The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1885. THE EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1378, 13 August 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1885. THE EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

The East and West Coaßt Railway question is for the preient shelved. Various rumors are afloat to the effect that it will yet be revived in some form or other, but definite information on the subject is not yet to hand. Judging by what has hitherto taken place, however, it appears to us extremely improbable that anything will bo done this session. The last division on the question tends to prove that the House is determined to have nothing to do with it in any form wbatsoerer. When the House has refused to allow a Select Committee to make further inquiries in regard to it, it appears to have reached a hopeless stage, and that it is not only folly but waste of energy to pursue the subject. Yet the Lyttelton Times is as violent as ever in its advocacy of it, and the Canterbury members are equally persistent. There can bo no doubt but that the unreasoning, senseless, and foolish way in which the Lyttelton Times has been pursuing the subject has done the cause more harm than good. Even in Christchurch the people are disgusted with it, and letters have appeared in the Press to the effect that the nonsensical conduct of the Lyttelton Times was ruining the cause which it was advocating, However, we do not think this a matter for regret, Anything that would bring discredit on the West Coast Railway scheme ought to be looked upon with favor, for never was a more monstrous proposal submitted to Parliament. la previous issues we have shown th*t besides giving the 50 per cent, of land to the byndicate that would build the railway, the Government also proposed to give a guarantee of per cent, over working expenses. Since then Sir Julius Vogel has stated that besides the per cent, over working expenses, the colony would also have to make good any loss which might be sustained in working the railway. This is the most serious point of all, for it is impossible to say what the colony would eventually have to pay. Let us suppose, for instance, that the railway did not pay within per cent, of working ex penses. The colony would have to pay this as well as the per cent, guarantee, so that in reality it is possible that we might be called upon to pay 5 per cent, on the coat of construction, and even then the railway and the land would be the private property of (he Syndicate, What the people of Christchurch and lhe other districts interested can be thinking of in going pretty nearly mad over such a ruinous proposal as this it is impossible to understand. It would be better by far that the colony should borrow the money and make the railway twice over than agree to these terms, and yet in the dis'ricts affected no mau dare stand on any platform and oppose if. There are sensible men to be met with in then# districts who are thoroughly disgusted with the proposal, but they dare not say so. Anyone who dares to speak one word in opposition to the scheme finds himself in troubled waters very soon. All this arises from « selfish desire to get public money spent in these districts. They do net care one straw what the consequences maj be so long as the money is spent. In this they make a great mistake. If Meigge and Sons were to get the contract they would employ cheap labor—probably Chinese —as they have done elsewhere, and the result would be that it would not benefit working men to the extent expected, However, we do not think that anything will be done this session in the matter. It is practically shelved, and the colony may be congratulated upon its escape from such a crushing burden.