RAILWAY PROGRESS and ROUTE.

Patea Mail, 19 July 1881, Page 3

RAILWAY PROGRESS and ROUTE.

Mr R. C. Tknnent moved “ That the Government be respectfully asked to complete the main line between Waverley and Patea as speedily as possible ; and as this meeting believes the cost of the route surveyed along the Coast would be less than that further inland, it recommends the adoption of the former route, more especially ns it would obviate the necessity for a branch line, an extra bridge and junction, and would connect the inland country with the natural port of the Patea district.” Hesaid: I think the proper course in a matter of this kind is to leave the adoption of the route to be determined by the Government, assisted by their engineers and surveyors. But we understand that certain gentlemen residing not far from this town have taken steps for sending a petition to the Government, and that they are endeavoring to get signatures in the Hawera district to support that petition. As Englishmen they have a perfect right to express their opinions, providing they do so in a fair way. But I would like to point out that this is no reason why we should sit still and not represent our own views on the matter. Therefore I move this resolution. I hope to show that a line along the sea route, making Patea a station on the main line, would be more beneficial to this town and the neighborhood at large, than leaving the town with a branch. Some people say, if we want to travel from Hawera to Wanganui the line will be rather longer : why should we be carried down to Patea and round by a certain bend ; and if we get goods from Wellington, why should we pay farther carriage. Those who embrace this theory seem to overlook the fact that we have a port here at all. I would like to ask how much of the goods of this district go down to Wanganui ? Since the establishment of direct communication, almost every ton of goods coming here comes to this port, and almost all that goes out goes out here. All that they want is to get to the natural port of the district, and this port is capable of being made quite as good as Wanganui can ever be made. As to the arguments in favor of constructing this line, the first argument is that if you take the line inland you would probably take it through a large number of valuable farms. We know quite enough to be aware that these gentlemen would not give the land freely to the Government: they would expect very material compensation. If the line is brought from Waverley up the Coast a great part of the line will be through land belonging to the Government, and they would save a considerable amount in compensation. If a branch line is brought to this town, it must surely be by an extra bridge, as it must cross the river to the junction by one bridge, and the branch line would have another bridge to bring it to Patea port. The cost of an extra bridge would be saved, and the cost of the junction station would be saved. There is also the farther cost of working the branch. It is an unsatisfactory thing to work a branch line, as the Government are aware ; and I think we may leave it to them that they will not do it if they can possibly avoid it. It is inferred by the people who urge that the inland line should be constructed that there is a great difference in mileage ; but I think that is almost a fallacy. I doubt if there is a difference of more than one or two miles. If you take it from Wanganui directly up to Hawera, I doubt very much that it would save more than one mile, as compared with taking it along the Coast and bringing it through Patea. The amount of freight and passage money which would be added is very little. I think every man on this Coast should look at this port as being the place that they wish to see go ahead. Two years ago this was a small place, and as it has doubled in that time we hope in the following two-years to see it double again. There is no reason that I can see why there should not be a town on this river as large as Wanganui. If people would lend their energies towards developing the river which nature has given them close to their own doors, they would be doing much more good than talking about sending their meat to be frozen at Wanganui or to be exported from there. Supposing a railway station was in the country on the Whenuakura block, it is not to be supposed a settler would cart bis goods a mile or two to a station and so bring the goods to Patea port. The goods beidg once on the dray, they would be more conveniently brought on to Patea.

This quest! .in’s of considerable importance ’<> 'he district ai largo, and if vve wish to sec 1 lie town and district flourish, it would be very unwise to let this matter pass over. The Government would say : Here is a petition from people in this district and signed by persons up country If no contrary expression were sent, it would go forth that these are the wishes of the people. I think it can be said they are not the wishes of the great majority of the people either in this place or the country districts. (Applause.)

Mr W. Cowjsbn seconded the mol ion. He said : Situated in the centre of the grandest district in New Zealand, having a vast territory yet nusurveyed and unoccupied, our seaboard extending from Wellington to Taranaki, with Patea port situate midway, it is obvious that this should be the port from which the whole of the stock and produce of this district should be shipped to the markets beyond. It is of the first importance to us that this town should become a large centre, and the natural capital of Patea County. We are not going to have a population of four or five thousand in this Patea district : it is going to be numbered by tens of thousands. I believe the population of the colony will be numbered by millions yet, and a large portion of them will be in the Patea district. As the town grows with the growth of the district, it would be highly advantageous that the main railway should passthrough, feeding the vessels at the wharves. If the railway crosses some distance inlahd the whole of this produce would have to pass down a branch line to the port, and would cost more in transit. I think you will be satisfied of the importance of the resolution, and will carry it with acclamation (Applause.)

Mr Sheuwood : When Sir John Coode was here, he strongly recommended that all existing obstacles should be removed, and he even regretted, that the town bridge was such an obstruction to the inflow of the tide. The increased number of bridges will retard the inflow of the tide. The more tidal water you admit into the river, the greater scour you get, and the greater depth on the bar. I am satisfied tba*these bridges are doing a deal of harm. We have found by experience, and even some of the settlers who are anxious to have the line up country should know, that for every snag lifted out of the river, some improvement in the river is noticeable. If you are going to block the river with bridges, you will do serious harm to the port and to the whole district. (Hear, hear.)

Mr D.Coutts ; As a resident of Whenuakura and a ratepayer, I understand a petition is being sent to the House, or being circulated for signature, I believe the petition has been sent or is in readiness to be sent to the House. I am very sorry it has taken that shape at all. I feel it will be of no avail to those who have signed it. It is better to leave the matter to the engineers and the Government. There was such a thing happened in this town in regard to the railway station, but what became of that petition ? I may say the Whenuakura petition has not been very unanimously approved of by residents on the block. I should like that to go forth for the knowledge of the Government. The gentlemen through whose land the line would pass have been asked to sign it, and have said “ No, if it goes through our land we won’t sign it, but if you take it clear away from our land we will sign in.” Another resident on the block who is possessed of considerable property, and who has occupied it very profitably, was asked to sign the'petition, bis property joining the proposed line inland. He said “No ; leave it to the engineers, who are better able to judge than yon or I.” I was asked to sign it, and I said “ I cannot : I want the railway to go in the best way for the ratepayers, in order that we may have to pay as small rates as possible after its construction.” There is a fallacy that people run away with that there is money to be obtained for paying these charges without getting the money out of their own pockets. If these linos are not paying routes, we shall have to make up the deficiency out of our own pockets. We wish the railway to go the best way for the locality and for the colony at large. There is a resolution lately carried in the House by Mr Hursthouse, and a very good one it is. If it had been carried some years ago, we should not have been taxed to pay for these fancy railways, and political railways. If settlers near Patea could have their grain placed at a railway station within a few chains of their own door, the question still is, Would it not be better to carry the grain to the wharf at Patea ? (Hear, hear.) Mr J. Gibson : It seems to be admitted

by Mr Tcnnont that the railway would be shorter if carried inland by the route sonic settlers at Wlienunkma desire. Any one who knows the country will admit that from the station at Waverley to Patea wharf is much shorter than the line can be from Waverley to the junction station. (Hear, hoar.) The motion was put and carried unanimously.