THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 19, 1882. THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2531, 19 May 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 19, 1882. THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

The people of Otago are evidently of opinion that the present is a golden opportunity for enforcing their pet scheme of a central railway. The Parliament is a now one, and the strength of iho rival parties has not yet been fixed. Everything, indeed, is in a state of flax, and consequently if a number of members are united on one particular platform, it should be, think the Otagonians, a fine chance for them to enforce their will. Besides there is a prospect of a new loan, and what better object can members have than to divert a portion of the golden stream to fructify their own district*. Consequently the Central Railway has of lato become one of the great cries of the Press there, and it will bo seen by to-day’s telegrams that the Committee of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce have approved of a resolution, to bo submitted to a general meeting of the Chamber, to the effect that This meeting approve of the resolution passed by the committee at a meeting held on the Sth instant for the promotion of the Otago Central, and would respect-

fully urge the Government to give effect to the course of proceeding therein recommended.” The reasoning brought to 'boar on the question is peculiar. '-For instance, one of the Dunedin morning papers affirms that “ the position of the railway is not at all the same as that of the Wellington-Foxton lino in point of public importance, nor is it in any degree similar to that of the Canterbury-West Coast line, which has been condemned as a commercial undertaking by the Government engineers and by Commissioners specially appointed by the promoters themselves,” Why it should be in a different position is not at all apparent, nor are any valid reasons given for the assertion. If it is true that the ‘‘Otago Central would serve a very considerable mining and agricultural population already settled along its route, and would open np land enough for sale to pay nearly the half of its cost,” it is difficult to see why speculators have fought so shy of it, and have not taken advantage of the very liberal terms offered by the “ Railway Construction and Land Act.” If the line is to bo remunerative within any reasonable time, surely capitalists would by this have been found to make it. The Otago people, of course, build their demands on the report of the Commissioners aj>pointed in the autumn of last year by the County Councils of Manietoto, "Vincent, and Taieri. They dwell with special pleasure on the evidence of the various settlers examined by that Commission on the fertility of the soil, &c. The report of the Government Railway Commission is conveniently ignored or declared to be one-sided. The Dunedin people are anxiously blind to the fact that there is infinitely more reason why the Commission appointed by the Coun f y Councils should be biassed. The Otago Central cannot be looked upon as a main line in the true sense of the term. It opens np a particular district, and that is all. The Canterbury West Coast line would certainly have far greater claims to be considered as a main lino, because it connects the two sides of the island. It is for such lines as the Otago Central that the “Railway Construction and Land Act ” was specially passed. But none are so difficult to convince as those who are wilfully blind. The most conclusive arguments would be wasted on the thick and thin supporters of the Otago Central. It can only bo trusted that the condition of parties in the House will not give them too much power. We have had enough of political railways, and do not wish to see another added to the list.