WINTON AND KINGSTON" RAILWAY.

Southland Times, Issue 1643, 4 October 1872, Page 3

WINTON AND KINGSTON" RAILWAY.

g IB — I r ead a leading article in one of your recent issues urging the desirability of agitating in every possible way to have the construction of the Lake railway proceeded with as early as possible. Ycur remarks about the action taken by the Tuapeka people to have the railway from Tokoraairiro to Queenstown via Lawrence pushed forward, fail far short of conveying anything like an idea of the very great exertions being made by all parties there for the immediate construction of their line. At a late rneeMns of their Railway Committee, a cum of, I heard, £80, was at ones subscribed for the purpose of Bending a deputation to Wellington. The advocates of the line via Lawrence to Queenstown consider that if the line to Lawrence from Tokomairiro is only once fairly started, they will be able to overcome the argument.'' brought forward in laVOl' of tl\6 much more direct and les3 expensive route from Winton. They are well aware that the Dunedin interest will be all on their side, and may safely calculate that the present Minister of Public Works will sympathise with their views. Recent occurrences show us that the mere fact of the Winton route being the best and cheapest will hare very little to do with influencing that direction for the line. Nothing but well maintained public interest in the matter has any chance of overcoming the opposition oi those interested in the formation of the longer route via Lawrence. From personal knowledge of the country through which the dilTerent lines would run, 1 can safely say there ! ia no comparison as to which is the best. The area of laud that, by tlie most liberal interpretation, can be called agricultural on the Lawrence route bears no comparison with that on the lire from Winton. The engineering difficulties are Wfll known to be serious on the Lawrence route, n hereua from Winfcon the country is almost level — a. very gradual rise — to Kingston. The distances are, Winton to Kingston, about 67 miles ; Lawrence to Queenstown, about 120 miles ; distance from Wiuton one half that from Lawrence. One point to be borne in mind is that the railway already exists to Winton, but is only a thing of the future as regards its completion to Lawrence. Nevertheless I am thoroughly convinced that if the case is simply left to its own merits, without sustained agitation and pressure brought to bear in the right quarter, the Winton-Kingston Hue, notwithstanding its very superior claims, will be neglected. — I am, # &.c, " Common Sense.