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THE FORBURY AND PENINSULA RAILWAY.

(From the Bruce Herald, March 22.) On taking up the Dunedin papex-s some days ago, we were astonished to find several of their columns occupied by a correspondence between a number of great men and Mr. J. B. Bradshaw, on the subject of the Forbury railway. In duty we waded through that correspondence, and proceeded to put our readers in possession of a history of a matter which has evidently excited our Dunedin contemporaries, and the ring which influences them, to an absurd degree. It will be remembered that some time ago a number of spirited gentlemen formed themselves into a Dunedin Ocean Beach and Peninsula Railway Company, and started to make a little line of their own, under the blessings of his Honor the Superintendent, and the patronage of those papers which they themselves patronise and support.. The main object of the railway was not so much to profit its proprietors (though handsome dividends were promised) as to open up the Peninsula, and benefit the people, the province, the colony, aud the world at large. In order to accomplish these ends most effectually, a start was at once made in a direction a little remote from the Peninsula, namely, towards the Forbury racecourse, it being pointed out that if a line could be constructed, and opened to the course in time for the races, which commence to-day, the public would be immensely convenienced, aud a good sum of ready money would be put to the credit of the proprietors. Accordingly, the first sod of the line to Forbury was turned, as it is called, some months since, under the usual conditions inseparable from such ceremonies. His Honor the Superintendent, Mr. Barnes, inspector of paving stones to the Dunedin Corporation, several live members of Parliament aud Provincial Council, members of the Provincial Executive, and a member of the Colonial Executive, besides bankers, ex-bankers, and leading citizens generally, assembled, and saw some of themselves make dirt pies in polished wheelbarrows with electro-plated spades, aud then sat down to pies and other refreshments furnished, as our Dunedin contemporaries would say, in the most recherche style. And here all sorts of pretty things were said. His Honor the Superintendent, whose talents on such occasions are remarkable, made a speech somewhat similar to that made by Mr. Roderick Doo, in connection with his aerial machine, half hinting that the work they were inaugurating would not stop short at the Peninsula or Forbury, but would eventually connect itself with the firmament, “ when each little twinkling star would export its choicest products to our favored isle.” Mr. Reynolds, we believe, was the member of the Colonial Executive present, and was also most poetical in speech ; and Mr. D. Proudfoot, who is not unknown in connection with private railway enterprise in this province, represented the working department. . Well, the banquet passed by, and week after week the Dunedin papers gave us locals as to the progress of the line, and also as to the kindness of the General Government in promising to sell the Railway Company the rails necessary for a permanent way, and the obliging disposition of the provincial authorities, who were willing to work the line with their rolling stock, and hand over the profits to the company. Besides this, the line itself grow into a tangible, though tolerably unsubstantial, something, in the shape of a quantity of low-lying embankment across a swamp, intersected here and there hy a few wooden culverts. Some few people and papers, who are not accustomed to regard Dunedin as Otago, and its money ring as the proper rulers of the province, did not join in the general ebullition of ecstacy which the progress of the line kept continually above boiling point ; but, nevertheless, the Dunedin papers, by the successful titillation of public feeling, in the shape ef the locals we have mentioned, managed to keep up quite a satisfactory condition of hope that at to-day’s races cabs would be unknown, and the sporting world would travel by rail to the course. Suddenly, the awful correspondence, which we have previously mentioned, burst upon us, and was evidently, on its publication, intended to shatter the best wishes of the public, as it had already shattered the best hopes of the Railway Company. But, unfortunately, the public behaved to this correspondence os the learned world did to George Primrose’s paradoxes. The public said nothing at all about it; and, apparently, declined to endorse the virtuous indignation of the secretary and directors of the Forbury railway. That indignation was aroused in the most natural manner. From the very first there were people (but they were regarded as fogies, and as being behind the times,) who wondered how on earth'jthe directors of the Dunedin, Ocean Beach,’ and Peninsula Railway Com-

pany were going to work their line, or have it worked for them by the province, without au Act of Parliament, which, whilst it secured them a right to the line and the crossing of roads, and the like, would also secure to the public some degree of responsibility on the part of those who owned the line. But it is evident that the railway company was above Acts of Parliament, and never contemplated that what it would be perfectly illegal in a private individual to do, could be for a moment denied to them. Accordingly the correspondence to which we have twice made reference ensued. That correspondence, though it occupied a great space in The Times and Guardian, and was the occasion, of a little pleasant blackguarding of the former by the latter, may be summed up in a few words. Mr. J. B. Bradshaw, secretary to the railway company, wrote to Hr. Reynolds, a member for Dunedin, and also a member, of Mr. Vogel’s Cabinet, touching the rails. Mr. Reynolds wrote back that there were difficulties, and thereupon ensued au intercourse by letter and telegram, into which were dragged the Minister of Works and the Attorney-General. The upshot was that the General Government would not soil rails to a perfectly irresponsible railway company, and that it would be necessary for the company to put itself in a legal position before it could be permitted to carry with safety, or endanger, perhaps, the lives of her Majesty’s subjects. Incidental to this correspondence was a little personal matter. Mr. Bradshaw reminded Mr. Reynolds that he (Reynolds) had promised Messrs. Proudfoot, Turnbull and others to sell the rails to the company. Mr. Reynolds replied that he had done nothing of the kind, that at his departure from Dunedin he had been “bustled” (we trust Mr. Reynolds used this word in its perfectly Pickwickian sense) by Messrs. Turnbull and others, and that he did not promise’to sell the rails. And so this tale of a mouse born of a mountain ends. We fancy that there will be but few who, in this matter, will not support the action of the General Government in compelling a number of shareholder's to legally establish their right to run trains, or to open a railway for the running of trains, before they propose to buy and sell, or treat with the Government, Nay, more, remembering how much private enterprise in the way of one line of railway has already cost the' province and colony, we do not think any regret will be experienced at the temporary damper put upon the private enterprise to take people by rail to the Dunedin races.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18750405.2.19

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4381, 5 April 1875, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,246

THE FORBURY AND PENINSULA RAILWAY. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4381, 5 April 1875, Page 3

THE FORBURY AND PENINSULA RAILWAY. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4381, 5 April 1875, Page 3

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