DUNEDIN V. PORT CHALMERS

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 234, 29 August 1873, Page 3

DUNEDIN V. PORT CHALMERS

Referring to the public meeting held in Dunediu, to decide on the route for the Moeraki Kailwayy the ' Star,' in a leading article, says : " However,' the fact was made-plain that the object of the meeting was altogether different. It was whether the harbor should or should not be deepened, so as to make Dunedin, instead of Port Chalmers, the shipping port. This is altogether another affair. It leally has nothing to do with the best line of. .railway. Which way so T ever the line of railway may be brought in from Moeraki, the harbor may ;-«be deepened. 'There is no occasion-to spend an extra sixty thousand pounds to secure that advantage. . .It would be doubling the cost to the Province. In fact, it is just as much the interest of Dunedin to have the cheapest, shortest, and best route if it is made the shipping port, as it is should Port Chalmers remain the port of Dunedin. Assuming the route by Black Jack's. Point to be the best, let it be made—if that by Deborah Bay, by all means, join the Port Chalmers line there. The Port will then, like Geelong, puly be a passing station. The whole proceedings, remind one of the wise man of Thessaly, which, for the edification of our. readers, we will relate; — > t There was a man of Thessaly, And he was wondrous wise; He jumped into a quick-set hedge And scratched out both his eyes. And when he saw his eyes were out» ! With all his might and main He jumped into another hedge To scratch them in again. Like this wise man,, we Dunedin people were hot for the construction of a railway to the Port, which was to da marvels for us, We got one at a cost of £170,000,;. and' now find that its effect is to make the Port at the. expense of Dunedin. We scratched our eyes out. We now* propose to scratch them in again by spending much more money than is necessary—even to the extent of doubling the cost of our harbor works —to scratch out the-eyes of the Port, A very wise proceeding to chuckle over ! And' this is what tha ' Daily Times' calls benefiting T)un©» din..' Wise .'Tiriies !'"