The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 643, 25 May 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1878.

AiiOTHF.R ( : nk i i r.»- chain of railway communication between Chri3tcliurch and Dunedin has been completed. Bit by bit the line is being thrown open for traffic, and before long, after much vexatious delay and many unfulfilled promises, we shall have an unbroken line from Amfcerley to the Bluff. On Wednesday last, the most flourishing of the many towns between Oamarti and Duncdin, was brought into direct communication with the capital of North Otago. This is a matter on which wc may fairly congratulate the residents of both places, for many advantages are likc-Iy to be derived by the town 3 which may now be said to be bound together by a bond of iron. In the opening up of railway communication we can discern a fresh field for the exercise of our mercantile enterprise, if our merchants will only rise equal to the occasion, and lay hold of the opportunity. Hitherto the people of Palmerston have been entirely dependent upon Duncdin for their supplies, arid no other market has been open to them. Jn like manner, the whole of the produce, or nearly so. of Shag Valley and the fine country extending beyond it, lias found its way to Dunedin by means of dray.-. If our merchants, wool - growers, and others would devote their energies unitedly towards obtaining the advent of Home vessels to our port, muea of the trade with Palnierston would be diverted to Oamarti. There should be little ilitliculty tit inducing vessels of suliieient tonnage for this purpose to visit our port, for we shall be able to accommodate them, and it v- ouUl be an easy niattc-r to till them up with cargoes of merchandise at Home, and the necessity of either having goods transhipped at Port Chalmers or {.living in the Dunedin market would be obviated ; while they could very easily obtain full cargoes of word and grain for the Mother Country. There are plenty of vessels obtainable of draughts admirably suited to our port, and with very little trouble a regular line of traders between the Mother Country and Oaniaru ! riu'wht be secured if the matter were set I ° about in earnest. If this were done, Oamaru would at once rise to commercial eminence, because our merchants would : be able to compete successfully with those of Christchurch and Dunedin. We draw attention to this matter at the present time because the opening up of every fresh piece of railway makes the necessity for some such action more and more urgent. The establishment of railway communication with Dunedin must 1111qtiestionnblv rioii-: v interfere with the shipping business of tin's port, for farmers and others in the vicinity of the southern line will, we think, be tempted to forward their produce direct to Dunedin to be shipped, in preference to sending it by way of Oaniaru to Port Chalmers. If produce destined for the Old Country could be shipped direct from Oamarti, we are warranted in predicting that a large amount from as far south as Palmerston would in id its way to this port. The wharfage and other charges upon this would greatly assist in augmenting the revenue of the Harbor Board, and enable it to still further prcsecute the work of improving the harbor, and lowering its charges. To do all this we want little more than the vessels.