RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2711, 15 December 1882, Page 3

RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The following letter has been forwarded to us for publication. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Christchurch, 14th December, 1882. Sir, —By direction of the committee, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of yesterday, in which you are good enough to inform me that, if the present Commission does not deal fully with the question of the West Coast Railway, another Commission will be appointed to consider the various routes, so that full information may be laid before next session of Parliament. The committee is pleased to learn that the Government has now decided to have the matter of a railway to connect the Bast and "West Coasts reported upon; but in view of the fact that the present Commismissioners did not apparently, in the course of their late travels and investigations, collect any information or evidence, specially with a view to reporting on a railway to connect Canterbury with the West Coast, the committee is of opinion that the Commissioners could hardly be expected to be possessed of sufficient data and information to enable them to do full justice to the question. The committee has therefore desired me to place before you the following resolution, which it unanimously adopted at a meeting held yesterday:— " That this meeting, having considered the telegram from the Colonial Secretary, dated to-day, is of opinion that as the Commission had virtually completed their investigations before the Government decided to have a railway to connect the East and West Coast reported upon, and as the Commissioners did not apparently make special investigation with a view to reporting on a line from Canterbury to the West Coast, it is advisable that the Railway Commissioners or other gentlemen whom the Government may appoint should collect special information and make special investigation with respect to the commercial and other merits of the various projected routes between Canterbury and the West Coast, and also with respect to the mineral and other resources of the districts proposed to be traversed, so that the report now promised by the Government may be as full and complete as possible, and laid before Parliament in accordance with the promise of the Colonial Secretary contained in the said telegram/' The committee would desire to urge upon the Government the advisableness of adopting the views set forth in this resolution ; and the committee trusts that the Government will decide to instruct either the present Commissioners or a new Com- | mission to collect in the meantime the special information, and make the special investigation referred to with regard to the various proposed routes to the West Coast. . . For the purpose of showing that it was not the intention of the present Commismissioners to report on a line to connect Canterbury with the West Coast, I beg to enclose a report of the reply of the Hon. Dr. Pollen to a deputation from the committee of the League. I also beg to enclose for the information of the Government a copy of a report prepared by this committee, and handed to the Railway Commissioners. This report, it will be observed, embodies an estimate of traffic receipts from a railway that would connect Canterbury with the "West Coast, and also expresses the views of this League, and, it is believed, of the great majority of the people of Canterbury, relative to the merits of such a railway as compared with those of an extension of the Middle Island trunk northwards. . ' As stated in the report referred to, this League has concluded that a railway to connect Canterbury with the West Coast should take precedence of any extension of the Middle Island trunk line northwards, merely for the purpose of connecting the two ends of the colony. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, W. Chbtbtall, Chairman.