ROCKS OR HILLS ?

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

ROCKS OR HILLS ?

TO THE FdITOR OP THE NELSOJST EVENING MAIL. Sin — The meeting of Monday night last left on ray mind the impression that those who had convened it were so sure that public opinion was with them in the course they were advocating that it was unnecessary for them to bring forward all that was to be said on their side. - One of the most convincing, if I might be permitted, I would call it the most convincing argufrientin favor of the Port line was not alluded to in any way whatever, and I should be glad if you would allow me tp briDgitjbefore;, the public. That line as at present conceived would pass within a very short distance/ of • the spot onr which Captain Johnston erected a wharf for the purpose of facilitating the discharge of cargoes brought froni Australia in his ships which, if I remember rightly, were of some 500 tons burthen. Now, if a railway from the interior of the province were, to any great extent, employed in the coal traffic as is anticipated, it would be more folly to allow the trains to bring tbeir freights to our presient harbor when so exoallent an one exists in the N Waimea River. This would very quickly be discovered, Tand the consequence / be that Stoke would speedily become^ the coal depot. In- the present state of colonial politics it is almost impossible to state concisely and definitely what one's political creed really is. If I adopt V* Progress" as my watchword, I am immediately accused by the other side of being an unprincipled money borrower who .takes no thought of the morrow, or of the liabilities thathave.to.be met on that uncomfortable day; if, on the contrary,, I hesitate to rush blindfold into the yawning gulph of debt and probable disaster, I nm at once charged with being an obstructive. If I am a " Centralist," I must of necessity ?be a " Provincialis*.," and vice versa. I like the safer ;middle path and / Tsb ! shall d escribe' my self as a vu ' -* Al 1 this is parenthetical, but necessary, as showing what, my ; views are... What they ■are may be gathered as , clearly from the "description I have chosen to give of myself as if I had said that I was a Vogelite or a Staffordite, neither of the three terms having any meaning * whatever. But, in saying that I "am ja i *' JDecentralist," I think it expedient' to explain that by that I mean that I do not care to see any large

Cities or places ofybusiness grp^inglup ahy~7 where. If .a province really desires tpygo ahead it shduldynpt .concentrate^ ; but ,Sts-7 tribute, what caU its <i ity power ',? that is" xo say, ifcshould. seekv not to have oue cafpital townThut a number ofT small towns scattered over its surface./ By making Stoke the coal depot,/ as would certainly be the case were the railway, carried by the. Port route, : this object would be partially achieved, /while numerous concomitant advantages would be gainedi All the dirt, bustle, andinconvenience of a coaling station for instance would be transferaed from our present port to the Waimea River, and the. blocking up of the Haven road, as is the case at present on busy days, would be avoided. my the course of time the intercolonial and interprovincial steamers would find it to their advantage to go up the river instead of entering the harbor; colliers would do the same in order to avoid the annoyance of beiDg compelled to study the tidal current, and in short we should soon have a very flourishing little town at Stoke, where ali the shipping business would be transacted. In the present town of -Nelson would be congregated the country residences of our merchants and tradespeople, who, however, would by the force of cireumstaces be' compelled to maintain there their retail establishments, the principal business houses being, at Stoke, which would rapidly become an important town. Politically, the advantage would be great, since, in addition to sending two members to the House of Representatives for (he City of* Nelson, we should be in. a position to claim at first one, and shortly afterwards two for the City at Stoke. Then again, see what prospects would be opened lip for our working classes. The new" town would , require to be supplied with water, consequently either a new reservoir must be made in the neighborhood of Mr Jenkins' Run, or our present one must be enlarged and pipes laid on to Stoke. The same with regard to the- gasworks. All this would put in circulation a very large sum of public money, the expenditure of which would not be necessary if tho railway were so constructed as to make the present town the business centre of the Province. As a "Decentralisfc" I could'advance many more cogent arguments in favor of the Port line, but I fear that I" have already .trespassod too far upon both your space and your good nature. What I have ventured to point out may possibly be a- work of supererogation, as I heard Mr Sharp state last night that there were considerations which the Inland Communication Committee had fully gone into-but which were not then made public; they being kept in reserve for the use of the deputation when conferring with the General Government. I siucerely trust, sir, that at that critical interview the suggestions that I have thrown out will not bo Jost sight of. I am, -fee, R. I. P. June 24.

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