EAST AND WEST COAST BAIL WAT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2679, 7 November 1882, Page 3

EAST AND WEST COAST BAIL WAT.

The delegates from different public bodies in Canterbury appointed, at the invitation of his Worship the Mayor met yesterday afternoon at three o’clock, in the ‘City Council Chambers, to take into consideration “ the advisableness of forming a convention or Railway League for the purpose of pointing out to the Government that it will be more to the interest of Canterbury, Westland, and the colony at large, :that the share of the loan for railway purposes allocated to the colony for a line from Hurunni northwards, should he applied in the construction of a line from Hurunni to the West Coast.’’

Besides the various County Councils, Road Boards, and Municipal Councils in the province, invitations had been issued to the following- bodies : —The Corn Exchange, the Chamber of Commerce, the Working Men’s Political Association,' the Industrial Association, the Agricultural Association, and the Farmers’ Co-operative Association. About sixty gentlemen were present, and the chair was occupied by his Worship the Mayor. The Chairman, in opening the meeting, explained that the City Council had called it together m consequence of several communications they had received from different parts of the province requesting them to co-operate in railway matters, and they had thought that the movement would have more weight if it were supported by representatives from the different public bodies in the colony. As they were aware, a sum of .£IBO,OOO had been voted out of the four million loan towards this line. It was generally considered that the East Coast line, which was favoured by the Government, would not pay working expenses, and would entail a heavy burden upon the country, and that, considering the great resources of the West Coast, and its large population, the money would be more profitably expended and tend more to advance the interests of the districts concerned if it were devoted to a line to the West Coast. It was said by some that none of the lines would pay. He would not enter into that question, but even if the West Coast lino should not pay they would not be unduly drawing upon the revenue of the country, consideringthat all the Canterbury railways returned a profit of over 3 per cent, on the capital expended, and the country could well afford to credit that 3 per cent, against the West Coast lino. They would even then show a better return than the other parts of the colony. Ho thought it was generally understood that Canterbury did not want the loan, but as the Government had. decided to borrow Canterbury should not object to receive the small share that had been allocated to it. They should not only claim their share, but should also endeavour to secure that it should be expended in the most profitable manner, and in a direction most conducive to the interests of the province. To facilitate business a preliminary committee had drawn up resolutions, which would be submitted to the meeting. Mr W. X). Meares, before the first resolution was proposed, would like to make one or two remarks. He would first congratulate his Worship upon the large attendance, which showed what a large amount of interest was taken by the public of Canterbury in this very important undertaking. His object in rising thus early was to correct an impression which he understood existed’as to the position of the delegates. It had been said that anyone who attended the meeting was pledged to the West Coast Railway. The Chamber of Commerce, in appointing himself and Mr Chrystall to attend the meeting on its behalf, appointed them in accordance with the invitation to “ consider the advisableness ” of a certain step. It was not considered that they were to come pledged to support the West Coast line without full inquiry and investigation. ’Hear.] Probably there were not more than iiwo or three gentlemen present who were not of his own opinion, that sooner or later the railway to the West Coast was an absolute necessity; and he was also of opinion that they could not possibly do better than form a Railway League. He was not prepared to say that the league should be estabished for the purpose of carrying a railway to the West Coast, but, if it were formed, its duty should be to consider if a West Coast line were desirable, and, if so, what would be the best route, as to which there was a great diversity of opinion. If a league were formed to work with the Commission appointed by the Government to collect evidence, and to endeavour to get an extension of the powers of the Commission to enable it to decide whether it would be desirable to expend the £IBO,OOO at the present time upon the West Coast line; also to consider where the balance necessary for the construction of the line was to come from, and to consider besides —which was a very important matter—the question of the Otago Central line —if a league were formed for these objects it would be a very good thing. The league should spend a consisiderable sum of money in making inquiries, and he had no doubt that ample funds would be placed at its disposal for the purpose by the Canterbury public. The Mayor was no doubt correct in saying that the Canterbury lines returned a surplus of 3 per cent, over the interest, and a committee of the league, in reporting on the matter at a future time, would be justified in taking that into consideration, as the 3 per cent, should go as a credit against the loss, if any, on the West Coast line. [Hear, hear.] His opinion was that the majority of the Chamber of Commerce were in favor of the construction of the West Coastline as opposed to the East Coast line. They considered that if the £IBO,OOO was to be borrowed and spent it should be expended in such a direction that it would be utilised when the further construction of the line took place. As far as he was personally concerned he disapproved of the four million loan, and agreed with the Mayor that if the people of Christchurch had had an opportunity of expressing an opinion they would have decided adverse to the borrowing. If they resolved to spend this money now there is no doubt they would, in order to utilise what had already been spent have to borrow eight, ten, or perhaps fifteen millions more. He would urge them not to be in too great a_ hurry that afternoon, because if the project was a good one it would bear investigation. The more it was investigated the more its good points would show out; whereas if they endeavored to rush the thing through _ hastily they would only defeat their own aims. Mr A. G. Howland explained how this movement had emanat,ed from certain resolutions forwarded by the Reefton Railway League and considered by the committee of the Industrial Association, who had handed the matter over to the City Council. He moved the first resolution as follows—- “ (a) That this convention form itself into an association, to be called the Railway League, (b) The association to consist of a president, chairman, secretary, and treasurer, and a committee of the gentlemen present, with power to add to their number.” The resolution was seconded by Mr T. Pavitt and carried.

Mr T. Pavitt rose to propose the second resolution, namely—“ That in the opinion of this league the construction of the trunk line via the East Coast to Blenheim would be a Waste of public funds and detrimental to the interest of this province and colony at large.” This question had been so frequently discussed that it was not necessary for him to make any lengthy remarks upon it. Ho did not think there were ten gentlemen in the room -who did not condemn the East Coast line in toto. They were perfectly justified in passing such a resolution as this, as he understood that a survey of the line had been completed, and estimates were now being made as to the cost. Ho was was led to believe from inquiries ho had made that it would take at least two millions of money to complete railway communication between the Waipara and Blenheim. This was such an alarming amount, and the advantages to be derived were so small, that it was not necessary to dwell upon the subject in order to condemn in toto the construction of this Bast Coast line. It had been demonstrated very clearly that the lino could not compete with the water carriage. Steamers brought goods and produce from the port of Kaikoura to Lyttelton for 8s a ton, and the freight was the same to Wellington, and how was it possible that a railway running parallel with the coast could compete with such water carriage ?

Mr Ingram briefly seconded the resolution. , , .

Mr Westenra, before the resolution was put, wished to protest against it. If they were to be of any service they should take into consideration every route that was proposed. [Hoar.] When he came to the convention he was somewhat doubtful as to what its object was, but this resolution was so very plain that he could no longer doubt its meaning. He was not an advocate of any route. Ho desired, and no doubt there were others present who thought with him, that all information should be placed before the convention and that they should come to a decision as to which was the best route after mature consideration. By adopting that course they would place themselves in a much stronger position than if they said at *nce “ We will hear of no other but the West Coast route.” It was a very influential meeting, but if it wished its voice to have any weight at all with the Govern-

ment and the Commissioners it should take good care what it did in this matter. Mr E. G. Wright, M.H.R., was much of the same opinion. He thought it would be unwise to pass a sweeping resolution of this character without more information. Not knowing how far the members attending the meeting might be prepared with resolutions, he had drafted one or two himself that he thought might be perhaps acceptable. He thought the following would be more in accordance with the general wish of the meeting than the resolution which had been proposed—“ That in the opinion of this meeting, it is desirable that the Railway Commission appointed to report on the best route for the extension of the Middle Island trunk lino of railway to Blenheim should be requested to cont sider—first, the relative advantages possessed by the Coast route and the Tophouse route as a means of opening up country capable of supporting the largest population, bringing the largest area of Crown lands into the market, and contributing the largest amount of traffic to the railway ; secondly, the advantages which the Tophouse route may possess over the Coastal route as a means of extending the railway system ultimately to Nelson and the West Coast ; thirdly, whether a railway connecting the agricultural districts on the East Coast with the mining districts on the West Coast of the Middle Island would not be more profitable for the State than the extension of the trunk lino of railway from the Hurunui to Blenheim.” Those resolutions were so worded that few could take exception to them, and their adoption might pave the way to more decided action on the part of the convention. There was no doubt that a large amount of information had been collected, bearing upon these projected lines of railway between Canterbury and Picton, and between Canterbury and the West Coast; but it did hot follow that all were agreed—in fact, few were agreed—as to which was the best route; and if the Kailway League was to be of anyjsubstantial use in promoting the object the members appeared to have at heart —the construction of an East and West Coast railway—they should take the trouble to collate all the evidence that had been obtained on the subject; they should appoint a committee not only to lay information before the Rail-' way Commission, but to supplement the work of that commission by travelling over the several routes, collecting information for themselves, bringing back an intelligible report, and submitting it to an ad j our ned meeting of the convention. [Hear, hear.] The Government, so far as he had ascertained their intentions, were only desirous of extending the line in that direction which would be most beneficial to the colony at large, and in allocating a certain sum for the trunk line from Canterbury to Picton, they had perhaps been guided more by the engineering aspect of the question—that was to say, the mileage to be traversed and the altitude to be passed over —than by the extent of land that would be opened up for. settlement by a line of railway passing by Tophouse or to the West Coast. They probably, like the convention, were not possessed of the fullest information that it was desirable to have, and hence their willingness to refer the matter to a Royal Commission. The .£IBO,OOO which had been allocated was for the extension of the trunk line northwards. That expenditure would be common both to the Tophouse route and to the East and West Coast route. On the map submitted with Mr Tinline’s statistics, the Tophouse route was shown as passing on to the Red Post, and then turning north-west up the valley of the Waiau and Hanmer plains ; and ho took it that the .£IBO,OOO would be absorbed by the construction of the .thirty miles of line from the Hurunui to Hanmer plains. The coastal route had been advocated by the Engineer-in-Chief for the Middle Island, in preference to the inland route ; but he (Mr Wright) was of opinion that the latter would he more conducive to the interests of

the colony ; and if they could secure that the £IBO,OOO should be expended between the Hurunui and Hanmer Plains, they would to that extent have advanced the construction of the East and West Coast line, always supposing that the line from the Hurunui by the Hanmer Plains to Reefton was the best that could be obtained. On that point there was great diversity of opinion. The Hokitika Borough Council thought no other route should be adopted than that by Arthur’s Pass, and many other routes had been suggested. For the reasons stated, he would move as an amendment the resolution he had read. Mr T. S. Weston, M.H.R., seconded the amendment pro forma. Before touching on the resolution or the amendment, he must congratulate his Worship the Mayor upon the position he occupied and the ability with which he maintained that position. His Worship had the honor of presiding over, he supposed, the most influential meeting that had ever been assembled together in the city of Christchurch. [Hear, hear.] The formation of this league was a matter which he thought must appeal to the sympathies of the people at large. The expenditure of such a large sum of money as that voted by the Parliament last session must engage the very serious attention of the community generally. But whether the colony was right in raising further loans was not for them to consider at the present moment. Seeing that the money had been raised, their object should be to see that it was expended to the best possible advantage. His friend Mr Wright and himself worked together to a considerable - extent last session. They had the pleasure of calling the Westland, Canterbury and Nelson members together to devise the best means of securing their share of the Four Million Loan, and Mr Wright and himself and others who helped them arrived at the conclusion that if they could get a sum of

money voted to continue the line from Greymouth to Eeefton on the one side, and to continue the Hurunui line on the East Coast, they would then perhaps quietly obtain the key to the position, and eventually by appointing commissioners and by other means, satisfying the people of the colony that the East and West Coast line ■would be a profitable one secure its completion, either by further votes out of the Four Million Loan; or, having expended the sum now voted, they would out of a further loan which would in all probability be raised by-and-by e,|complete this grand undertaking of the East and West Coast railway. As Mr Wright had pointed out, while entertaining that view they thought that if this .£IBO,OOO could be procured, they could go on with the work on this side for the year, and by the next session of Parliament further evidence would be obtained to say which of the numerous routes should be adopted. That was the position taken up during last session. To have gone to the House for a large sum of money for the East and West Coast line would have been a mistake, seeing that they would not have had the strength to carry their proposal at that time. The public of Canterbury, although having had the scheme before it for two years, had not risen to the occasion. They did not seem to perceive the benefits which, at all events, the promoters of the line thought would be conferred upon the public by the prosecution of the work. Thus the members from Canterbury in the House were unassisted and unsupported. So that the delay was attributed entirely to the Canterbury people, who failed to throw into the proposed scheme the excitement and the enthusiasm which it should have called forth. It was lamentable 5 and it was a mistake perhaps, but it was nevertheless true. The resolution before the meeting was true in itself, but still he went with Mr Westenra and supported MrWright when they said that it would be a little premature for them to come down, he might say, red hot at this their first meeting and, within an hour of their assembling, to condemn absolutely a work which had occupied the attention of the Government for some considerable time. The conclusion they should arrive at was in the direction of the motion, but it would be wiser to appoint a committee to consider the several routes and report, and that report having been approved, they could go to the country with their careful deliberations and expect the country to attach to them a value which they would not give to a hasty resolution carried within an hour of their meeting. Thus he thought that an amendment somewhat in the direction of Mr Wright’s might not be unacceptable. He deprecated, however, placing the entire power in the hands of the Commissioners. [Hear, hear.] He objected to the Commissioners saying to the Government, to the House, or to that meeting, that one route should be adopted and all others condemned. The amendment he did not think was in the least degree open to objection. The last paragraph must necessarily appeal to their feelings. If the Commissioners should report favorably, the Parliament next session, if it should be in a reasonable frame of mind, casting aside all local prejudices and local considerations, must support the East and West Coast line above all others. If the Commissioners disapproved of that line their position would still be as good as it was now, with this addition, that the Government _ would have the result of their labors in collecting data such as Mr Wright suggested, and the Canterbury members would have some support in the House. He, therefore, thought with Mr Wright and Mr Westenra, that it would be better to form a strong committee, composed of the best men they could find in the room, who would take the trouble to collate the necessary data, and

' I then, having formed a mature opinion, I come down to the convention and have a L I further consideration of the matter. 5 [Cheers.] > Mr Cooper supported the resolution. It ; might he sweeping in its character, but it was nevertheless true. Mr M. Dixon opposed the amendment. : The reason why the Canterbury people had 1 not moved in support of the West Coast railway before was because nineteen out of every twenty were opposed to further borrowing. They looked upon the line as beyond the resources of the colony at present, and were satisfied with the sea passage. But when the Parliament of the colony deliberately went into a system of further borrowing—a system that was going to pledge the country continuously to larger loans—then they contended that the most important colonial work that should be undertaken was the East and West Coast railway. The resources of the country would continue to grow in the future as they had done in the past, and people had no idea of their extent. The amendment was only half-hearted. Parliament had voted a considerable sum for an extension of the line south from Blenheim, and progress was actually being made, so_ that they should at once express their - opinion on the subject in the terms of the resolution. Mr Howland supported the resolution. With the information in their possession, they were justified in condemning the East Coast line at once. He .quoted from Mr Tinline’s report comparative figures relative to the central and East Coast routes, which have been already published. When the Government had such information before them it was a wonder that they proposed to spend money on the East Coast line. The information they had was quite enough to take the money that 'was allocated for the East Coast line and put it towards the West Coast line. Mr Reese considered it would be a waste of public money to construct the East Coast railway. Its supporters could not advocate it in a plucky manner, but tried to prove that it would be better to go towards Nelson via Tophouse and all those other routes. His opinion was that the Government were as much opposed to the East Coast railway as that meeting was, but they put it forward with the idea that they (the meeting) would jump at one of the central routes. The people of Canterbury were opposed to borrowing, and they only moved in the matter of the West Coast railway when they found that, having been led to expect that the line would be placed on the schedule of the last loan, and when the money was virtually borrowed for its construction, a change of Ministry took place, and the supporters of that Ministry were present to justify its conduct in robbing Canterbury of its West Coast railway. [Cheers]. Mr Allwright thought it a pity that political feeling should be imported into this discussion, as it had been at a meeting of the Industrial Association on a similar subject. He was sure that Mr Wright did not | come there for one moment to fight for the Government, who were competent to take care of themselves. Mb Wright was as 1 independent a member as any in the House. He thought the resolution was altogether too sweeping. It would be far better for them to feel their way, and to endeavor to induce the Government to allow the commissioners to report on the different routes to the East Coast line as shown on the plan of Mr Tinline. It would be the greatest absurdity imaginable to I take the line round the East Coast, as proposed, but it appeared to be a mania with Governments to take railways along the sea coast. He would suggest that instead of adopting the resolution they should take a milder course. It would be onsiderable time before any money would be expended. Let them hold a meeting after the commission had reported and make their influence felt by compelling their representatives to vote against the East Coast railway. He would support the amendment. Mr E. L. Higgins thought the Commis-

sionera would not be allowed to touch any matters outside their instructions. The position the Government toot up last session with regard to the East Coast line was a very weak one. If they were convinced of the necessity of making it, it was their duty to have carried it out irrespective of the Opposition in the House, but they weakly submitted to the pressure brought to bear upon them. He hoped they would pass the resolution unanimously, and not be carried away by the half-hearted spirit which pervaded the amendment. He would much rather see Mr Wright take up a decided position and condemn the East Coast line outright. [Hear, hear.] But that was a position which the Canterbury members never did take up. Two Canterbury members who had addressed the meeting had harped on the same string, and advocated delay. They had presented themselves to the meeting as mere hangers on of the Government. [Cheers and laughter.] Mr Fisher said they would not be representing the people of Christchurch, who sent them there, if they rejected the resolution, as the East Coast line had been unanimously condemned at every public meeting held in Christchurch and suburbs, and in the rural districts. Mr It. D. Thomas trusted the meeting* would pass the resolution as proposed. He could not see what object could be gained by waiting. If the Eailway League was to have any weight at all it must speak out plainly, and not in a half-hearted way. Could it be said that any public meeting in Canterbury had expressed itself in favor of the East Coast route ? A vast amount of information had been collected as to what could be expected if Canterbury were connected with the West Coast, and if any gentleman now professed ignorance it was his own fault. There was also Mr Tinline’s exhaustive report on the relative merits of the inland and the East Coast lines. If

there was a proposition to connect Akaroa with Christchurch, and there were two alternative routes proposed—one to start from the railway near Labe Ellesmere, and the other to go direct from Christchurch across the hills —would a Commission he required to decide which was the Letter route ? Certainly not. There could be no two opinions as to the advantages of the West Coast line. If there wore any gentlemen present who were opposed to the West Coast railway, and in favor of the East Coast .line, he hoped they would not be elected as officers of the league, but would retire from it. [Hear, hear.]' Mr W. P. Pearson, M.H.R., would not have taken part in the discussion had not political matters been dragged in. The question should not be viewed in a political light, and had not been so regarded in Wellington. As far as he understood, the Government had appointed a Commission to report not only on the East Coast and central routes, but also on the West Coast line. ■ He would support the resolution. He never did believe in the East Coast line, and could not see the utility of constructing it. With regard to the West Coast line, he had never yet advocated its construction out of public funds, but since the colony had resolved to borrow, and money had been placed on the estimates to construct the main trunk line northwards, ho said that that money should go towards ths construction of the northern trunk line, via Reefton. [Hear, hear.] It had been said that the Government had voted money to construct the main line southwards from Picton. They had allocated money for that line, but only to a distance where it would be remunerative as a branch line. The Minister for' Public Works had stated in the House, in reply to one of the Canterbury members, that that vote was not to be considered as carrying out the main trunk East Coast line. Ho would do his best to get the West Coast lino, but he strongly deprecated aspersions being cast on the Canterbury members, and their being charged with having broken their pledges. His conduct was above suspicion. Mr J. Ivess, M.H.R., said that if those members who said they were in favor of the West Coast line had thrown in their weight with the Opposition, there would have been a Government in power who would have been committed to the construction of that line, and-there would have been no necessity for any convention. There was no necessity to collect further information, as ample data was already in existence. There was no use denying the "fact that this was a political question. The Government narrowly escaped defeat upon it last session, and if Mr Wright and Mr Pearson had advocated the same views in Parliament as they had just expressed the Government would not now have been in power. [Cheers.] The key to the position was that members representing Canterbury districts should give their votes only in favour of a Government pledged to support the West Coast lino. It was, perhaps, unsatisfactory that members of the House should take part in the convention, as they should be left entirely free to give their opinions on the question uncontrolled. Mr Weston,. M.H.R., explained that he had worked and slaved for the Coast line, and dreamt of it for the lash two years, and desired to see the East Coast lino put on onq side ; but there was a right and a wrong way of doing things, and he thought that when they came there to deliberate and advise they should not at once arrive at a conclusion but should appoint a committee to obtain evidence and report, so that the matter might receive mature consideration. ■ Mr Wright M.H.R., -said there was no resident in Canterbury more anxious than himself to see the West Coast railway made.

He had advocated it for years past, arid advocated it now. But he thought, with Mr Weston, that there was a right way and a. wrong way of going about the work. It was not hy casting dirt at members whodisagreed with them in politics that they would arrive at the accomplishment of their wishes. The statement that the

work was being jeopardised because the construction of the East Coast line was proceeding was altogether fallacious. The expenditure that was being incurred at the Hurunui end was proceeding in the direction of the West Coast. The line had yet to go several miles further northwards before the features of the country would allow a divergence to the East Coast, so that every penny of this .£IBO,OOO expended in the direction of the Tophouse route was for the good of the West Coast route. They would not accomplish their ends by passing votes of censure upon the Government and stirring up dissension among the members representing Canterbury ; but they must combine and work amicably together. In. regard to the remarks of Mr Ivess, he would ask—Were they able to get this line when the former Government, _ with Mr Macandrew as Minister for Public Works, was in power ? No; they pushed forward the Otago line *With the utmost speed and did nothing for this province. And it was because he desired to avoid the blunders that had been committed in connection with the Otago Central line that he asked the meeting to go to work with a little more care and judgment. He would like something more than rash guesses of the cost of the work to back up their application; and in order to get this before leaving Wellington he, with the member for Sydenham, applied to the Minister for Public Works to have a survey made of the West Coast route, in order that they might have some guide as to the cost of the work, and they had received a promise that it would be done. As a reasonable being he would like to have some data upon which to base the demand upon the Government to stop altogether what a large section of the members of the House regarded as a colonial work, and undertake in its stead what the rest of the colony regard as a local work. Mr Pavitt replied—There was every reason to believe that measures were being taken to construct the East Coast line. The resolution had not been framed in a hurry. After some months’ consideration, the whole of the province had come to the conclusion that the East Coast line was not a desirable undertaking. Mr C. W. Turner asked if the resolution meant that the Government at once, after its passing, put a stop tothe expenditure on the Northern line ; or did it mean" that the expenditure should go on to the point referred to by Mr Wright as common to all the routes ?

Mr Pavitt said the line that was proposed to be made to Blenheim must of necessity turn off at Waipara, almost at right angles from the continuation of the Northern railway. It turned off at Waipara, twenty miles this side of the contemplated railway to the Bedpost. Mr Wright, M.H.E., said the feeling of the meeting was so clear on the subject that he would ask leave to withdraw his amendment.

The amendment was withdrawn, and the resolution put and carried unanimously. Mr Eeese then moved the following resolution : —“ That in view of the large resources on the West Coast, and the steady increasing population, this league is of opinion that the share of the loan allowed towards a trunk line northwards should be applied in the construction of a line from, the Hurunui to the West Coast, and that the Government be requested to cause surveys to be made as early as possible, with a view to ascertain the best route in that direction.” The speaker quoted largely from statistics prepared by the West Coast Trade League, in 1878, and from Mr Poy’s report on the East Coast line.

Mr E. G. "Wright, M.H.E., seconded the. resolution. The traffic that might he expected on the line would he such as to enable it to pay at least as well as the average of the other railways in the colony. At the same time, he did not like to shut his eyes to the fact that the West Coast League “cooked” a return some time ago, and included amongst other items as much timber to be carried over the line at 5s per 100 in one year as Canterbury would, consume in six years. When the railway was reported against by the engineer for the Middle Island, his chief argument was that it could not afford to carry coal in competition with vessels from Greymouth to Lyttelton, which carried it at 15s a ton; but he overlooked the important fact that when the coal was carried to Lyttelton, it had to be distributed, and that the total cost was not represented by the carriage from Greymouth to Lyttelton. He believed, that three-fourths of the coal required for Canterbury would come over the line from. Brunnerton or Beefton, and that the importation of coal from the Australian colonies would practically cease, except to & limited extent south of Timaru. As Mr Eeese had pointed out,_ timber would be obtained from half the distance it now had to traverse coming from Invercargill. Mr Johnston supported the resolution. Mr Button said that he and Mr Scott had been requested to attend the convention on. behalf of the people of Hokitika, but as. they were not delegates in the strict sense of the term, he wished to know if they had. any locus standi. The Chairman thought not, although he would be very glad to receive them as members of the league after the meeting. Mr Button submitted that the people of Hokitika should be heard before a decision was arrived at. They thoroughly endorsed the general principle of the desirability of a West Coast railway, but would not be in favour of the line going North and making a semi-circle when the end could be accomplished by a straight line. He understkjod, however, that the meeting was called by circular, and that only those gentlemen could take part in it who had bdgn invited to do so. * 1, ~ The Chairman said that was so, aljd Mr Button and Mr Scott withdrew. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Howland, the following officers were elected: —President, his Worship the Mayor ; chairman, Mr W. Chrystall; secretary and treasurer, Mr T. B. Craig. On the motion of Mr Weston, seconded by Mr Vincent, it was resolved :—“ That the gentlemen presentrepresenting districta outside of Christchurch shall use their best endeavour to form branch leagues to cooperate in this jnovement.” On the motion of the Mayor, it was resolved —“ That the object of this league shall be to collect all reliable information, and generally to direct its labors to carrying out the spirit of the foregoing resolutions.” . The following gentlemen were appointed a committee: —Messrs E. G. Wright, Vincent, P. ■ Jones, Parsons, T. Bruce, T. Pavitt, A. G. Howland, J. Joyce, Johnston (Eangiora), Higgins, Meares, C. W. Turner, Johnston (Christchurch), T. S. Weston, E. D. Thomas, Peryman, and Heese. On the motion of the Mayor, it was resolved —“ That the necessary expenses incurred by this league shall be defrayed by voluntary, subscription by members of this league and others.” During the meeting the chairman read a telegram from the chairman of the Amuri County Council, stating that the notice had come too late to appoint delegates, but that they would be glad to cooperate against the expenditure of the loan on the East Coast line. A ioint telegram was also received from the Levels Road Board and the Geraldine County Council, saying that if any railway was necessary the West Coast route was preferred. On the motion of Mr Payitt, a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the proceedings terminated.