The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 73, 28 August 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1878.

The long-looked for visit of Father Hennehery, the Catholic Missionary, has at length taken place. Great activity was used in making preparation for his coming. A temporary building, larger than the church itself, was speedily erected for the occasion, which opened into the church from the north side, the altar being removed to a central position, commanding a view of the church and the largj wing attached. Long before the hour advertised for the Sunday morning service crowds from Geraldine, Kakahn, Waitohi, the Point, and Levels Plain filled the place to overflowing, confirming the opinion of the resident priest, Father Fauvel, that additions to the church were necessary. The Sunday morning service was chiefly introductory, giving the reasons, and showing the necessity for, such labours as those undertaken by the travelling missionary. The afternoon service commenced at 3 pan., the Church and wing being again filled by professing Christians of every denomination. Father Henneberry, after a short statement in explanation of the rosary, with the hope of convincing non-Catholics that Catholics did not adore the Virgin Mary, but only honored her, as we all often honor one another. He gave a sermon, which was based on the case of Moidecai, the unrewarded Jew. The sermon was given in a plain, matter-of-fact form, leading his audience to see how thankful we all ought to be to God for making us human beings so far superior to all other animals, and that even the very food we eat, and the clothing we wear, we ought t@ he thankful for. On Monday morning High Mass was said at 7.30, and other services were held at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Yesterday morning a lecture was given to married people on the duties and responsibilities of married life. In the afternoon the great preacher urged upon his hearers a closer adherence to the rules of the Church, and a greater regard to their duties as Christians. The attendances have been hitherto as great as any one could have anticipated, and Temuka has presented a most animated appearance. On Friday afternoon temperance will, we understand, form the subject of discourse, when doubtless the success of the missionary will be as great here as elsewhere. A most unfortunate affair happened in the course of the Sunday afternoon service, through the crowded state of the building—a well-known and highly respected resident being ac" cased of intentional disrespect by keeping on his hat within the building during the service, when in fact he was quite outside in the cold. An interview between the two persons most interested has resulted in a better understanding and in the complete exoneration of our fellow-towns-man.

The estimates for the Timaru Hospital for the year 1878-79 are as follows : Salaries, £660 ; drugs and surgical appliances, £260; rations, fuel, &c., £1650 ; miscellaneous, £2OO : furniture, bedding, &c., £IOO ; repairs and painting of wards £20,0 ; new fever ward urgently wantd, £1400; total, L 4470. The Colonial Secretary informs the Hospital Commissioners that it will depend on the general Hospital building vote of the Legislature whether or not Government can give any assistance to increase the building. At present they propose to defray half the cost of maintenance. The expense of the Timaru Hospital is very large as compared with larger hospitals, but if the locality defrays half the cost it will be assumed that the expenditure is found necessary. The Hospital returns for the month were read as follows Patients under ti’eatment at date of last return—males, 15, females 4 ; admitted daring the month—miles 17, females 4, total 21; cured, males 17, females 3, total 20 ; dead—male 1 ; total discharges, 21 ; remaining under treatment —males 14, females 5, total 19. An inquest was held in Timaru on Saturday last on the body of a man named Thomas Brooks, a native of Canterbury, England, found dead by the road side. Medical evidence showed that he had died of heart disease.

The Dean of Chichester lately said in a sermon ; “Yq men of Science, leave me my ancestors in Paradise, and I do not grudge you yours in the Zoological Gardens !”

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATE MENT.

Wellington, Aug, 27

The Hon Mr Macandrew eommencocl to deliver his Public Works Statement last night by alluding to the changes he had mads in the organisation of the Department, placing the working railways, under the management of a Commissioner for each Island, as recommended by the Railway Committee last session. " The other principal recommendation of the Committee relating to leasing one of the Auckland lines,, had not been acted upon, and required grave consideration. Meantime be was much in faror of the State retaining the management of its railways in its hands. Railway tickets would shortly be sold in all the chief centres otherwise than at railway stations. Although the retains on one or two small lines have not paid working expenses, yet they will on the whole be regaidcd as satisfactory.

MIDDLE ISLAND WORKING RAIL-

WAYS. 740 miles were open, of which 94 wore opened during the past year. The net balance of rcccijits over expenditure available for payment of interest was L 145,346 against LI 18,000 for the previous year, showing a per-centage on the whole outlay for construction of 2.65, a not unfavorable result, seeing some of the lines included in the outlay have only been opened recently, ami others still are unfinished. The total number of passengers was 1,159,147. The working expenditure on the Dunedin section had been heavy, owing to L 36 per mile having to be spent on new rails. The working expenses on the Christchurch section had been considerably reduced. It was not intended to create a sinking fund for wear and tear, but charge repairs as needed to current expenditure of working. The earnings per mile had been :—Christchurch section, L 764 10s 7d ; Dunedin section, LIO7I 19s 5s ; Invercargill section, L 331 3s Id.

WORKING RAILWAYS, NORTH

ISLAND,

311 miles were open for traffic, of which 99 were opened daring past year. The net balance of receipts over expenditure available for payment of interest are L 18,656, against L 13,656 for the previous year, shewing a per centage on the whole outlay for construction of | per cent. The total number of passengers was 313928,

RAILWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

The reduction in the head office salaries by substitution of an engineer in charge for each Island, instead of an Lngineer-in-Chief, and other charges would amount to L3OOO. The change is likely to work well, and be beneficial to the Service. It had been alleged that the changes by which the construction of Public Works, and the working of railways in the South Island had been reduced under distinct heads, was the forerunner of some deep and sinister design on the part of some person or persons, and that it was studiously intended to lead up to the political separation of the two Is.ands. We need scarcely sav that such surmise was absolutely without foundation. One of those changes at least had been result of careful enquiry by a Committee of the house, and so far as he was concerned, both had been made solely and simply with a view to a more efficient and economical administration, and altogether, irrespective of the political opinions which lie had lo n o- held, and which he still held, as to what would have been the best and most suitab form of Government for New Zealand. He would even go further, and say that in his opinion it would have been well for the Colony to* have had two Ministers for Public Works, one for each Island, both being members of the Cabinet, with seats in, and responsible to, the House.. He ventured to think that, had such been the case, there would have been much more to show for our money than there now was. Ther must be incurred to complete the por tion of railways already authorised, L 958,900 ; to complete 425 miles in the North Island, L 1,007,000 to complete 874 miles in the Middle Island. Out of a total expenditure of L 2,045,000 required for this purpose, it is proposed to spend this year L 1,176,500.

the future north island RAILWAYS.

It is proposed to fill up the gaps in the North Island system as follows Wellington to'Foxton, via Waikawa, 61 miles; Waitotara River to Upper Patea Crossing. 50 miles ; Te Awarautu (Waikato) to Inglewood (Taranaki), 125 miles. This will complete an unbroken line from Wellington to Auckland of 476 miles. Masterton to Woodville, 50 miles ; Woodville to Papapa, 50 miles, thus establishing an unbroken railway communication from Wellington to Napier by a line of 220 miles ; Waikato to the Thames, 30 miles ; branch line to Hamilton, 2| miles; Helensville to Kapakapa River, 2£ miles. Except as regards the line from Waikato to the Thames there are no actual surveys and the following cost is estimated on the basis of a mileage rate :— Wellington to Foxton, L 440,000 ; Waitotara River to Upper Patea Crossing, L 35,700 ; Te Awamutu to Inglewood, L 111,500 ; Masterton to Papatu via Woodville, LOS,OOO ; Waikato to the Thames, L 168,000 ; branch line to Hamilton, LIO,OOO ; Helensville to Kapakapa River, L 25,000 ; Kangawi to Kawio (7£ miles) L 3,000; total, L 2,775,000, cr a total, including the amount required to complete the various railway lines already authorised of L 3,733,000. The construction of the line through the Waikato country estimated, as I have said, to cost LI, 115,000, will, it is hoped, be fully warranted by the acquisition of considerable areas of land suitable for settlement. I understand that the line will run through some of the

finest land in New Zealand, and from what has passed, between the hon. the Premier, the lion, the Native Minister, and the Natives concerned, there is good reason to hope that the acquisition of the necessary land will be successfully negotiated. If those Natives have a just conception of the vast revenue which ill accrue to them after parting with sufficient land whereby to construct this railway they will not hesitate for a moment to enter heartily into a transaction which is bound }o increase -the value of the land which will be left to them very many fold. Moreover, they may earn a large amount of money by devoting - their labor to the construction of the lin°, and there is good reason to believe that large numbers of them will gladly accept the useful employment which the construction of this line will afford. The construction of the Wellington-Fox ton line will to some extent be contingent upon the acquisition of land from the Native owners. In addition to an area of 300,000 acres of Maori land, 180,000 acres of which have been under negotiation for some time, the line will render available for settlement 1,000,000 acres now in the hands of the Crown, and there can be no doubt that, taken together, these lands will ultimately realise an amount which will go far towards covering the, cost of the proposed railway. I know there may be considerable difference of opinion amongst hon members -with regard to this line, but I think that, apart from any advantages it may ''of -itself yield by enabling the country between Wellington and Foxton to be beneficially occupied, it is extremely desirable that it should be made as part of the main trunk line which is 1o connect Wellington wHh Auckland. If the the two great centres, Wellington and Auckland, are to be efficiently connected by railway, this Wellington to Foxton portion must be constructed at some time or other. I believe it to be well that we should accept'the conclusion that connection has to be made, and if so I think the Parliament and the people will agree with me that the rooner it is do ic the better it will be for the country, It will be seen from one of the appendices to this Statement that during the recessthe question of the best route from Wellington to Foxton has occupied the attention of the Public Works Department, and of this hon gentlemen may rest assured that, assuming the Government should be enabled to undertake the work, it will not be commenced until there has been a most thorough investigation us to the best route to be adopted. It will thus be seen that our proposals embrace one main line of communication on the West Coast from Wellington to Auckland and the Thames, and 'mother on the East Coast, from Wellington to Napier, to make the system complete. It remains but to establish a connection between these two main lines by means of a short link of 12 miles between Bunny thorp and Woodville. This would place Napier and nearly all the East Coast country in communication not merely with Wellington, but also with New Plymouth and Auckland. The probable cost of this link would be LI 10,000, and there can be little doubt that sooner or later this work will be undertaken. As regards the north of Auckland it will be seen by these proposals that if the Kauapuka Station can bedridvanfageously selected, railway communication for a distance of 50 miles will connect that city with the great Kaipara estuary, at a point accessible to vessels of ordinary tonnage. The short line from Wangaroi to Kaimo, opening up, as it will do, the important mineral and agricultural resources of that district, will come in as a portion of the main northJine, which nil I, when completed, connect Auckland with the Bay of Islands.

MIDDLE ISLAND RAILWAYS. As to the Middle Island the works we propose for YYJe“;—Otagjj_Co 11 - tral/ Danedin to Albert Town (Li'ilreWfAudtM, 160 miles. LIIO,OOO ; Amberley t.orßnmiier 1 on, 110 miles, L 950,000 ; Greymoutb to Hokitika, 26 miles, L3feo,ooo ; SdiTtTPAsKhuftoff 'to AshourtonVForks, 20 miles, L 55.000 ; Albury extension, 20 miles, LI10,000; to Edendale,.26 miles. LIIO.OOO ; Otaufau to Nightcaps, 10 mi!es77so,'ooo ;' Cl tha to Catliu’s River, 18- miles, L 95,000; Waikaka to Switzer’s, 15 miles, L 70,000; Kingston to Kawaran, 35 miles, L 180,000; Shag Yalley branch line, 9 miles, L 35,000; Tapanui to Heriot Burn, miles, L 40,000 ; >}Vaireka branch to Livingstone, 16 miles, Li. 05,000, making a total length of proposed railways for the Middle Island of 576 i miles, at a total cost of L 3,565,000. Adding to this an amount of L 1,087,000, which is the estimated cost of completion, and putting into working order the lines already authorised and opened for traffic in the Middle Island, we shall have a total of L 4,662,900 for that Island. As regards the Otago Central hon. members will recollect that this House last session, both by resolution and by Act, affirmed that 100 miles of this line through Strath Taiei i to Clyde should be proceeded with, and the House also passed a resolution, in compliance with which 396,000 acres of Crown lands have been reserved from sale with the view of devoting the proceeds when they are sold to the construction of this portion of the line. It is -now proposed to extend the line from Clyde to Lake Wanaka, a distance of 60 miles, for some fifty miles of which the country is as level as a bowling green, the whole of it being in the hands of the Crown, and available for settlement. My belief is that no other of the lines now proposed will promote settlement and increase the productive powers of the Colony to the same extent as the Otago Central, and I venture to predict that many years will not pass without this line being extended to Hokitika via the Haast Pass. The length of that extension from Albert Town, the nowcontemplated termination of the line is only 190 miles, and the highest point of the range to be crossed is only 1700 feet, as against 3000 feet in the next line we propose to undertake, namely, that from Amberley to Brunnerton, a distance of 110 miles. Although it does not appear that this Amberley Brunnerton line in proportion to its length and cost of construction will open up a very large extent of country' suitable for settlement, yet the area of such land that will be opened up is by no means inconsiderable, and the proceeds of its sale will go far towards defraying the cost of the work. There can be no room for doubt that the traffic between the cast and west coasts will by this line be developed enormously. It is estimated that oven now wore the line at

woi’k there would be at least 10,000 tons of coal alone brought across weekly, and if, as I believe, this coal, . which is quite equal to the best Newcastle, can be put into ships’ holds at Lyttelton for somewhere, about LI a ton, it is difficult to place any other limit than that of the carrying capacity of the line upon which the traffic would be developed. There is also an almost unlimited quantity of timber which would find its way to market by this railway. The hon members will gather from the Engineer’s report that much careful exploration will be required befoi’e the exact route can be determined from Brunnerton to Greymouth. As members ax-e aware there is now a railway in operation, and we propose to continue it to Hokitika, a distance of 26 miles. In accordance with a resolution of this House last session, a resexwe of land was made in the Aorere Valley, iix the Nelsou dis trict, with a view of the proceeds being applied to railway constrxiction. A flying survey of the proposed line is now being completed. The Government is of opinion, however, that before any expenditure in this direction is ixxcurred, it is desirable that the river: should be bridged, and the district rendered accessible by road, for which purpose L 4700 has been placed on the estimates. It will be recollected that last session the House, on the xxxotion of the hon member for Akaroa, Mr Montgoxxxery, directed that surveys should be made, and estimates prepared for a number of branch railways as feeder’s to the main line. Those plans

have been made, and the estimates are ready,but it has been suggested that the general interests of settlement would be better served, and the resources of Canterbury be developed to a much greater extent if instead of those branches we obtained authox’ity to construct an interior main line of about 85 miles in length, by means of which a very large area of available country would be opened up and made productive. I xxow submit proposals for the interior mainline, Oxford to Tenxuka accordingly. The South Ashbux’ton to Ashburton Forks, and the Albany exteixsion lines will facilitate the beneficial occupation of upwards of 200,000 acres of land, which must add largely to the exports of the country, and to the revenue of the main line. Of this land 30,000 acres are in the hands of the Crown. Some hon members may be disposed to think that having regard to the length of the railways wlxich Canterbury already possesses, she is allowed an undue share in our proposals, but a slight reflection will show that such an objection cannot be fairly sustained when we consider tiie large amounts which the coffers of the Colony have derived from the land revenue of Canterbury, axxd the amount which it is hoped will, for some time to come, continue to be derived from the same source. I maintain the district is entitled to even more than is now proposed. We are, in fact, only intending to confer upon the people of Canterbury the benefit derivable fx’om applying to a colonial purpose only their own money — only proposing to expend a portion of the land revenue for the benefit of those upon

the land from which that revenue Ims been derived by devoting it to purposes to which not only is it legitimately applicable, but for which it ought always have been held sacred, The same remarks will apply to the other railways which are to depend for their construction upon the proceeds of the sale of lands to be rendered valuable by them. Another important line in Canterbury which is not included in the present proposals is the Akaroa and Lake Ellesmere line. The Government hope that the Trust whoso powers will be prolonged and extended b_y the Bill which has recently passed this branch of the Legislature may be the means whereby this wo k may be proceeded with. If, however, it should be found that the Trust is unable to do so, the Government will at a futm’e time be

disposed to deal with the matter specially, a view to this most important undertaking being pressed forward. As regard's the bi’ancti line Waipahi to Heriot Burn], it will be recollected that last sessjon the House decided that this should be constructed as far as ./Tapanui. It voted no money for the work, but resolved that it should be paid

for out of land to bo set aside for the purpose. lam pleased to say that this branch is now under way, and that no money will be required until after completion, the terms of the contract being that payment is to be made in cash i n equal instalments at two, four, and six months after the time is completed. The amount, L 61,500, and the time for completion, twenty-two months from date of contract, so that we shall have two years and upwards in which to realise upon these 40,000 acres of land reserved. The probability is that this land, owing to the construction of the railway, will realise from LI to L 3 and upwards an acre, and will thus yield double the amount of the contract. I may add that there were five tenders for the work on

the above terms, and the one accepted, being the lowest was L2OOO under the engineer’s estimate. This fact is worth any number of arguments to show how we might, to a great extent, construct our railways without increasing the amount of our public debt, or adding to the annual burden in respect thereof. It is now proposed to extend the line ten miles further. By so doing the growth of cereals will be very largely increased, and one of the most productive districts in the Colony fully developed. (The remaining part of the Statement will appear in our next issue.)