The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1878.

Kumara Times, Issue 613, 14 September 1878, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1878.

The passing of a resolution in the County Council on Thursday lust, relative to the route of the proposed railway line between Grey mouth and Hokitika, has evidently excited the wrathful though unjust indignation of our morning contemporary the West Coast Times. In its leading columns of yesterday’s issue it hurls forth denunciatiana both loud and deep against those unfortunate members who, having the interest of the district at heart, and looking at the question in all its bearings, passed this resolution. In the remarks our contemporary has made anent this subject there are several to

/which we must take exception, as they ,have doubtless been written in the heat of the moment and without due consideration. As to the aetual majority of the members being against the resolution and it being passed by a mere fluke in the absence of the chairman, that is simply “ bunkum,” as our contemporary, like ourselves, cannot possibly vouch on which side an absent member’s vote would have been recorded. . Then again we are .informed .that 5‘ if this resolution be acted on, it bids fair to destroy all prospects of ! the Hokitika and Greymouth' railway not only for one year but for years to come.” On this point we can assure our contemporary that the alarm he needlessly endeavours to create is groundless, an the survey alluded to in the resolution is simply required from the southern side of the Teremakau river to Stafford Town, where the old line would again be taken up. This is a matter which, in competent hands, could be done in a few weeks. Wo quite agree with the statement that the best engineering skill has been expended on the beach line, and had this goldfield not been a dense uninhabited forest at that time, there is every probability that the same skill would have been utilized in a different direction, and with far more beneficial results. Our contemporary says, “Is it at all likely that the public of Greymouth, Hokitika, and of other places that would be benefited by this line will stand by and see the majority of the County Council decide on their Interests 1” We apprehend in this instance they will, and also accord them their hearty support in any action they may take having for its object the benefit of the residents of this Coast generally. We must admit we fail to see the other places alluded to which the beach line is to benefit; probably they are similar to the 85,000 acres of Crown lands which it is to affect—in the distance—by passing as far as practicable away from them. For the information that our claims as “ one of the centres of population are entitled to early consideration ” we feel indebted, but we opine our contemporary must have a very vague notion of the estimated cost of these branch lines, which he appears to be under the misapprehension of considering are embodied in the scheme already sanctioned. And, to quote the concluding words of our contemporary’s remarks, “ if the majority of the Council do their duty, and the people speak out unmistakably,” we have little doubt as to the opinion that (vould be expressed by the majority, and that is, in connecting Greymouth and Hokitika by railway, it is of paramount importance that the line should puss through, where possible, the centres of population, and thereby benefit not only the inhabitants of those towns and the business people of the terminal ones, but by so doing prove remunerative to the Government.

At the public meeting to be held this evening to consider this question, we trust that the subject will be fairly and impartially discussed, and that not only will the representatives of Kumnra, Goldsboroutfh, and Stafford Town be present, but that they will realize the indirect—if not direct—benefits that will accrue to the district through the railway line being carried out as proposed in the resolution 'parsed in the County Council on Thursday last.