The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAY 10.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 128, 10 May 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, MAY 10.

Wf, must confess to having experienced some amount of disappointment both at the manner in which the proceedings of the railway conference was conducted, no less than at its barren results. The narrowed limits to which the discussion was confined could not possibly lead to any practical good. Instead of dealing with the question in its entirety and on the broad basis as affecting the district and town alike, the business resolved, itself into a matter of trivial detail. Indeed, the ground gone over was purely a waste of time, inasmuch as the very points touched upon had been fully and far more exhaustively argued in the Borough Council, and the clear and definite resolutions passed by the latter body rendered it entirely unnecessary, and w’orse than useless, to again broach the same subject. The whole method of dealing with the scheme, up to the present point, exhibits such a thorough want of a comprehensive knowledge of the requisite mode of proceednre, together with an entire absence of business tact, as to forcibly impress us with the conviction and lead us to the reluctant conclusion that the present movement must end in failure unless better and more effectual tactics are adopted. The Borough Council had already decided that no railway or tramway shall pass down any of the main streets or thoroughfares of the town which has steam for its motive power ; but, on the other hand, every facility will bo offered and assistance given to any scheme which may have for its object the construction of a tramway or railway which is intended to run through the town, providing horse traction be used. One thing must be kept in view, viz., that the success of the scheme mainly, if not wholly, depends upon the inducements, in the shape of returns, which can be held out to intending competitors. Tn looking at the question from this practical point of view, the first thing which should be considered is economy of construction, as the less there is expended in this direction, and the smaller the amount of capital sunk, the less necessity for guaranteeing large returns. It is self-evident that the line of route must have a great deal to do with the returns, and it may reasonably be presumed that a line through the centre of the town is likely to be more productive than one outside. Then the cost of constructing a horse traction railway running through one of our streets would be comparatively insignificant, when compared with the expense of a steam one running through private property where fancy prices would have to be paid for every foot of land required; whilst the returns of the former might be expected to exceed the latter. Everything tends to show that if we are to have a railway at all, it must come to the town boundary, and there, changing its motive power, pass down one of our main streets. Any other plan will cost too much, aud any other plan will not pay. This would meet all our wants for many years to come, and when a necessity for further and extended facilities arises there need bo little fear but what we shall quickly adapt ourselves to the requirements of the times.