THE WAIRARAPA RAILROAD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 47, 16 December 1871, Page 15

THE WAIRARAPA RAILROAD.

[TO THE EDITOR OT THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL.]

Sir, —In your issue of the sth instant you gave a prominent place to the report of a meeting in Greytown in connection with this undertaking. But I fail to recognise among the speakers who addressed the meeting any of the principal settlers of the district. It is not a difficult task for interested parties to gather a certain class who usually frequent the public houses, and form a meeting, but when such a meeting is not represented by the monied and landed interests of the district, it must, as a matter of course, become a failure.

You are also aware of the action taken during the last session of the Assembly by Mr Wakefield and his confreres in respect to the Brogden contract, and of his resolution in the House in reference to the alteration of the Wairarapa line of railway. I cannot say whether the promoters of the meeting at Greytown have taken their cue from him ; but this I can say, that when an undertaking to alter the proposed line, which affects the interests of all, has not been recognised by the leading men of the district, the object in view must not have been approved, and the proceedings must become futile. It is true that the speakers at the meeting have acquired some property, and probably it will be found at a convenient distance from the towns. No doubt a railroad bordering upon this property would considerably enhance its value, and the line would be the means of extending tho town in that direction! But I don't for a moment insinuate that the promoters of this " important meeting" had such selfish motives in view.

When Mr Roehfort received his instruction to survey the line, he was a stranger in the district, and had no private interests to serve;

bub if he only could have managed to have brought the line to every man's door, we should not now hear of this agitation against his work, which, however, has been approved by the Government and tho Legislative. Now, sir, I believe that the line surveyed by Mr Roehfort will be found of practical utility, as I am persuaded it will meet the convenience of the wool grower, the agriculturist, and the timber producer, better than any other line that can be surveyed. And a 9 these are the parties who will materially contribute towards the revenue of the line their interests should not be overlooked. I find that all the wool of the Lower Valley, which is not sent by way of Te Kopi, has to come to Featherston, and in place of carrying it over the mountain in waggons it will be transferred to the railroad trunk. It is also a fact thab the present line passes at a convenient distance from the saw-mills, and goes on through the principal portions of the agricultural districts, as the recent agricultural statistics will show, taking the main line of road as the boundary of the east and west districts. Nor is there any considerable quantity of Crown lands for sale in either of these districts until the line reaches the Kouperanga. Tt appears to me and to other disinterested parties thab it is only " clap-trap" when we are told that the line is too far from the centres of population. Such a consideration is not bhoughb of in England when surveying lines. What can the population of the towns of Greytown and Masterton produce that will enhance the revenue of the line ? The people of these towns live principally upon the country parts, and each district produces sufficient for its own wants —the surplus must be sent to Wellington in order to find a market, and the traffic between the intermediate stations does not at present exceed a lew tons of flour in the year, nor will it increase until manufactures are established, and a large population have been created. The storekeepers, however, are a class with whom I have much sympathy, as they will have to send to the stations for their goods, and the working man will have a little farther to go to work on the line, unless the promoters of this important gathering can devise a plan of establishing a cheap tramway between the towns and stations.—l am, &c , Tbamway.