THE NELSON AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1470, 21 April 1873, Page 4

THE NELSON AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

[njelson mail] The members of the deputation sent to Wellington by the Inland Communication Committee returned on Friday last and have brought with them news of a -most cheering nature. Had they merely enlisted the sympathies of the Government in the work on which the people of Nelsoii have set their hearts to such an extent as to render it secure from opposition at head-quarters they would have done good service, but when, in addition to this, we --'Sind that they have obtained a promise from the Executive to render active assistance, we may indeed congratulate ourselves: upon the success that has attended their receut visit to the seat of Government. One of the results of that visit has been that the scheme has assumed far larger and more important proportions than were originally contemplated by the Committee to whom it owes its birth. Their idea was merely to fpen up the country lying between here and Greymouth, and to connect Nelson with the West Coast, but it is now suggested by Mr Yogel, who has promised material aid towards carryiug out his proposition, that the railway shall not be merely an isolated line between the capital of the Proyinc and : its western extremities, but that it shall be extended to the boundaries of the Canterbury Province, thus ensuring to the town of Nelson the position which nature seems to have meant her to occupy of the northern terminus of the .great trunk line which at no very distant date will run from, one end of the island to the other. A prospect is thus opened up for our hitherto quiet little town, which, in the outset of the movement that has brought about the proposition no>w before the Committee, was scarcely thought of even bjthpse who were most sanguine <of success. It is scarcely necessary to enlarge upon the advantages that would accrue to Nelson from the carrying out of such a scheme «s that shadowed forth by the Colonial Government, for they must be patent to all ; but we would once more remind those interested in tho matter, ani in that category 1 may be included every resident in the eastern, middle, and western districts of the Province, 'that upon them?eJves depends the ultimate success of, this undertaking. They must be prepared not only to say that they believe in it, but to give practical proof of their confidence ; and the only way in whioh they can do this is by responding freely to the invitation that will shortly be issued to them to take up shares in the Company that will now, we presume, be formed without delay; It will be of no use whatever to go to those outside our borders and ask them to invent their capital ita such an undertaking if we ourselves are shy of entering upon it. That we cannot ih this Province raise the necessary funds is quite clear, but if we subscribe to the fullest extent in our power we shall convince foreign capitalists that those who are best able to form an opinion on the matter have full con 6dence that the -speculation !^i^ilL^§mftQ£ia.tijLe._, J^cpositionin which we are now placod.is a most, serious one, more so perhapi'th^i those who have not bestowed much thought upon the matter may be prepared to allow.' /Afi opportunity is afforded to us that*h%s possibly taken some by surprise, but which, if once allowed to' elude our grasp, may never again be placed within our reach. If Nelson from apathy, obstinacy, or over-cautiousness, refuses now to avail herself of the chance of becoming the termrans of the Middle Island Railway, depend upon it Picton will not be slow in accepting- the .position. The men of Marf borough, vvrhicb, though a small ,- i 8 MdoubtedlyapußhingProvince\ will greedily seize. that which is offered to us, if we ; decKne to< accept iti'.and Nelson will be former Jeft-out in the cold, while thbse who are'tb follow, ua here will never cease to anathematise the timidity and careless-

ness of their predecessors who once hatl it in their power to make the town, the suburbs, and the -Province generally as prosperous as any portion of the Colony. It may be interesting to our readers to know that two Melbourne contractors who happened to be in Wellington simultaneously with the deputation, have displayed considerable interest- in, and a desire to enter upon, this railway scheme. One of them was compelled to start for Australia by the first steamer, but intends returning in about six weeks ; the other purposes travelling at once over the country through which it is proposed to construct the line in company with Mr Dobson, and if a personal inspection of thedistrict^rpveoa^MacJ^y.^a^ v w^have no doubt wifir]|e thejcaie >^e''mi6y/easonably calcula^^ir|Dnjgtl|£3Q-ojer^tioii of the Victorian capmuists whom this gentleman represents.