TERMINUS OF THE RAILWAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 152, 25 June 1873, Page 2

TERMINUS OF THE RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE NELBON EVENING MAII,. Sir — I do not attend public meetings as a rule, *for I find that if A has ...the gift 7 'of the gab, and is a fluent speaker, and he points out to his auditors that the matter is white, 'he. is unanimously applauded; also, if B is equally as eloquent as'^his brother A, the only difference being that he swears _^the thing is black, he is equally applauded. I cannot look upon that as an expression * of ; public opinion-- nor do* t think it fair on a subject that is to be discussed on its merits, that a one-sided view should be ready cut and dried, as on the occasion of last night's meeting, when the first resolution put is thafc the railway should go round by the rocks, which as a matter of course, is taken for /granted to be carried unanimously ; for the second resolution considers the matter settled) and doesn't care a straw about the cost; and the third is the deputation, which no doubt is already -cut; and dried by those in favor of the line by the rocks. Now, Sir, would it not have been better to have called a meeting to discuss the merits of

the two lines, 'instead of having a onesided set , of! resolutions placed before a very docile public; I am not a good; speaker, and 1.7 can express my opinions better with my pen than with my tongue* therefore, if you will kindly allow me, I will endeavor to point out. without statistics tbe pros and cons of the two lines in discussion. First of all, to prevent any misunderstanding,; I don't own an; inch of ground oh either line; and, in the next place, I take it for granted that no matter which line is„ chosen, there will be a connecting link betweenthe town and the port (we must not lay the flattering unction to ourselves that this is to be the northern terminus of the Middle Island, for a good many of us wili live to see it extended via Wakapuaka, Happy Valley, Rai Valley, Pelorus Valley. Havelock, Kaituna, Renwick Town, and Blenheim to Picton, thus openiag up a lot of rich agricultural, timber and flax country),' But to return. The pro for the Rockß line is, that it is the most direct with the back country. Con ; That it is about one-third more expensive ; that there is scarcely any available laud in its course; that the extra expense of building a sea wall from where the present road would join the extended line of rail is all unnecessary, and last,. but not least, the very great expense that must be incurred to fill up sufficient of the harbor to reclaim sufficient ground for building the necessary sheds, such, as terminus, steam engine, •fee, &c., three-fourths of which would be saved by having the terminus in town, whero there is plenty ; of room for adjuncts to a terminus.' As a proof of my last assertion, let any body go down to tbe port when it is at all - busy, and see for themselves how the place is blocked by carriages," drays, carts, and wagons of all descriptions, sorts and sizes; ; if it is so ii ov, what would it he as a terminus. Now, -let us take the Jenkins' Hill and Toi-toi Valley Hue. Con : That it is not direct to the port. Pro : That it passes through a country available for agriculture, horticulture, and building plots to a large extent, ahd we all know how soon land adjacent to railroads is picked up. The first two or three stations should bo at short distances, say at 1, l£, or 2 miles, so as to secure as much passenger traffic as possible in addition to the market produce, Tall; of which is lost by the Rocks line. That there is any amount of available room for sheds of alldescriptions without the expense of reclaiming the land.* That railways create traffic for themselves (wherever practicable) is beyond a doubt, but that a long tunnel or round by precipitous rocks it cannot be. And last, but not least, about one-third the expense;" I beg to call attention that this line from the Port to town is left out as being common to both lines, I would suggest tbat the' terminus should be, as I believe, at . present proposed, in the neighborhood of Messrs Twist and Gay's stables. The value of the land that would be reclaimed by tbe causeway necessary to be carried from the terminus to the Port would be something that would astonish the early settlers, let alone the natives, and the cost comparatively[trifliog as all the materials are in immediate proximity to the work required. If I have made the subject too long, you can use the scissors' to cut off the tale- end of it, but no more^ or if that won't do, put it in the waste paper basket, along with other rejected addresses. I am, &c, Subscriber.