THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1332, 5 November 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1872.

It is high time that the public of Greymouth were taking some decided action with regard to the Brunner Railway. The detail plans and working drawings have now been in the hands of the Government for nearly three months. We have during that period received intelligence from Wellington from time to time of railway after railway being contracted for, and have been in daily expectation of seeing the railway to the Coal Mine among the list, and yet up to the present moment -nothing-definite appear* to have been accomplished towards that end. On the contrary, tho latest utterance of the Minister for Public Works in the House appears calculated to cast a damp upon our hopes, inasmuch as in his speech we find it bracketed with the Mount Rochfort line as being intended to be proceeded with as soon as satisfactory arrangements are made for working the mines. If it be really the intention of the Government to defer so important a work on this ground, it is hard to conceive what could induce the entertainment of such an idea ; forj whereas the Mount Rochfort Coal Field and the proposed railway to connect it with Westport have as yet only been examined in the most cursory manner, the Brunner Mine is in f full working order, and the line of railway from thence to the port of Greymouth has been completely Surveyed in all its details. Moreover, the immediate commencement of the Brunner Railway is a matter not only of local, but of colonial importance, for the development of a magnificent coal field^such a coal field as few other countries can boist — has been dwarfed and stifled for years past for the want of it, whilst even in a pounds shillings and pence point of view it ought to have found an early place in Mr Vogel's great scheme of public works, as there can be no question that ,few railways in New Zealand would pay better. Meanwhile, we see that strenuous efforts are being made to divert a portion of the existing coal trade from 1 Greymouth to the Ngakawau, so that, unless a vigorous effort is made, we shall probably fjind ourselves at no distant .date left out in the cold. Whatever arrangements the General Government may think proper to make in respect to working the mine (and there can be no doubt that it should not be left in the hands of the Nelson authorities), there is plenty of time to make them whilst the railway is being constructed. It may be that they have a great treat in store for us, and that we are destined shortly to be agreeably surprised by some prompt and decided action on their part, but it would be well to lose no time in ascertaining the truth of the matter, and if our fears prove to be well-founded, an immediate and sustained effort should be made by the citizens to indu.ee the Government to lose no further time in either arranging with Messrs Brogden for the construction of the line, or calling for tenders from the public.