THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1877.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 422, 10 May 1877, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1877.

The proposal to connect Central Otago with Oauiaru by direct railway communication is cordially supported by the people of Oam aru. The ' North Otago Times,' while supporting our views', has brought to bear upon them the full weight of its owd ' influence. The Mayor of Oarnaru has, we learn, commenced a co-operative movement with the Mayor of ISTaseby, in order to bring public opinion to bear upon the project. It is proposed to hold meetings at each place on or about the 15th insc. The.immense advantages, local and general, of connecting the Plains with" a substantial sea-port, and a sea-port town with the Plains, are patent to everyone.

The favorite line on this side of the Kahanuis, if a choice were open, is that by ytrathtaieri and Outram. Quite lately we learn that two Engineers of repute have given an unofficial opinion from cursory inspection that the rise of the plain round Hyde is too much to justify \erj high hopes of a practicable gradient being obtainable. This could easily be set at rest by careful reconnaisance. There can be no doubt that the Strathtaieri itself would justify and pay for a line from Outram to Mosgiel carried as far up the plain as the levels would admit of. This grand plain in itself would far more than justify such a line.

The successful construction of a line into Maniotcto within the next two years would perhaps be the beat incentive to the projection and speedy completion of a line from Outram. At : present the residents of lower Taieri and the merchants of Dunedin seem to be quite unaware of the riches laying dormant almost at their very doors, It would perhaps be premature to discuss the ways and means by which a successful construction of the Pass Railway could be brought about. These will be fully discussed at the public meetings to be held at Oamaru and Maseby, and by the. working Committees we hope those meetings will appoint. TVe know of no proposed step of public advancement which has ever occurred in our young history of equal importance in its bearings upon the future of the Interior Goldfields and Oamaru.