WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 29, 12 February 1879, Page 2

WEST COAST RAILWAY.

■ :' "■■■ MB^IS^ J^tQi!tQ^t '-t?P'.. ] On Thursday evening last^ a large and in*fliiential meeting was Tield in 'the Foito» Public Hall, regarding th« propMed^ellington Railway. Amongst those-present were a large number of setflersfronrMbto*, Carnarvon, Bull, Sandb^an Ot&ki, besides a considerable attendance^ of Joiton residents. Mr;Sans6n r O(Bcupii^ r tha,ch^ir; •;.- The '..Chairman, in opening the meeting, referred to the^ importance of ' tn^questfbaP to be' diicussed, aayit affected th#j present and future interests' of jajarge district. The duty of urging their claims wat a pre»entb«#, and' if the present opportunity yrero niegfi le.-Jted, the district would be thrown bacjc" many yean. He was' more earnest*: in>thvi" matter, because he felt in a^rbcatubg; jbhwr claims he was doprmng no 6n^ else of their: just rights. The Upper Diu^icfe^wottld,, have a lino to Wellington, wheffi* ifc wWit to Foxton or not, but if 'it Went tv^ataer-: ston a large portion; of^the coniitry #Oufl bV. shut out. The^pfospeotsof the Bulls and9aodon Railways wonli-Deiim^te^yithlßu linfc going to Foxtbn.' and>he thought the. the twordißtritfte mentiorieit^ w*W(pnfitWCfi»; eonsideritioni as t^ey* hmrjßf '[h^ii »nnt but. from the advantages ) of the pubUc, urorlc* •cheme. : .: He had ni). oßjectrqn ; to (i#fe';3stlki mewton line being called 'the, main line, . all they 'wanted was a line.^-If they madeith*San'don line, Government »p«)m^ed: to wort it^-'jand he was quite "oSntent to" leave th* ; trayelling'pubUc; to choose J>o^een r .th««|^ ,j routes; JPeopte naturally w ouU\j|Qj{)jthe, shorter. The Upper District toinwpps i were Mike -tlie. Btawi^rbWe^n^nert^^ . wished to rpß" thSJ " weaker' onw o^^» food. First they; a^fedtfeevtrartijriy *as got it ; then A.raiiWayyfo^o^fdiV.J^ tfcmt oth'er districts were-;'to:receiv^;smula» fa-^ vor3, they came f or wairH -'^seiJw^fEat Be-" longeii Jib. others. T^o^wHfl4mja^cmo«t noiaV'ftttracteil' jn-patept attention^ ana: were th^firat to obf vrt w>iat^ey» Beeded. Palmerston had done ' tfJaV. .He .hoped th«present agitatibn^toi tering. fte,line»tovJ'oatton would be unwe^ful. . The thoftush. union amon^t tbe ne^tler* w*» most gratifying. For By«|»ar3 theyAadbeett sting? : plingfor their Sandon line, ■■■and' they' inewt. to have it. They started: bj: therßßrivea,. then Fbxton nnited with t-Veni; and- : niw Loww and Middle Kaogi(3V«i iraw^jlsoo with them. .Thev mn** coi^ttftr^flgnfe' vshbuVder to shbuWer, as the^ «ie|Mlfctßfgeti not onVrtfwKne ftot* «*r^«-' '■toti;;hrit a^b to io^;i;^«^c?*li4-^<>J*» %ii^ (ipplasad^ ' ■ „ ■:>:'■>

■ -Colpnel Gorton of Bulls^rotta to move the; Brat resolrition :— "The settles of the dis^l tricts of Foxtail and Otoki.do at. this, xrieottm* e'ira&'tly urge upon the Governmentthai; - fchepropoded lino 'of railway from Wei- ■ lington to the -West Cpait should connect with the .p«raentr*ilw.-iy at Foxton. as being of enormous advantage to the Otaki settle^, l as affording an easy access to an excellent : pnrt, and. placing the "agricUltaral districts v of Garn»tTon;aridgan<jQn withixi aie^-milcs of all th« country south of -the Manawatu, and would, on the completion of the district railway between Carnarvon Junction -and Gredfcford* make thirline" 1 the -real "direct route to Wanganui and the districts north Of it;" He said it gave ; him*- very, great pleaaure.to take part in the present "mbvex&eit, in which he considered every inhabi* tint; was", Tjtally inberejted. He.^eld that tlifc 'Government had no mfentlpn^hien the Railways Construction Bill was before Parliament, of the. line going anywTiere'.but to Foxtonv To a>k, people! to /tra'veT r &2 : miles further than absolutely necessary.,'^waXunreasonable.? £ Yet that .distance; would be saved by the line via JToxtpn' and. Bulls instead of Tia-Eitzhefberfe, CbSipanie3 were formed already tq> make the Sandoa and Bull* Unjßs^jio^ .thaLthe -Government only • needed to make.B in,, order, to, save persona . travelling 22.: Directly the, sjißrlines were' mad« the G/pyejrnment, would •Jainthem'and wa the^4ihorw?t route f pi ■ thrfttUrtugu'traflic. Seven Ministers- pbsse'd, of.. common ."Berne could not Dosaibly .select (He longer . route. Looking atTffie'countoj, the advantage. was largely in favour of the s^uth rpute. : Going along that you. 'saw forms, .and homesteads the.whoWjwaj;; along, the other-, heavy bush. . CphKPc*— -And swamp's.— Laughter.) Pas•inp^Jong agricultural ; country *rbtu% be ilie b«t possible advertia^aieni to travellers. If o doubt sonic pithe^^ •ton route was'good, but in'tho Horewheuua they could place again3t it, 100,000 of splendidly timbered^ land. ; This .would re<(wre in" outlet, anl'its'^i^ural port was Foktoh. TjiiifCanterbuJyiPrqvince was quite destitute of tfmber, arid if the South "Aranawatu had a port.a few,mile3 away, at Fox-; tont that Prptitfee would gladly take all the timber that 00,'uld be cut, as they' were at preMnt deriving their supplies from Hokitik*. The^JPoxton Une.' >fjjuld. promote an interchange of goods, such as could not be by thie otber^oute. -They had the grain at one end, andtiinbor at the other. Looking at the^estion' entirety from a colonial point of view he was convinced the. Government would not be influenced in their decision bj one, township ,or district, but would do what^^rb«st for ; the Vhplefibutitry^ The WMtertoarriage from Foxton presented adrantages of which; the (Joveninent . were sure to avkil thems§ives. . t ,Timaru and Oainaru were examples ot the rapid progress that re•ult«d f toti^. intproTfld'siiipping accommodation. Wafer :-}H>we'r;*wa»»' inr; cheaper tlian rail for a diitance^of ;6iO qrioo itiiles, and it would be absorJ^tp wild- goods by rail to ■Wellington' for' shipment, 'whilst. Foxiqn wm conveuient.' K was.' only 'a few' weeks before'tKiit^W tiemtnV aware of any attempt basing mudn to take! the Hue to-Palnieritdn, and he cohsiderud ' they werb" every one bound to support, the Hue to Foxton, and .through Siiidon to Grea'tford. , The Ghairmin re/errins; to Colonel Gprtoh> remark, at to' the act ipri of Parliti merit, reminded the. meeting that in the Upper House the Hon. Mr. Buckley attempted to hare Palmerston substituted fdr Foxton, but wa* unsuccessful. . . . • ." Mr. Go wer seconded the He had used every effort to promote the present movement, and obtain the junction for Foxton, because* they had a good cause. Th«>y were doing no wrong tofche' JTorthern" end of th« 'district, and only bare justice to themselves. , He was surprised,' after the •neers throwh'oiit at the Paliherston ! "meeting orer the :abwiiee of Foxton. men,^th(it riot a^iSngle 4 represwhtatiFe of the Upper District wair-jM^ientf" '' Palmeistpn; was' en ; tirely in the minority so' fur as interest was concerued. ,If the opinion of the whole country, from-Xew Plymouth to Otaki, were taken,-; the vole would be largely in" favor of Poxton on general and colonial grounds ; very little was required to ehow that the Foxr on junction would best promote^ the welfare and development of thi* county;^ The : trower District had been charged, witti, Huttbh-holincf and wire-pul-iing: bu'tfMr, Knowles' letter stating Par* liament haft the route was written on •Tanuarj^and eight days after that a aecond, letter ■ was written, saying the Governm'entv wo^ldT have another survey ' made. That wajl tb« Jesuit of Mr. Hutcombe's button-holing In Wellington, and he was the onhr,fentl^in>h t6 wfioni the charge of wire-puliing, could be laid. ..8.6 ;"' gave.. Mr. Haloomb* eredh for Ins earnestness. No private* efrort* whaerer ha^.beert. made on it had been'said Foxton would' be hurt by having three 1 lines of railway instead of one. Out upon such •tu£E|. No instance was on record pftltat having been done, and he was willing to btryined at pne^; if three lines of railway, would do it. They had acted justly and equitahly,,and were quite, eontenttifo^M-thi Goverhmeth aivd the sur▼•jonf to settle the .question, Jbut when it had' biwn decided "against Palmerst on the, wire-pulling , begani- . The efforts of their' opponent* rendered action necessary. What position the upper district hope to hold, he ask«d|^without its railway ?^., A Terypoprißife".^ ;^t they were jrjing to prev^ v«nt hsving one, for the Wellington' line to Foiton would give a great impulse te t^i.e 9#ttf|ok railway. . Even with 'the." lin». the Major of Pftlmeraton had to- drag in; ■pme very questionable houses tip get tho re- ' qui^itei^umbjarto^ be proclaimed a Borough. Tbi»Chfiii|ln*n:*«id He could not agree wtth M£Qovfr h that Mr. Halcombe w&s right in the nirTidn he was taking to gain the juncHo'a fpftlie Upper District ; for if it went there, it would do them no good, and'tlia 'tiowir Districts great harm. Some months aco.-when ilic Hon. Robert Campfc«^jpUr«,**jd;iheinj regarding'-the^ Snndon riilwly, , Atr. Halcombe had said to him (Mr. Banson), \'l I. am glad to see you will now hiwrejour line, and it. must become the main line, bat that eannot take ours away." Now, h» found Mr. Halpombe leading the oppositioll,7|l^) Remould not .reconoile his ftatements tokiaiMlf ; with his subsequent action. "*"■_■;■.'' ; ■■ : . J ... " :"■■'■■.-.'.: Mr. Thyne. said when down in Otaki recently, htf-baiTbroujict the matter under the notice of i the leading residents; and had a l«tfce^f^TjOto»th# Horowhenua representative eipr^«njf Jt»'«i«ipat^y-with r ; r the- objeat of meeting., ' Although upon political questions there'; had.'jSteritly^ been differences of opinion, h*- was. pleased to notice the. uni animity og action, and, would, do hia best as Foxtoni m^i^^^a^the line for tliia district: That day hf .ha^fene into 'the, question of acreage, lala^'j^^^i^ ritia^ the " pdih.t of divergehc*l up t(k ? fto|%vitih: boundary of Pi^herfttt*; ihere^^ril^^OOO^acrej aK fogcthor.whilHt th«Fi^h?r^rt block itself «n^ qontainsl6',ooo ; acr«B,^^ nearly al^sold: Hchad heard there was some^ fine land o^eif the'TmrigOfo but that could not be counted. Ealmewton had only now been seized with a fanatic oe3ire to do Fitzherbert ju^tice^ The Hjgh'wny* Board have n&ver spont a penny in that- 'blocir.- Much of the Fitzherb»|r*!;w»«i kkowti By him, as' he. h,ad lived a wQokv in the district, and the la^d in the ci&ul'Qg, oj toWn,li£ip''ivas-«fcWie poerest clay; Wclßngel, who lived tue?e r told" fihith^hftd to ploughjihrce; times before, the. seed w,ould grqw. :ThVthnbar tmde with' Fbxtoiii and the Wppw District fop shipment had^^ fidlon WylTi; hifiivwe the dfcßodd. . -fo^ h^jjß;^ '<&&? ::. ■•Iv;--. ■ - - ■'■■

sumption, at Wanganui was greater than the ■supply.-' ;The millers had raised "the price 2s per httndred, and he had a circular dated February 1, informing Tiim of a- future rise of : Is. Whilst they cbuid ? command that price for Wanganui they" would not be likely to send the timber away futher to a' market. Tho quesion railway versus water carriage could nbfrbe" considered as between Palmerston and Wanganui:' No one would be so" if bblisU'as to send- to Foxton; for ship;-ment-to Wanganui; ' Horowhenua needed connection -with Foxton as an outlet for its timber.; The acreages given by him were correct, unless they included the tops of hills. An' expedition was about to start from Palmerstpn. 'but he. w.as prepared' to accept the dodisfon of twb of the Government's ablest engineers, in preference to that of Messrs. Halcoinbej'Snelson, and Dalrymple. .Mr^-Loudon then briefly addresssd the meeting, ! ' The resolution wes put and carried. ; Mr. Gower movrd the following resolution, "That in the opinion of' this meeting it is exceedingly desireable that the works 0? .forming the Wellington tthe should be commenced at the northern end, as there would ;be after a few miles' of formation had been made, a large extent of land opened up, jrhich 'would speedily return a revenue to the line whereas waiting until the line was formed throughput a length of time would elapse^ and a large expenditure would be incurred, .which the country produce a suffi-. cien£ traffic to made the same return." He' referred to the. timber resources of the country to be tapped ; and represented that wben_ a commencement was once made; either at Foxton or at Palmeraton further agitation would be at an end. • Mr; Davis seconded the resolution, which w&sciimed. '■' ■■ ' ■' -■■■■■■'" : _ "Upon the| motion of Mr. Fagari, of Bulls, seconded by Mr. Gray, if was resolved to forward the resolutions, accompnaied by a report of the proceedings, to the Minister of Public Works. ' . The customary votes of thanks concluded the meeting, before the close ,pf which over £10 was collected to pay incidental expenses.