ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 674, 24 May 1867, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

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THE RAILWAY PROPOSITION— WHAT WILL THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL DO WITH IT? Np^lH*- „_ •"*-'' (TO THB EDITOBJ^-THB SOOTHIiAND TIMES.) Sib,— -In epffmuation of 7 the advantages of constructing the two Eailways in question, Pcannot omit -.fax argument used byy.some', members at _ the . last meeting of Council against leasing the present abort line, who yet at the ensuing session will, I believe, oppose its extension;: viz., that it is too reproductive a property to be parted with. The present line haa more than answered expectations as regards reproductiveness ; what would it be with two such feeders as the Northern and Eastern Lines ? draining as they will almost the whole Province and a large part of Otago. It would then become a valuable property. Invercargill has been more. than once, and aptly described, as the hantUe to the fan ; the outer edges of which embrace an area far in excesß of the Provincial territory. Shall we throw away the advantages Nature has given us ? It was the extension of the Eailway system in Victoria to the banks of the Murray which brought the balance of receipts and expenditure on the right side of the ledger. Not so much from the traffic Tesulting from the opening up of her own interior as from that derived from New South Wales and South Australia. Similar results, though of course on a small scale, would follow the construction of our own lines. At the last session of the Council much was said about a Central Government for the Middle Island, Mr Cuthbertson being particularly enthusiastic for its establishment. Unless all was vox et preterea nihil, I would claim the votes of all those who advocated it for the construction of the Eastern Eailway. A Central G-o vernment to be useful must be easy of access. The electric telegraph has done much, Eailways will complete the work. It remains to be seen whether what is considered a national advantage under one phase, assumes a lesser importance when the touchstone of self-interest is applied. I will now notice some of the objections which I understand are likely to be raised hr the Council on this question ; first andrforemost that of roads versue railways. I have already stated that in our present position we have no alternative ; that the General Government having got possession of our lands will not give them up for the construction of roads, but xoill for that of railways, simply because it believes that by so doing the remainder of the estate will become more valuable. The question is thus narrowed into railways or nothing. But it may be said that we look forward to the time when our estate will be released and then we can make roads. In my opinion the idea is chimerical. Say it is not ? I say the cheapest road we can have is a railroad properly and economically constructed. We have evidence before us now. The stone brought by rail from the Greenhills for the metalling of the East road costs one shilling a cubic yard for transit; one shilling for filling trucks; two shillings in all for fifteen miles carriage ; the 'same metal costs for, cartage from the railway station over an average of two .miles five and sixpence a cubic yard. What would, the cartage cost as the work proceeds, say to ten miles out of town ? Were a railway made to the' Mataura, it could take the Btone from the Greenhills, iand deposit it on the banks of that river, a distance of forty miles-for the same price it costs' to cart it two. If therefore a road must be made, it can be made much cheaper by constructing the rail first. But! hold that if 4he rail takes off the heavy traffic, the. main lines of road eastward and northward will require but a trifling expenditure to" render them passable winter or summer. Thus, such surplus revenue from ordinary sources which we may have at our disposal, will be released for the construction of the main lines via the Waianiwa to Eiverton and thence northwards to the Waiau. The Eastern and Winton District being provided with a permanent way, justice can be done to the other districts in the Province. Next in importance to the main roads, are the district or branch ones. These the settlers are bound to make themselves, but, could they obtain a subsidy from the Government in the shape of metal, the strain on them would be wonderfully lightened. At present such an assistance is out of the question; were the railways completed it would be a matter of trifling import. Metal could be carried along the lines and deposited to satisfy the requirements of- settlers residing at a distance front the main thoroughfares at a trifling cost ; and the country be dissected with good roads such as "at present may well appear ohimerical. Let us next take | the cheapness and comfort of travelling ! by rail, xa comparison to that by torn. I even if it; be a> good. <Ms The tq%i tsQm

Invercargill to the Bluff is by far the best in the Province. Prior to the opening of the Bailway, the lowest charge by Cobb and Cos. coach was a pound ; it took from three to four hours* either way; one suffered all the discomfort of being well shaken, and if the day was Btormy, of getting wet, not to mention the cold ; , in winter it was not improbable the passengers had to get out and walk through the worst parts of the road, and the journey could only be accomplished one way in each day. Now, by the Eailway, one can go to the Bluff and back for -seven shillings and sixpence, in three hours, having one hour to spare in perfect comfort, let the day be -ever -- so stormy. Is Buch travelling no object? If the line were made to the Mataura, one could go to its banks and back in the same time, which w.ould be pleasanter than ploughing through the mud on horseback for five houis in one direction, in the teeth of a south-wester. Cheap and comfortable travelling is . a matter which weighs with a man desirous of settling in a new home. Another objection to the immediate construction of railways, which I understand will be raised, is, that we ought to wait until the Middle Islands loans are consolidated, then to insist that a certain tract of country in our province be reserved to satisfy our debt, at the rate of an acre to every pound, the balance 'to be left free for the construction of public works. In other words, that our trustee, tho General Government, having got possession of our whole estate in ; liquidation of our liabilities, should give up three-fourths of it, contenting itself with the balance. Ib this compatible with human nature, common sense ? Supposing, however, we had the power to effect such a compromise in the future, surely it would be wise to take advantage of the offer of some of our estate, now made to us. One is a tangible reality, the other a hypothetical possibility. If two years hence, having the power, we thought it advisable to construct such works, why not now, when the opportunity is afforded, and we may reap the benefits at once? Let us recollect the old proverb, " a bird in the.hand, is worth two in the bush." It is possible that the old cry will be raised that the Eailways will not pay* In the estimation ofthe remunerativeneßS of such works, the actual returns for the first few years are not generally taken into consideration ; it is the indirect benefit to the publi-e, derived from cheap, certain, and speedy carriage — more than compensating for: any loss in working them — which is the desideratum. In our case, however, I have no hesitation in suying they will pay, and that handsomely. Our present short line has more than paid its working' expenses ; had it two such feeders as the Northern and Eastern lines, it would bring in a revenue, which shorn of our land fund would help us to make the main roads in the Waianawa and Jacob's Eiver districts. Were the two feeders completed, the present working expenses would be little, if any increased. The same engine drivers, stokers, could as easily go from Winton to the Bluff on the same day, as they do now from Invercargill to the Bluff and back. At present three hours are wasted waiting*at Campbelitown and Invercargill on each day ; these could be employed in going to Winton and back, the only extra expense would be the coals and maintenance, none in wages or plant. Surely the. line of rail through the most thickly populated, best cultivated district — the Eastern one — the outlet to'a large part of a neighboring Province will materially assist in realizing a revenue from our Eailways. In the Old Country, • Great Britain, the rail has superseded the metal road; in' the New Country, America, it is the substitute for it. In the latter they never dream of making a road, the the; wilderness is opened up with the rail, and population follows it. Nor is it the cheapness of their construction which has induced their adoption in preference to ordinary roads— the average cost of them being, according to Sir Morton Peto, " from £8,700 up to £15,000 per mile." In that country in 1838— there were 1,843 miles of rail ; in 1860 it had increased to 31,185 miles in which was invested a capital of £235,600,000 So highly do the American people think of this means .of locomotion that " the Commissioner of Census of 1860 declares that so great are benefits railroads have conferred on all departments of agriculture, that if the entire 'cost of the Railroads between the Atlantic end and Western States had been levied on the farmers of the Central West, ihey could have paid it, and been immensely the gainers." The great element of the cost of everything is cost of transport ; let us learn from the experience of such a nation, Tours <fee, **! Alpha.