The Southland Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8,. 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 747, 8 November 1867, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8,. 1867.

The Railway extension question 'has of late been carried on with a tameness even more remarkable than the activity displayed previous to the last session the Provincial Council. How has this arisen? It would appear that the public imagine that the railway resolutions having been passed, all necessity for further agitation has been removed. This is not the fact. Indeed the Q-o---vernment appear to have subsided into a state of blissful indolence since the prorogration of the Council. We observe that Mr 'Louis Httjie has not been recently favored — or if bo he has kept it rery quiet — with a " communication" from His Honor on the subject which is still uppperm<sst in every person's mind. It is understood that no contract can be entered into until submitted and endorsed by the Council, and the questions naturally asked, are, what is the Government doing towards obtaining the necessary information to enable them to submit at an early date proposals to ■bko Ootz-pcilfor railway construction ? are surveys being made ? are plans and specification 3 being prepared ? is any action being taken to carry out the expressed desire of the people of the Province that the railway extension project should be energetically carried out ? As far as the public are informed nothing has been done. The Government are extremely reticent. ' His Honos the Supebintendent and his Executive Council rode into office on the back of the " iron horse," but now as far as appearances go it would seem that having accomplished a difficult journey they have turned him adrift, and resumed the old jog-trot. If the subject was of such moment that it was deemed desirable to put the country to the expense of a general election in order to | elicit the opinion of the people, it is essentially necessary that the public should understand what the Q-overnment has done to carry out the object for which it was specially elected. As far as the Eastern line is concerned, it may be advanced that no further action can be taken until the conditional offer of the local representatives of the NewZealand and Australian Compauy is sanctioned by the British authorities, but there can be no such excuse for the Northern line not being pushed forward. It has been twice surveyed, is partly constructed, and all the preliminary work required for its completion might have been finished long ere this. What impediment exists to prevent tenders being' called for ? The allocation of the land ia no longer a question of dispute, and nothing but Governmental apathy presents itself as the reason why the work is not sufficiently advanced to require only the endorsement of the Council for operations being 6omtnenced. The summer, the season best adapted to facilitate railway extension, has fairly set in, and nothing should be permitted to prevent the inducement it offers contractors to tender low to be lost. This is a subject which is of such importance that although deprecating the system of perpetuating local political agitation, we do say that if the Grovernment will not by activity prove the truth.

of former promises, they will leave themselves open to the charge of inconsistency, and a desire to retain office at all hazards. The railway question having been fully discussed, and the project having received the unmistakable approval of the public, no further argument is necessary to prove the influence it would have on the progress of the Province ; but the best method of obtaining extensive interior railway communication at the smallest possible cost is still open to comment. The advantage derivable from the system of leasing to companies the right to construct lines of railway — say cheap and light lines— and working them for a period of years under liberal conditions, is a mode that, up to the present time, has not received the serious consideration |it deserves. This is the system that is now being adoped by America to open up country, promote interior communication, and secure immigration. Eailway and telegraph lines are being constructed of the greatest imaginable magnitude by companies with signal success. Without a recognition of this mode of construction had been adopted, there would have been no Atlantic Telegraph; and the gigantic enterprise of the Pacific Eailway — the greatest in the world — would not have been heard of. The subject of constructing railways by granting leases of the lines when completed, as an equivalent for payment, was sometime since brought under the notice of the Provincial Council, but it was not fairly discussed. The Leasing Ordinance was rejected without even the semblance of an attempt being made on the part of our legislators to elucidate the principle it involved. Had that principle been understood and adopted, the Northern line to "Winton would long since have been completed. By the adoption of this system the great objection raised to railway extension by the pastoral tenants of the Crown would fall to the ground, the dread of contractors spotting runs removed, and the steady settlement of the country secured. It would have brought into the Province a large amount of capital, induced immigration, and given an impetus to commerce too large to be estimated. The laud required for the lines would be a mere nothing in comparison with the benefit derived. .The adjacent land would increase in value, the expense of traffic be diminished, and the population multiplied.