THE RAILWAY DEVIATION AND LOOP-LINE QUESTIONS.

Kumara Times, Issue 3025, 14 July 1886, Page 2

THE RAILWAY DEVIATION AND LOOP-LINE QUESTIONS.

[xo THE EDITOR.] Sir Permit me to return you my warmest thauks for the fair and impartial manner iu which you have placed before your readers my actions and position regarding the Hokitika-Grey Railway. . The recent agitation in Hokitika iu regard to the East and West Coast Railway was get up for no other purpose than to endeavour to prejudice me in the eyes of my constituents. The result of my actions has been that Government were only too glad to amend the bill, and protect Westland’s auriferous lands beiu<* swallowed up by the syndicate. . . ? On a plan of the East and West Coast and Grey-Hokitika Railways which the Minister of Public Works prepared, I showed Mr Bevan the proposed deviations. He disagreed with the deviation via Stafford and Goldsborough, but agreed to the Chesterfield deviation. He not only told me but he told others that the proposed deviation was reasonable, that Kumara was entitled to it, and that it would greatly tend to make the railway a success. It was only when the deputation waited on the Minister that he altered his mind. Even then his opposition was not positivehad it been so, the Minister of Public Works would never have dared to have inserted the paragraph in the Public Works Statement ordering the survey.

Now Mr Sevan goes with the stream and wires I and Mr Guinness were always opposed to the deviation. Strange Mr Guinness is not even now opposed to the deviation. Now, to remove this insuperable bar. The total tonnage of goods landed at tho port of Hokitika last year was 10,016 tons. The goods landed at Hokitika from Greymouth amounted to 3252 tons, and coal 1457 tons. Goods, per week, 62 tons; coal, per week, 28 tons. For the purposes of my calculations, we next take the passenger traffic. The through traffic I estimate at 100 adnits per week, 50 first-class and 50 second-class. Next we take the railway charges on passengers and goods, as per Gazette of March 15th last, and compare the charges as per the straight or beach line and the charges on the increased length caused by the Chesterfield deviation. The straight line is 25 miles, the line via Kumara 30 miles. The average charge for general merchandise under classes A, B, C, D, is for 25 miles 13s 8d per ton ; for 30 miles 15s 11 d per ton, or a difference per ton of 2s 3d. The charges for coal are, say, from Brunnerton to Hokitika beach, 32 miles, and via Kumara 37 miles : freight for 32 miles, 5s 3d; for 37 miles, 5s lid per ton, or a difference of 8d per ton. In the same Gazette the Minister makes special rates where there is opposition either by land or water carriage of goods; and it would be reasonable to expect in this case there would be opposition, and the Minister might not charge the extra rates although the distance was increased. Laying that on one side and judged solely by the present fixed rates, the extra charges owing to the deviation would be per week as follows ; Allowing for carriage by sea of goods (for as vet there is no law nassed making it

<w jcu piido ao liu ic*w puascu matting 1C penal for any person to transport goods in opposition to the railway) and allowing for Knmara goods being left at Teremakaiflfertotal through goods would not per week, or two-thirds of the inage from Greymouth last year. - r?i'e~'difference payable on that amount of goods would be, per week, £4 10s.. ~ On coals, say 28 tons, an amount equal to last year’s demand would be, per week, 18s Bd. The difference in passenger fares would be, first-class, Is per head; second-class, 8d per head, fifty of each ; total increase per week, £4 3s 4d, or a total under these three heads of £9 12s per week. Now the deviation shortens the distance betweea Hokitika and Kumara by five miles, and would make the distance from Hokitika to Kumara equal with the distance it would be from Greymouth to Kumara. If a branch line was decided on, the cheapest and best route would be the present tram line. By so doing the distance from Kumara to Hokitika would be increased by eight miles at least ; Blake’s Terrace to Teremakau, three miles ; Whitcombe to Kumara, five miles. Taking the lowest estimate, say five miles, and say the goods going to Kumara from Hokitika are as follows : General merchandise, per week, 20 tons : if deviation constructed saving would be 2s 3d per ton ; total saving per week, £2 ss. Fifty first and fifty second class passengers at Is 6d per head respectively • total saving, £3 13s 4d. The total savings under these two heads would be £6 8s 4d per week. The claim to call this a saving cannot be disputed, for the business people at Hokitikaa would have to charge that amount less in the price of their goods to place themselves on an equal footing with the people at Greymouth aud to retain the Kumara trade. As for the saving in passenger rates, Mr Pollock’s own argument fits in, why to get to Kumara should they be forced to go five miles further, when by the deviation they gain five miles ? Thus the loss by the deviation was £9 12s per week; credit by Kumara connection with Hokitika via deviation, £6 8s 4d. The insuperable bar or loss amounts to £3 3s Sd per week or £165 10s per annum. ’ Seeing the deviation must be considered from a Colonial as well as a Kumara stand point, it is only reasonable to expect that the Minister would not levy the extra charges at all. Now we will consider the other contingent risks the people of Hokitika run should the beach line be constructed! There is to be no more loans for two years. It would take twelve months after that, should the branch line be authorised, before it would be completed and in the meantime the position of affairs would be as follows: Hokitika goods and passengers would be lauded at the beach road, one mile from the Teremakau River, distant from Hokitika sixteen miles; thence per ten foot dray road (new) six miles to Kumara; railway freight on goods, 10s per ton ; cartage to Kumara, 15s per ton ; total, £1 5 S per ton. Goods from Greymouth would be lauded at the Teremakau River for 6s per ton, and from thence taken per tram to Kumara for 9s per ton, or even less. Thus there would be a saving of at least 10s per ton in favour of Greymouth. Now so far, I have taken only a narrow or local review of the question. Prom a National stand-point the following facts suggest themselves. To work a branch line, to say nothing of the extra plant required, it would require an extra staff—engine driver, fireman, guard, and extra points-man—costing not less than £ls per week. Every engineer of standing to, and persons who have studied the matter from both a political and economic point of view, invariably decide upon a loop or deviation in preference to branch lines. Then by the deviation Hokitika is brought to within eleven miles of the East and West Coast Railway at Lake Brunner, and, as in the pleasant and prosperous days of yore, Hokitika would be the port of call for the Melbourne steamers. At Kumara there are four sawmills at

work and the deviation goes through the centre of one of the finest forests in the colony, a forest literally studded with red, white, and silver pines. Kumara, Dillman's, Westbrook, and Greenstone, contain a population of nearly 5000 souls, who will be called upon to pay the interest and principal and losses in the working of the line if it goes along the beach. Why or on what reasonable grounds should the railway be constructed so as to make it not pay, when by the deviation it will benefit a large thrifty and intelligent people, and be one of the best paying lines in the colony? The matter as it presents itself to me is of too serious a nature to be lightly treated. The gratification of private spleen or the gain of one or two agencies for consigned goods, should not be allowed to militate against the welfare of the whole of the people of Westland. .In 1879 the people of Hokitika, Stafford, Goldsborough, Kumara, and Greymouth passed resolutions in favour of the deviation. At the meeting in Hokitika three hundred persons were present and the matter was fairly argued out. The resolution then passed has never been by any public meeting revoked, and whilst giving every consideration to the Railway League I cannot, holding the view I do, give preference to the League's resolution. The public have not endorsed it; my constituents disagree with it; and it is against public opinion and public good ; and, though running the risk of the trying ordeal suggested by Mr Jack, I prefer principle to place. If the member for Kumara is to be an Hokitika delegate, the "Irrepressible" is prepared to abdicate.— Yours, (&c, R. J. Seddon. Wellington, July 5, 1886.