PATEA RAILWAY.

Patea Mail, 26 August 1880, Page 2

PATEA RAILWAY.

TURNING FIRST SOD

Residents in the Patea district were invite'll, by short notice, to assemble yesterday forenoon on the site of the Railway Station at Patea harbor, to witness the inauguration of the Railway works. The ceremony took the form of turning the first sod, and this was done at a spot near the river bridge, not on the actual site of the Station, that being difficult to get at until the new approach is formed, but near the cottage on the north side of the road. The morning was fine, a welcome change after the three days storm; and a considerable number of persons, chiefly from Patea township, assembled on the ground, amongst them a pleasing sprinkling of ladies. The contractors, Messrs Downes, Proctor, & Co., had issued circular invitations to the ceremony, and the principal residents in the place were present with few exceptions.

Tlie Chairman of the Harbor Board, Mr C. F. Sherwood, had been asked by the contractors to cut the first sod. He did it by taking off his coat, and cutting the first sod (a big one), with a second one laid on top of it, to make sure that this important first cutting should be well and truly done, Hcjperformed the operation in workmanlike style, amid a chorus of approval. Mr Sherwood then said ; Ladies and gentlemen, scarcely two years have elapsed since wc met for the purpose of inaugurating another work of very great importance to this district ; and I believe the success and import ance of that work have been recognised, and that in consccpionce of that recognition we are here for the purpose of inaugurating Ibis farther important work in order to connect the main line of railway to the port of Patea. That is the best possible evidence we could have of the substantial nature of the whole work ; and it is a matter for congratulation that wc can look round today and see so many new faces, and I say they arc heartily welcome here. We want to see more of them here, and at the same time men of energy and capital. We have men here to-day who are known throughout the colony as having been connected with public works ; and these men will in turn inform their friends of the natural capabilities of the district and of its rccpiiremcnts. In commencing a public work of this description, wc are taking one more step in the direction of advancement. Notwithstanding the long period of neglect iu the matter of public works in this district, nothing could indicate more clearly the boundless wealth of this particular part of the colony than to see that we have passed through one of the periods of greatest depression ever known, and that during all that bad time there has been no retrogression in this district, no stop to the steady progress which wc all see going on. Our progress has been steady and safe ; and I believe it will now bo rapid, and that it will be equally safe ; and that we are now entering on one of the most brilliant futures that any new district could possibly look forward to. Tins piece of work, in which you have seen the first sod turned, is to be constructed for the purpose of enabling the main line of railway to be carried on. That being so, I hope the settlers of Patea district will be fully united in their intention to insist on having what is their absolute right—that is a through railway, and that tin's short section commencing at Patea harbor shall not remain unfinished as a monument of folly. The money for the work is available, and if tiic people will exercise their voice upon every possible occasion, then I believe the work will be carried out. If, on the other hand, the people will not unite, if they ignore the importance of tiicsc works from time to time, Ihen I say the fault rests quite as much with them if not more than with those in whom power is vested. The power of the people, if properly exercised, can always bring about the desired result. I do not think anything I can say will enlighten the people here as to the necessity of public works in this district. Many large sums of money now being uselessly expended might have been saved, and if properly' employed we might now have been able to travel by r rail to Wellington, instead of being, as wo are, shut off from quick communication. A great deal of the fault rests with the people not taking sufficient interest in public affairs, or not acting with unanimity. I am glad to see that tin's Patea contract has fallen into the bands of gentlemen

known throughout the colony in connec - tion with large public works ; and I believe they are the forerunners of a class of people we want. We want new blood, and we want more capital brought into the district. Allow me, in conclusion, to call for three cheers for the Patea Harbor Railway. (Cheers.) Allow me to supplement that with three hearty cheers for the contractors, and for our Resident Engineer, Mr Hunter. Cheers were then given, and “ another one for Mr Sherwood.” The Chairman of the County Council, Mr Dale, then said : Ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that the work which has commenced this day is one which, as far as this district is concerned, will be of material benefit not only to the district but also to the settlers generally and to the eolonj' at large. As to the neglect this district lias suffered in the way of public works, what has been said is perfectly correct. Let us hope tins work will be only the commencement, and that the Government may be persuaded without much farther trouble to push on the line from Waverloy to Hawera. That is not much distance, and it seems a standing disgrace that a part of a through line like this should be stopped by a short gap in the centre, merely because, as the Railway Commissioners say, we have a good road. I am surprised that such a recommendation has been made by those Commissioners ; but lot us hope the Government will not follow out that advice. And now if the people hero will continue to agitate, they will get what they want. (Hear, hear.) Mr W. Williams said ; I feel proud to be here to-day to witness the occurrence that has just taken place. I arrived too late to see the sod turned, but I hope not to be too late to see the railway opened. Wc have been waiting for a long time to sec the beginning of this work, and it has seemed sometimes that wc should get hcart-sick at the long delays. I believe now wc shall have our railway; and although many obstacles have been placed in the way of it, yet as nearly all the railways in the country are now made, consequently we are bound to get ours, this being almost the last link in this West Coast railway. I hope the contractors will be successful iu their undertaking, and that they will have a much larger gathering to witness the completion and opening of this Hue. I hope this will he a now starting point in our little township and neighbourhood, that the district from this time will make a new start forward, and that we shall be able to keep up in the race of life without lagging behind the rest of the colony. Mr Hunter, Resident Engineer, said : I can only echo the sentiments of Mr Williams, and say that I trust this day will be the commencement of a prosperous time for this district. I hope also that Messrs Downes, Proctor, and Company will have every success in the termination of their contract, and have good luck and every advantage. On behalf of the Public Works Department, I must thank you all for being hero to witness tin's ceremony, and I also hope there will he a much larger gathering at the opening, to take place soon. Mr Fergus, of the engineering linn of Henderson and Fergus, who are interested iu this contract, said : On behalf of the firm of which I have the honor to be a member, I also desire to return thanks to you ; and in explanation of the short notice for this ceremony, we did not intend to have any public formality in commencing this work, but simply to invito a few of 3'our townspeople to a social glass by way of marking the occasion. It was deemed advisable, however, b} r those who “ know, you know,” that we should make it a more formal affair, as they considered there was something due to the district. I thought there was good reason in that, because I can say I had but a very imperfect idea of your district, of its capabilities, its extent, and its people. Patea was a terra incognita to me, as it is to this da y to most of the people in the South ; and if I may alter the words of Caesar’s celebrated despatch, and say; I came, I saw, and I was conquered, that will represent my case in coming to Patea district. I had no idea—not the slightest—that you had such an extent of virgin soil ; a country practically unopened ; and to use the words of ni}' friend Mr Macandrew, a country teeming with wealth, and waiting to he peopled by millions. I believe you have a grand future ; and you have got men amongst you who are capable of taking advantage of all the opportunities you possess ; although I do not say that a little foreign capital and southern blood would do you any harm. I hold that men and muscle, energy and capital, are

required to properly develop your district; and at no distant time I am perfectly certain you will have your plains studded with towns, villages, and manufactories ; that instead of having to import flour from Oamaru, you will be able to grow wheat in plenty ; and that the soil in tin's district is so rich that you have only to tickle it with a hoe and it will laugh with a harvest. With regard to the public works of the colony, I find it invariably the case whereevcr I go that each particular district thinks it has been neglected in the matter of works, and I was quite prepared to hear several indignant speeches about the manner in which the Government has treated this district. Yet Ido think you have some small cause of complaint, and that some of the railways have been constructed in very unpiofitablc districts, both in the North and South Islands, which I have seen myself. If some of that money had been expended here it would have been far better for the colony, and I believe it would have settled this native difficulty which is now staring you in the face. But I recognise that the present Government are doing the best they can. I give them credit for the best intentions with regard to the spending of the remaining money ; and I am sure you have gotl good friends in that Ministry, men who will not allow their energies to lie dormant in the face of opposition from the South. I believe that at no great distance of time you will find the railway opened from Boston to New Plymouth. I am heartily pleased to find that we have been received with open arms and very genially by the inhabitants of this place. I can say, for ourselves, thatthe work will be carried on in a satisfactory manner, and I can only trust that it will be profitable to us in the longrun. It is with mingled feelings I appear here—no doubt a little anxious about the cash result, and about the Government officers we have to deal with. I have no doubt we shall be able to get on very well with Mr Hunter. I hope to see a larger gathering at the opening of this piece of railway which has been inaugurated; and then that glorious and happy time spoken of by Mr Sherwood will have arrived, when southern capital and southern muscle will flow into the place, so that your coffers will run over, and peace and plenty smile on you. (Laughter.)

An adjournment was them made to the adjacent cottage, where champagne, wines, and beer were dispensed with a liberal hand to all-comers, Mr Fergus presiding over this part of the ceremony with a genial handiness which indicated much practice in public rejoicings over works begun or well finished. A body of men set to work immediately with spades and barrows, levelling the permanent way between the bridge and the river-bend half-a-mile up the valley. This half-mile length of earthwork is being done under sub-contract by the three brothers Kearn, stonebreakers at Kakaramea, who had the metalling contract for Manawapou lull.