THE LATEST RAILWAY SCHEME.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 223, 9 May 1872, Page 7

THE LATEST RAILWAY SCHEME.

In the first column appeara'a petition foe a railway, which a few patriotic individuals, anxious to benefit the province, hastily got up and issued. More mature, consideration, and examination of the features of the country by a competent engineer, showed it was inaccurate in many vital particulars. It was therefore withdrawn, and the petition which appears in the second column substituted, and is being extensively circulated and numerously signed. « To His Excellency Sir George Bowen, To His Excellency, &c. . « Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and St. George, Governor and Com-

mander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New. Zealand and its Dependencies and ViceAdmiral of the same, and the Members pf. the Executive of the said Colony. The Petition of Residents in the UpCountry Districts of the Province of Otago, in the Colony of New Zealand, Sheweth — . That the undersigned are Residents in the Up-Country Districts of the Province of Otago. m That while fully recognising the wise policy of your Excellency's Government in opening up the Waste Lands of the Colony to settlement by means of railway communication, they regret that several lines should have been placed upon the first Schedule, which can neven attain a higher rank .than feeders of the main system. That the proposed Tuapeka Railway is a notable instance of this, as it only opens up a limited extent •of land snitable for j settlement, and owing to the physical features of the locality, is incapable of extension in any direction unless at an enormous outlay of capital and labour. i • I That a line opening up the fertile plains of the Mataura, the vast forests of the Blue Mountains, and the rich mining districts of Switzers, the Nokomai, Mount lSenger, Manuherikia, Dunstan, &c, &c, could be constructed for little if any greater expenditure than that required for the construction- of the Tuapeka Line. That such a line, connecting with the Mataura line at Popotnnoa or Waipahi, thence proceeding- along the Valley of the Pomahaka in a northerly direction, crossing that river at a point near Roberts' Flat, striking the west bank of the Molyneux at a point adjacent to Moa Flat, thence along the bank of the river through the rising townships of. Roxburgh,, and Alexandra, to its termmus near Clyde ; that such a line would through its whole course pass through a level country, presenting no engineering difficulties, and requiring but a trifling expenditure in bridges. That, briefly stated, the advantages of such a line would be :—: — 1. Access to a vast area of agricultural and pastoral country. * 2. An impetus given to mining on an extended scale throughout the most auriferous portions of the Provinc9. 3. The profitable working of the deposits of iron, copper, plumbago, cinnabar, antimony, and other ores 'known to exist, rendered, possible.

4. Economy of construction, dwing to Vie greater portion of the land through ..which the proposed line would take its course being still the property of the Crown, to the absence of heavy cuttings, tunnels, or bridges, and ,to the facilities for procuring an unlimited snpply of suitable timber. 5. Easy extension to all outlying centres of population, stfch as Cromwell, with its valuable reefs, *he Hogburn, St. Bathans, Blacks j' Hamiltons, • Drybread, Naseby, &c.-, &c. 6. Easy connection with th« Northern Trunk Line, tfiereby perfecting the railway system of the Province. ' That in addition to these important advantages, sucli a line would immediately benefit a large and settled population, including persons, engaged in various kinds of productive labour. Therefore your Petitioners pray that your Excellency will be pleased to direct an immediate enquiry to be made, and on ;a favourable teport being received of the line recommended by your Petitioners, will sent it for "consideration of the ensuing session of the Legislature, and in the meantime direct that no steps be taken towards carrying out the line from Tokomairiro. » . And your Petitioners- will eyer pray.

The petition of runholders, their flunkeys, and loafers generally, Sheweth — That the undersigned are runholders, flunkeys, and loafers. • That while fully recognising the wise policy of your Excellency's Government in opening up the Waste Lands of the Colony to settlement by means of railway communicotion,' they regret that several lines should have been placed upon the first Schedule which will not pass by thendoors. That the proposed Tuapeka Railway is a notable instance pf this, as it will Jonly pas 3 through country the pastoral license over which has been cancelled, and a large area taken up for agricultural settlement, and the^e is a demand for other licenses to be cancelled ; and that it will not pass the home stations of your runholding petitioners. Also, that were it extended, as it probably will be, up the valley of the Molyneux, it would be inimical to the cause of true settlement, which is, in our opinion, the retention *oi their runs by the squatters, inasmuch a3 it would. create a demand for land, and probably cause the Molyneux valley to be taken up' by the farmer class, which is exceedingly obnoxious to us. That a line opening up the fertile "plains of the Mataura (seeing that there is only one line projected for that purpose) the vast forests of the Blue Mountains, the magnificent building stone and marble of the Spylaw, the auriferous deposits on the bed of the Molyneux, the practically inexhaustible whiskey resources of Benger Burn, and the rich mining districts of Scrubby Flat, Horseshoe Bend, and Welshmans Beach, could be constructed for a little less than ten times the cost of the Tuapeka line. That such a line, connecting with the Mataura and Balclutha line (which it is not at present proposed v to construct, but which your petitioners pray may be immediately commenced) near Popotunoa, the Waipahi, or anywhere else, thence proceeding along the valley of the Pomahaka to the various saw-mills at the Blue Mountains, passing through Swit«ers and Nokomai ; thence returning to the bridge now in course of erection over the Pomahaka, on which it could pass with safety ; thence going in a northerly direction to Campbells and Potters, returning therefrom and passing through the Moa Flat Block, and close to Clarke's woolshed (where a station would be required) ; thence to the Teviot station ; thence along the valley of the Molyneux, through Butchers, Conroys, and Blackmans Gullies, over M'Pherson's punt, to its terminus near Clyde. Such a line would be exceedingly easy to construct, the only engineering difficulties being a ten-mile tunnel through the Old Man, and several others of lesser magnitude through Mount Benger, and a bridge over Mr JBradshaw's red line. That, briefly stated, the advantages of such a line would be :—: — 1. Access given to a vast area of agricultural and pastoral country, which is urgently required, in 50,000-acre blocks, for bonafide settlement. 2. An impetxis given to mining on an extended scale throughout the most auriferous portions of the provinoe, viz., the flat between the township of Ettrick and "the Molyneux,-' which is at present unworkable on account of the appliances at the command of the miners proving unable to cope with the water. The proposed railway, it is confidently anticipated, would drain the claims in question, and their profitable working would speedily raise «the now rapidly rising city of Ettrick into the position it is justly entitled to — that of the Capita^ of the Goldfields of the Southern Hemisphere, which would largely benefit the colony and the world at large. 3. The profitable working of the deposits of iron, copper, plumbago, cinnabar, antimony, Britannia metal, pewter, brass, zinc, bronze, coke, and other ores rendered possible, and also the successful cultivation of bananas, bread fruit, oranges, grapes, and other tropical fruits on the top of the Spylaw. 4. Economy of construction, owing to a great portion of the proposed line passing through the 50,000-acre block, the owner of which would gladly make the Government a present of the land required ; and also to sleepers growing ready cut all along its course, and the probability of the rails required being cheaply manufactured on the spot from ore from the iron mines in the vicinity. 5. Easy extension to all the outlying centres of population, such- as the Island Block, the 'South African diamond fields, «fche Baffin's Bay whale fisheries, \fec, &c. 6. Easy connection with the northern trunk line, thereby perfecting railway communication between Wellington and New York, thus preventing the English mail being at any time delayed by the snowing up of the Pacific line. That in addition to these important prospective advantages,. such a line would | immediately benefit a large and settled population- now resident on the Island Block, the 50,000-acre block, and the Sliingle Block, who are engaged in every kind of scheming. Therefore your Petitioners pray that your Excellency will be pleased to direct an immediate enquiry to- be made, and on a favourable report being received of the line recommended by your .Petitioners, will send it for consideration of the ensuing session of the Legislature, and in the meantime direct that* no steps be taken towards carrying out any of the lines in the colony. And your petitioners will ever pray.