THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1881. THE WEST COAST RAILWAY SCHEME.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2146, 11 January 1881, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1881. THE WEST COAST RAILWAY SCHEME.

The report of Messrs Thornton and Browne was very favorably received by the meeting held on Friday night, and naturally so. These engineers have discovered a route which presents great comparative facilities for traffic between the East and West Coasts. Former explorers had led us to imagine that the construction of a line over the ranges involved most severe gradients, and all the drawbacks consequent on such an undesirable state of affairs. But Messrs Thornton and Browne have staked their professional reputations that “ a good practicable line of railway suitable for heavy mineral traffic can he constructed, keeping within the maximum gradient of one in fifty throughout. That there shall be no expensive tunnelling, no central rails, and no stationary engines.” All this is news of a most encouraging character, even apart altogether from the present scheme. It has been too much the fashion hitherto to look upon this island as divided into two portions by a mountain range that can only be conquered at a great expense. Any reliable information showing this impression to be groundless is good news indeed. All those who look forward into the future anticipate a day when railway communication over the entire length and breadth of the country will he an established fact, and discoveries that point in the direction of the realization of this dream are very welcome. With regard to the scheme in hand, as is now well known, the promoters propose to take payment for the construction in land, and to hand over the railway, when complete, to he worked by Government. When the deputation interviewed the Premier, the latter pointed out that certain railways formed under the District Railways’ Act were worked by the companies themselves; but the promoters of this scheme then stated that they relied on the fact of the West Coast lino being a main line, to induce the Government to ultimately take the working into their own hands. There can he no doubt that the terms as to construction are most favourable, not only to Canterbury, but to the country at large. Without the contemplated line the land to be handed over would he practically useless, for it is now so isolated that the cost of conveying the produce therefrom to a market would smother all profits. In reality, therefore, the country would have passed over to it a line that cost it less than nothing. Wo say “ less than nothing,” because the population that would settle on those high pasture lands would pay their share of the colonial burdens, and their settlement would be an absolute gain to the community. So far as regards the cost of construction. But as to the working of the railway when completed, other calculations will have to be entered into by the Government. The colony has, at the present moment, on its hands a number of lines that do not, by a very long way, pay working expenses. Take, for instance, the line from Wellington to Foatherston over the ranges. Every year the loss to the Colonial Exchequer in connection with this undertaking is something very considerable. The same may he said of certain lines in the Lake District of Otago. Such linos will not realize working expenses for many a long day, and are a constant drag on the resources of the country. The very raison d’etre of the Public Works scheme is antagonistic to such lines as these. A few enthusiasts may point to a distant future when such railways may pay, and may state that, in the mean time, they help to open out the country. But New Zealand is not in a position to sacrifice itself for posterity. Its needs are at the door, pressing and ever recurring. Unborn generations must look out for themselves. We are not now arguing that the West Coast Railway should ho included in this category. But what we say is that the Government should, and indeed probably will, satisfy itself that there is no danger of its being so included, before they consent to take it over. Supposing the Government to see clearly that there will be for a period of time a deficit on the working expenses, we say boldly that they should not take over the lino unless they consider that the immediate prospective advantages would justify them to strain a point. There is no doubt but that this is the broad and patriotic view to take up on the subject. We, as Canterbury settlers, wish for the railway, and it would be an enormous boon to the province. But above all we are New Zealanders, and we trust that the majority are not so selfish as to wish to injure their country for the benefit of their particular locality. We are not attempting to write down the projected scheme—far from it. But this we wish to urge—that if the Government, after a fair and impartial consideration of what would he the financial effect of taking over the railway, come to tho conclusion that it will not pay thorn, either directly or indirectly, to work it, then that tho promoters will either manfully buckle to and work it themselves, or will at least not blame the Government for their caution in the prosent state of tho colony. Reverting to the meeting on Friday night, it is impossible not to feel amused at the utterance of a gentleman from the other side of tho ranges. Mr. Wickes, by way of helping forward the scheme, candidly told his audience that “ ho stood a ruined man on tho West Coast if communication between that district and Canterbury should not bo established.” Now, we really trust that Mr. Wickes’ affairs are not so bad as ho paints them to be. Many people take an over- '

gloomy view of their own business, while they take an over-sanguine view of public matters. Mr. Morrison, the late millionaire, used to have doled out to him every morning by his steward five shillings to provide for his daily wants, as he was under the impression that he was a pauper. Perhaps Mr. Wickes is one of these depressed gentlemen. But of all queer statements over used by a man favoring a particular scheme, commend us to Mr. Wickes’. For an individual to say that ho would be ruined if he did not get the line is, of course, to deprive his advocacy of all value whatsoever. Most gentlemen keep such little facts in the background. But Mr Wickes is exceedingly ingenuous, and places what he considers to be the truth plainly before the public. He is not diplomatic, for his language is certainly not designed to hide his thoughts. His statement is interesting, hut as an advocate he can hardly be said to ha “ all there.” The West Coast Railway scheme is now fairly before the public and the Government, and wo heartily trust the result may ho a favorable one. That the mineral resources of the other coast are almost unbounded has long ago been placed beyond the shadow of a doubt, and the advantage of our being joined with such a district is very evident. The gist of the matter under consideration lies in the question of the working expenses taken in connection with the immediate prospective advantages to ho obtained by the opening of the railway.