THE EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1372, 30 July 1885, Page 3

THE EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

At a public meeting in Ashburton on Tuesday night, a resolution was carried unanimously approving of the Government proposals. At Kumar a the same evening, a similar resolution was passed. Telegraphic replies have been received at Reefton from Sir George Grey and Mr Wakefield, M.H.R.’s. The former, while professing friendliness to the West Coast in the matter of railway communication, says he cannot understand why the people expect him to consent to the children of the West Coast being robbed of their heritage by stock jobbers. He says, however, that the railway should have been nearly constructed by this time. Mr Wakefield says that if he never sat in Parliament again he would oppose the present railway scheme to the bitter end. He states the syndicate business is a monstrous fraud upon the colony, by which a ring of foreign speculators'would get twice as much for making the railway as it would cost. He warmly approves the construction of a railway by the colony itself. At a meeting of 3000 persona in Christchurch on Monday night, the following resolution was nassed—“ That this meeting as resident’s in the County of Selwyn desirea the hearty co-operation of Mr Wakefield, as this county member, in passing the West Coast Railway Bill, as being a measure bearing greatly on the welfare of tbi« constituency.” Weliikqton, Yesterday. In the House to-day, Sir Julius Vogel gave notice that he would move on Tueaday the appointment of a Select Committee to consider the question of the East and West Coast Railway; such Committee to consist of Messrs Cowan, Garrick, Menteath, Mitchelson, Majors Atkinson and Steward, Colonel Fraser, and the mover.