THE SANDON RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 65, 10 April 1879, Page 2

THE SANDON RAILWAY.

The success which has attended the floating of the Sandon Hailway Company is most gratifying. Of the wholo 6,000 shares, about 3,500 have already been subscribed for, being equal to £17,500 Avorth. We believe at leasi another thousand will be subscribed for iv the Sundon and Foxtou district?, leaving about 1,500 shares to bo allotted 10 Upper Manawatu, and Wellington. We trust that in the canvass for shareholders, no petty feelings of local jealousy will bo allowed to preponderate. We write this, because we have so far heard nothing of any intention to canvass the Upper District. If it is intended not to do so, we shall regret it. Such a course would simply embitter one part of the County against the other, and would tend to perpetuate existing differences. Upon the matter of the Wellington Railway, the Upper District is certainly opposed to both Foxton and Sandon ; but their representatives and organ have at all times expressed themselves favorable to the Sandon line, and wished it success. Accepting these assurances in the spirit in which we believe they were given, we think it is more than probable that the remaining 1,500 shares would be readily subscribed for in Palraerston and Feilding. If this were done, and the whole of the shares taken up in the County, that fact would literally redound to the credit of the whole district. Other advantages would besides accrue, as local shaieholders would bo far more likely to promote traffic on the line, and being grist to- the Company's mill, than those resident in Wellington. Regarding the junction of the Wellington line, we have spoken out plainly on behalf of the Southern district. Ac the same time, we deprecate most strongly any course of action likely to create a chronic stato of warfare between the two ends of the County. Nothing will do this so readily as a distrustful and suspicious spirit. Confidence begets esteem, and a free, open-handed ap» peal to the Upper District would, we trust, prove that our fellow-settlers there, realize the good the railway has conferred upon Jthein, and are willing to assist {Sandon and Carnarvon to obtain the same advantages. If the sequel did not justify this opinion, we are mistaken in ouv estimate of the Upper District. We would urge upon tho whole of the residents of Foxton, Sandon, and Carnarvon, the duty of assisting the Company as far as possible by taking up shares. Every ten will be au assistance, and it is especially desirable that a large number of shares should be subscribed for in the dis<. tricts interested. The whole value of each share certainly is £5, but only one-fifth is to be called up in 12 months, no further call being made for 15 years. Virtually, therefore, only £ I will be paid up. It will be, in codsequence, easy for niue out of every ten persons resident in these districts to take up a few shares. The payment will bo as follows : — For 10 shares, the sum of £2 10s will be paid on application ; three months afterwards, say, when the allotment is made, another £2 10s will be due ; a similar amount will be called up at intervals of three and six months. Thus any person taking up 10 shares will need to pay the small sum of about 3s 9d per week for a year. Those who are interested, and who will derive the advantages of the railway in the increased value of land, &c-, should certainly come forward to assist in this matter by taking up shares Mr Oower spoke at the Sandon meeting of "half-hearted, recreant cowards," who said the railway would not pay. His expression might be intensified

tenfold to express tlio meanness of men \vho are only too willing to reap the advantages of the San lon Railway, but aro too misjrly t) invest a few pounds to assist the Gjnxpany in its construction..