a railway was got over stock taken over the line would be worth £3 per head more than driven stock. He thought that the time had now arrived when the country should see if the principle of granting concessions of land could not be brought into force. In Queensland they were doing this, and no doubt such a system would draw away a large number of working men. He would now ask Mr Guineas, who knew the country well, to make a few remarks. Mr Guiness said that the great resources whioh required developing were the coal and timber trade.- at present the timber was brought from Invercargill at {3a 9d per 100 ft. If this oould be done, bringing timber some 350 miles, it could be much better done when it had only to go some sixty miles. About that distance from Christchuroh the line would pass through grand forests. As regarded the coal industry, coal had been discovered at the Brunner and at Beefton of a splendid character. With these two exports only they had a right to expect that the industries would expand and grow. Besides this, there was a large amount of agricultural land which oould be opened up, but whioh was now praotically inaccessible. They knew that the West Coast had been very useful to the district of Canterbury by taking a large amount of cattle and agricultural produce, and he felt that they would, with railway carriage, be well able to oompete with watercarriage of agricultural produce, &c. As chairman of the County Council, he should only be too happy to give all the assistance he oould, and he thought that the people on the West Coast would be only too happy too help forward the enterprise. Mr Wicks had on more than one occasion been Mayor of Greymouth, and had also been a member of the Borough Council and Provincial Council.

Mr W. Davie, a gentleman who possessed land of fine quality on the Maruia Biver, gave an account of the country there, particularly as regarded the timber-land and open land, which was entirely isolated owing to the want of communication. The country was also auriferous, and had been prospeoted by numerous parties, but there could be no settlement as there was no communication. The land in that district was the finest in the country, and was not yet sold, being still in the possession of the Government. The settlers, what few there were, grew potatoes only, and there was from twenty to twenty-two tons to the aore.

Mr Wicks said that the whole cost of the flying survey would not exoeed £IOO, whioh he thought they should be able to raise in Canterbury. So far as he was concerned he should be prepared to pay his share of the cost. He thought that the success of Canterbury was involved in making a line to connect the East and West Coasts, and it need not take more than two years to do it. It was all very well for Dunedin to throw dust in their eyes, and try and keep them from carrying out the work. The difficulty had been that the Government had not been able to decide the route, because it was as mnoh as their office was worth to decide any route. Mr Wilkin said he understood that after the information was obtained the company would be floated to oonstruot the railway, obtaining concessions of land from the Government to reooup the cost of the railway. Mr Wioks said he had had some conversation with the Hon. Mr Bonar, who said that he thought the Government and the House would agree to the concession of the land as asked for by the company. In reply to the chairman, Mr Thornton said it was intended only to make a reconnaissance survey of the route, so as to give them an idea of the oountry, of the gradients, and probable oost of the work, this oould be done, as had been said, for a comparatively small cost. The Chairman said the map before the meeting was by Mr Foy, and as a report had been made by Mr Foy, doubtless it would be as well to see that before coming to any decision.

Mr Anderson, Jan., said that there was an assistant in Christchurch who had gone through with Mr Foy over all the oountry. His information would be very desirable if obtained. The Chairman said his firm would be willing to contribute towards the cost, after seeing what Mr Foy said on the subject. Mr Davie pointed out on the map the district on the Maruia river spoken of by him.

Mr Anderson then moved —" That Messrs H. W. Packer, Wilkin, Bethell, Thornton, Wioks, and Beece be appointed as a committee to consider the matter and report to an adjourned meeting to be held on Monday next, at 3 p.m." Mr Reeoe, jun., seconded the motion, whi«h was agreed to. The meeting then adjourned.