The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 894, 12 August 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1879.

The report of Mr Blair, the Engineer-in-Chief for the Middle Island, on the various lines of railway proposed in this island is a most exhaustive one, and embraces not only the distances and grades of the various routes, but also deals minutely with the resources of the country which the contemplated lines would traverse. Mr Blair, in recommending that the utmost facilities should be given for the transport of the West Coast coal and timber to the eastern markets or a shipping port, says:~ Failing to get one line that connects Canturbury with the West Coast and Cook Strait, the next best alternative, is to adopt separate lines between those places. So far as the line to Cook Strait is concerned there is no difficulty in making a selection. The coast route terminating at Picton is undoubtedly, and beyond all comparison, the best There are however,, several points foi consideration befor a similar conclusior can be arrived at with reference to th( West Coast lines. The number fron which a choice has to be made is two—viz, the Arthur's Pass and Hope routes For all pratica! purposes their carryin* capacity and cost may be considere< equal, so is also the area of goo( country accommodated ; the decision therefore, depends entirely on the faci lity provided for transporting the pro ducts of the West Coast to a market If Christchurch alone were the market there would be little to choose betweer the two routes, for the difference ii the distance is only eight miles. Bu in order to give the West Coast coal mining the utmost encouragement it is necessary to extend the market at its command ; this can only be done by shortening the distance of carriage to the populus districts south of Christchurch. The distance from Brunnerton to Rolleston, and all places southwards, is 38 miles shorter by Artkur's Pass route than by the Hope route. If the former route is adopted, he would recommend the construction of a line between the Canterbury Interior railway, at the south side of the Sehvyn, and the Main Trunk line, at the north bank of the Rakaia, which will still further reduce the distance from Brunnertou to the southern districts by 20 miles, or a total of 58 miles. The new line above suggested is all on the plain, and it does not cross any rivers, so its cost will be at the minimum. It will also command a fair amount of local traffic. The West Coast coal can never bear more than fift«en shillings freight to bring it to a.iy place to which there is water-carriage. At the present railway tariff this makes Chriufcthurch the limit. The native coal, thetefore, starts inland on equal teems with the imported article. But if the former can be delivered at Ash burton at Chri-tclmrch prices, it has the advantage of saving 20 miles' carriage. If

the Arthur's Pass route and the junction to Rakaia are adopted, &vd if minerals can be carried over the steep gradients at the present rates, he has no doubt the Greytnouth coal will command the market well down to Timaru. In addition to the other advantages above enumerated, the Arthur's Pass route affordd facilities for giving rail way communication between the Waimakariri and Rakaia water-sheds behind the Porter's Pass range should it be ever required. It also comes nearest to Hokitika and the southern parts of the West Coast. Taken altogether, he is of opinion that the Arthur's Pass route combines the greatest advantages in connecting the East and West Coast by railway. Referring to the traffic on the line Mr Blair states, "The supplies of coal and timber of good quality ou the West Coast are practically inexhaustible; but hitherto they have been little utilised, and we are importing annually between £300,000 and £400,000 worth of these commodities from other countries." Unfortunately, however, after expressing these very strong arguments in favour of the connection of the East and West Coasts by a railway, the Engineer-in-Chief subsequently neutralises the whole effect of his report on this point by adding that " There is little prospect of a direct return from a railway between the East and West Coasts, and that the collateral advantages are not commensurate with the enormous expenditure required." On this question there are two opinions, and it will be for the residents of this Coast in the forthcoming election to obtain the pledge of those seeking their suffrages that the construction of this long-promised line bttween the two coasts shall be one of the questions on which they will support the Ministry in office. With the East and West Coast members unanimous in this matter in the House of Representatives, we have little doubt the concluding remarks in the report of the Engineer-in-Chief will be viewed in a different light.