The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1869.

Southland Times, Issue 1137, 7 April 1869, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1869.

It is now five years, to the best of our recollection, since the idea was first mooted of finishing the railways in this Province. How many difficulties have arisen since that time, and how many obstacles have been thrown in the way of their completion, those who take an interest in railway matters are, no doubt, conversant with. Very shortly after the present Superintendent, the Hon. Mr Taylor, was elected, a correspondence ensued between him and the General G-overnment on the subject of railway extension in Southland. The first to be undertaken was the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway. For the completion of this line a grant was made of 25,000 acres. This work occupied about twelve mouths, and although the •trade of the Province has fallen off considerably since the time when the line was firat started, yet it has been the means of conferring great benefit, not only upon merchants and traders by the expeditious and cheap manner goods are received from the Bluff, but on the squatters, who are now enabled to export their wool at a much less cost than under the old system. His Honob, being still impressed with the importance of railway communication through a country peculiarly fitted as Southland is, fiat and free from engineering difficulties, again addressed the Colonial Secretary. This time, howover, the grant of land sought to be obtained was much larger, and the direction of the contemplated lines calculated to open up fine agricultural lind, at the same time that it rendered valuable a work that thousands of pounds -

had been already spent upon — we allude to j the Oreti Eailway. Mr Stafford, it must be admitted, acted in a very liberal manner. He offered to set aside blocks of land amounting, in the aggregate, to 210,000 acres, onthe recommendation of the Provincial Council, in order to enable the Provincial Government to finish the Oreti Eailway, and construct a line through the eastern district as far as the Mataura. This offer, unfortunately for the p^sperity of tl» Province, was set aside chiefly through the influence of the squatters, who at that time, formed a considerable element in the Council. We say unfortunately, because if the eastern line had been constructed it would have conferred incalculable benefit on the settlers besides encouraging the Company to proceed with further agricultural operations. It was simply the narrow-minded prejudice of an influential section of the community, that has not benefitted them in the slightest degree, which prevented this work being undertaken. The Company, which had expended some hundreds of thousands of pounds, afforded constant employment to hundreds of people, and,* we believe, prepared to go even much more extensively into industrial pursuits, was compelled to suspend operations to a great extent, because it was ob" viouß that without communication with the Beaboard, there being no local market, the produce from the stations became comparatively useless ; in fact there was no corresponding return on the outlay of capital such as to justify a continuance of the expenditure on the same scale as formerly. After the eastern railway had been abandoned, His Honor next addressed himself to the Oreti line. A grant of 60,000 acres was obtained, (we are not quite sure of theexactamount) but owing to the fact of the interest on the debt being required to be met, it was found impossible to accept of this mode of payment without causing serious difficulty to the Government. A new plan was hit upon, by which the local Executive were to obtain all kinds of Provincial revenue for twelve months, and the interest on the debt capitalised. By this means the Government were not only enabled to go on with the making of roads \ in the country districts, which urgently required them, but sent home some £13,000 for railway material. A recent grant of 25,000 acres has placed the Executive in \ a position to complete the Oreti line, and devote 6,000 acres to other works. It is only right and fair to state that the Government, of which Mr Blacklock was a member, mainly contributed in carrying out the above undertakings. We are glad to be able to congratulate our readers on the successful termination of a much vexed question, and of the prospect of the speedy completion of a nr ost important work.