THE ARNOLD AND AHAURA ROAD. (TO THE EDITOR.)

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1147, 2 April 1872, Page 2

THE ARNOLD AND AHAURA ROAD. (TO THE EDITOR.)

Syr— Everyone : who has travelled from Greymouth to .Reef ton will, I think, admit that the construction of a good dray road from the Arnold to the Ahaura is a work most urgently required to -connect Greymouth with the Reefs, and that such : a work would do an immense amount of good to Greymouth, ReeftoD, Ahaura, and; t the whole, of - the Grey Valley;, The question then arisesj where is the money to come from to construct it? It has been suggested that a scheme might be got up in Greymouth to provide the necessary funds and take payment in land, but a scheme of that kind is not practicable, as, in the. first place, great, delayi must occur in gettingup such a scheme, and, in the next place, the Nelson Land Act provides that land given in payment for public works shall be within two miles of -the works, and as the road will pri^ bably cost LBOOO, there is not sufficient: available land within the prescribed limits^ In thinking the matter over it has occurred to me that it is possible the money might be ! obtained another way,-and-I; therefore throw out the following sug-' gestion for the consideration of those interested in this important work : — The General Government .have, I believe, decided to construct a railway from Greymouth to the Brnnner Coal-mine, which= is estimated by Messrs Blackefct and Hector to cost L 37,000. Since thelast flood it has been founds necessary to make some deviation.; in the line which, will probably, cost at teast another LIOOO. The: Government decided, upon this ex- : pensive description of railway, because it, is intended =to form part of ■ the main- or through -line to Nelson. Now it does not appear that we are. likelyj at apyrate for some time : to come, to get this through^ line, and I therefore, suggest that ; in the. meantime it should not be allowed to interfere with the progress of this district, and that the General Government shouldbe respectfully ; requested to .spend the L 38,000 on^the undermentioned works, instead of on the proposed railway, viz. :-tA cheap line of railway from ( Cobden. to Brunner, sufficient , ; : for the coal trade, including rolling stock £15,000 Stone wharf, Cobden ... : ..." 5,000 Road, Arnold to Ahaura 8,000 Protective works, Greymouth... 10,000 .• : ; : . ; ..-: :••■ - ';•:-: £38,000 I have ascertained from good authority that the line from the" Brunner 'mine to Oobden can be well constructed for the sum abovementioned, and I believe that a cheap line on : the north side would do more good to Greymouth than an expensive line on the south aide, as of course the coal would, be supplied at a much, lower price, the' 1 interest and sinking fund! on LIB,OQO being saved. The. ..shipping! would discharge cargo on the. jGreymouth side as it does" now^ and merely go to Gobdeu wharf to coal. Of course I am aware there are difficulties in the way of carrying out the suggestion ; but if the, Governments of Nelson and Westland agree, to the proposal, and the people generally approve of 1 it, the difficulties may perhaps be overcome, and the General Government induced to sanction the expenditure; v• j . .; Should such be the case, the road from <

the Arnold to the Ahaura might be pro* ceeded with almost immediately, and the importance of its being done without delay cannot be over-estimated. I am, &c., Progress. ,-,.•■ Greymouth, April 2, . 1872^ T ii?: "