TUAPEKA RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 193, 19 October 1871, Page 6

TUAPEKA RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

The" following letters have been ham e( j to us for publication :—: — \ / ' lAwrence, 4th October, 1871, \ Honl- Colonial Secretary.

Sir.— By direction of the Tuapeka Railway and \Vat«r Supply Progress Committee, I have tbe honour again to oall your attention to the former correspoacteaca pa itjo Ba^jeoti of a proposed railway to-Tuapeka, and to the various jiroposals thereby made witb the yiew of furthering its cons truetion . •J. may add.- that since ,the 3at,e of my former, cblmmuniwtiong, the-suhject has been carefully T9SP3%?tedi>y a Seleofc Committee of tfietftlrgo' JProviociai Council, and a reporV^bgether with Jw»« inaa^ off valuable evidence, has been

printed. By direction of the Committee, I have written to the Provincial Secretary requesting him to forward a copy of the report and evidence for the information of the Government. A perusal of the report and evidence will at onco shew conclusively that the Hue to Tuupeka is far more likely to prove a reproductive undertaking than the bianch from Tokoinairiro to Balclutha, and as conclusive on this point, the attention of tbe Government is especially directed to the return of tbe tolls colleoted on the existing roads between Tokomairiro and Tuapeka and Tokomairiro and Balclutha respectively, printed in the report aliove referred to. The returns was furnished by the Provincial Government, and shew that the traffic to Tuapeka amounts to more than double that on the other road. The Committee desires futther to submit that the line to Tuapeka must eventually be continued to the Dunstan and Lake district 1 !, as the ro ite is the only practicable one for railways to the interior of < )tago. In short, the most prejudiced observer, \f acquainted with the country, hm<] the requirements of traffic, must admit that tbe proposed line is in every resptot of far greater importance than any of the Hues proposed to be constructed in Otago. The Committee are anxious to be informed o f the views of the Government legarding the proposed Hnp, and desire to offer their assistance to the Government in obtaining information, or in any other way in which their services can be of use.

The desire further to remind the Government of a suggestion formerly otfeied by them, to set nside the revenue deiived from the Tuapeka Agricultural Reserve, <r about 100.000 does of land, amounting to about £3000 per annum, as a partial guarantee for the interest on the cost of the proposed line. I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of the Tuapeka TIMi.S newspaper containing a report of the proceedings at the last meeting of the Committee, and rheieso'ntionstliPii passed, and to invite the attcntion'of the Clovisvmnunc thereto.

I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Wit. NOTT GOODAT, Hon. Sec. T. R. & W. S. P. O.

Lawrence, 4th October, 1871. The Provincial Secretary, Dunedin.

Sir.— By direction of the Tuapeka liaiUvay and Water Supply Progress Committee, I have the honour to point out to j'uu that tbe resolution passed by the Provincial Council in May last, on the motion of Mr. Bastings, relative to forwarding to the General Government the petitions from Tuapeka and Duuedin. and report of the Select Committee of the Council ou the proposed railway 'to Tuapeka, has not been fully carried out ; inasmuch, as the report in question, together with the important evidence taken by the Committee, has not yet been laid before the Qeneral Government, or, at all events, it does not appear in the printed papers laid before the Ass mbly, and is not referred to in the published correspondence. lam directed to request your immediate attention to this important matter in order that the General Government may be placed in possession of all the information at an early date. I am further instructed to request that you will be so good as to cause me to he furnished with a copy of the Engineer's Report on the recent suivey as early possible, for the use of the Committee. The Committee is very desiious that the Engineer should be asked to repoit on the comparative merits and prospects of the Tuapeka line as compared with the ot'ier lines proposed to be const! acted in the colony, so fur as his knowledge will permit. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Wir. Nott Gooday, Hon. Sec. T. R. k W. S. P. C.