The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 102, 7 December 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878.

We observe that llie settlers in the Rakaia district are ur and doing in the way of railway construction. The other daywe had to report the e-femony of turning the first sod of the Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway, and that the contractors (Messrs Anderson) have to complete the works within twelve months. The Ashburton people are also not sla- k in pushing on branch railwnya. Tim Ashburton and Mount Somers will soon he an accomplished fact. Our southern neighbors, always alive to the'r own interest-, are m this matt-r not behind their northern friends Tenders will soon be called for A branch line from the main lam to bhag ■Point What are we in boutli Canterbury /loin-' let ns nsk ourselves? The few iilwUledt" <he Point Railway a yew

or two ago seem to satisfy the settlers in South Canterbury, or at least deprive them of any further exertion in the matter of railways, and to hinder them from faking any steps to connect more closely the lines'that are aiready, in operation. During the* last few monthsjtaud coin-, plaints have been made of tli< difficulties' and delays , ex) tri'eu. ed by travellers whose business le; ds thein to -Christchurch, leaving the Opawa or the Point.' The passenger arrives at Tiinaru only to h .ye to submit -1° a detention of sev rai hours b'' r ore he can make further progress, and the same ..occurs when returning. T.iis, to business men, is as .-o much money lost. We think it is high time "that this st gp ; eo.,ch styl" of travelling was put an end to. Why should it ■ ou..tinue 1 The people have only to say they •want a'bettor connection, and it is dine. A branch lin.- from the Point railway to Arowhenua, a distance of some seven miles, was long since surveyed, and the plans lodged in the Government offices. Along tbi* branch line there is no bridging, not even a culvert worthy the name required. The country from the Opawa to Burke's Pass is rapidly becoming settled by an enterprising and industrious class of tillers of the ground. There is also more than one township laid out, and already possessing several of the usual pioneering establishments, all of which must wish for more direct communication with the capital of the province. It is said that Providence helps those who help themselves. This doetrine may be very aptly applied to the present Government, who have given ample proof that they can be made to help those who exert thcmsHves by every means in their power to enlist that he 1 )"*. This Vranch line is no exception. The people have only to bestir themselves and the thing is done. Without this, years may roll on and tilings grotv no better. In "addition to the large amount of passenger traffic that would pass over this line to join the Christehurch train at Tcmnkn, the wool growers would most readily take advantage of it rather than run the risk of snipping by Timaru—at best both an expensive and dangerous proceeding. Of course, in a season or two, when Milford harbour is opened, the shipping trade will wholly go by fhatontlet, but in the meantime Lyttelton is tne shipping port for nearly the whole province. In connection with the question of railways, let us turn to another part of this district. It will be re ollected that during last session of Parliament a Bil was passed through both Houses called the District Railways Bill. This Bill dealt with the construction of feeders to the trunk line in all parts of the Colony, and it will be remembered that one of the feeders proposed is wlvt is termed an inland railway from Oxford to Temuka, by Geraldine, a distance of some eighty miles. To provide the funds to build these district lines land has been reserved, admitted by the most fastidious to be ample to pay for the work. These lands having been reserved from sale, an anxiety is being manifested that progress should be speedily made with these lines, that the land adjacent may be soon placed in the market. Sums of money were voted by the Assembly to make a commencement with these lines, and a question has arisen, Where will the Government begin the work on the OxfordTemnka line ? From Oxford to •Christchurch there is already railway communication. Further south there are the Malvern lines, and soon there will be communication by the Rakaia Gorge Railway. Further south still there will be Ihe Ashburton Forks Railwa}'. From that all the ! way to Waitohi Flat there is no eonnec- ! tion by rail whatever. Yet along the portion of the proposed Oxford-Temuka line ' lying between the Bangitata and Waitohi Flat settlement has in all parts of the dis--1 trict already been accomplished. Evidently, therefore, it is the duty of the Government to provide an outlet for the country indicated ; and first for the settled districts, in order that works may be constructed that will give some return as the i expenditure goes on. A commencement should be made from Temuka. From that place to Geraldine is a short distance offering no great engineering difficulties. This might be let in one contract to begin with. From Geraldine to Waihi would form another section. By the time these were opened it is probable that Milford Harbor would be ready to give cheap transit for the grain and other produce to the markets of the world. I 1". would also stimulate enterprise in the way of opening up the resources of the Kakahu district (by companies or capitalists) in tho way of mineral productions. It is well known that Kakahu, Pleasant Valley, and perhaps other parts of this district are rich in coal, limestone, building stone, and excellent marble. Besides this it would be a great means of supplying Timaru and other parts of South Canterbury with those now scarce commodities —building timber and firewood, which are so abundant in the Kakahu, Geraldine, Waihi, and other native bushes. The Waitohi district will not benefit so largely as the other districts by any of these railway lines. Although lying between the Pleasant Point and the Kakahu districts it is yet shut out from both. On the north it is shut out from the Oxford and Temuka line by a ridge of high hills, and on the south it is shut off from the Point district by a wide and often dangerous river. It is therefore difficult to prescribe for these ailments, the expense of bridging the Opihi to connect the district with the Point railway by a branch line would be very great, and to carry any branch from the western main line would require a considerable amount of tunnelling or of very heavy gradients. These are drawbacks so great that we need not discuss j the probabilities of either plan being seriously proposed until there is more money in the colonial chest. Possibly a horse tramway might be built at no great expense, running' along the base of the hills, that might suffice for several years. We ai'e not able to speak authoritatively on this subject. If the many intelligent well-to-do farmers in this district would only take action in the matter and indicate their needs something might be done. In the meantime we can only advise in the case of the Point to Arowhenua branch, and 1 lie Temuka to Geraldine or Waihi branch. The best advice that we can give in these cases is to recommend the calling of public meetings without delay at Fairlie Creek, Pleasant Point, Kakahu, and Geraloine, for the purpose of discussing this matter or for getting up a monster petition to the Government urging the necessity of at once commencing these works. Unless we do so, and . J hat speedily, it will be found, when 100

late, thiit our Otago and North Canter-bury-friends will have stol'-u a march upon us. We learn that a large meeting look pb ce in theJvioii tCoi k Hoai'l Board office for the purpose' of taking steps to have Mount Cook Hiding declared an independent county. We do not quarrel with our McKerizie country friends for this; on. the co.-trary, we uish them all success, f! is hrin.ujng the Geraldine County nearer the boundary that we gave it when. -di-cussing the question of local self government some ya is ago. It is [leasing to find our views then expressed being now acted upon. But what we do regret is that the r tepayers at that meetdid not also ii.e tide a movement for a pelil : on lo Government to have (lie branchline from the Point set about at one-. If s< me energetic measures are not. at once taken assuredly we will be left behind in the race of improvement and progress. It will he yet a long time before Parliament again meets, so every month is precious. It is our right. Let us say we will have it, and who will be able, or dare to say we shall not. Every department now-a-days. it is well known, is governed from without, not by the delegates sent out from Kngland, not by seven gentlemen sitting in solemn conclave at Wellington, not by a dozen Sir George 's, nor a dozen Macandrews, Sheehans, or Slouts, but by the will of the people. Popular opinion rules the roast. Let us take courage then and keep petitioning and petitioning, making demand after demand until we receive what is our right. If we do so .there will bo no need to took south and say, "What fools we have been," not to look north and say, '• What slow coaches we Soulli Canterbury settlers are." Now is the time to demand a share of the public money, so much of which has been drained from South Canterbury.