CORRESPONDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. SHEPHERD NOT AT DRYBREAD. (To the Editor.) Sir, — I note a letter in the last issue of your paper, stating that I did not address a meeting of my constituents at Drybread. The statement is literary true, although not correct inspirit, the fact being that I addressed the electors of Drybread, Devonshire Gully, and Tinkkers, at the last-named place, it being the central place of the three — the other places being about three miles distant. I am quite sure that the letter of your correspondent will lose few of my symgafchisers at Drybread, as some of my strongest supporters live there. During the last fourteen months I have addressed five meetings of the electors at the Dunstan, and at each meetiug^received a unanimous vote of confidence, Vhich compliment, 1 believe, will be paid to me when L visit Drybread. With the exception of your correspondent, who seems to bp yet suffering from the disappointment caused by his candidate polling at Drybread a duck's egg, as against my sixty-three votes. — I am, &c, T. L. Shepherd. May 19th 1873. The eii'or — if error it can be called — was made by the correspondent of tho papers, buc waa literally correct -'I Av.ws," " Dunstan "TtMjK'ka

MR. SHEPHERD AND HIE TUAl't X • RAILWAY v (To the Editor.) Sir, — I regret that you should unintentionally have been the means of circulating the incorrect report of my recent speech at Cromwell, as published in the " Argus "—the more t,o, as you have thought tit to comment thereon. With the view of correcting some of your errors, I ask you to insert this letter. In the first place, the report states that I used the following words :—": — " The fact was, Mr J. C. Brown of Tuapeka's silent vote was given to the Stafford party, and was it likely that Mr. Vogel's Government would authorise the line at Mr. J. 0. Brown's request ? The credit on account of that railway was due—first, to the Railway Committee of Lawrence ; second, to the Provincial Council ; and lastly and principally to himself (Mr. Shepherd)." The report, to have been correct, should have been as follows :—": — " He (Mr. Shepherd) had seen a few weeks ago, immediately after the visit of Mr. J. C. Brown to Cromwell, as traveller for Mr. Bastings, a mendacious article in the " Argus," placing the entire credit of the authorised construction of the Tokomairiro and Lawrence railway to Mr. J. C Brown; whereas the credit of it was really due to the Lawrence Railway Committee, the Provincial Council, his Honor the Superintendent, Sir F. D. Bell, and himself (Mr. Shepherd)—principally the last three named, they being the persons who chiefly induced the Government to place the railway in the schedule, from which it had been omitted by the Government in the session of 1871. To give the credit to the Member for Tuapeka was absured, as he had by his silent vote invariably opposed tlia Fox-Vogel Ministry ; and had not the Government been actuated by a desire to do what was right, irrespective of the Member for Tuapeka, his conduct would have endangered the construction of the line. Was it reasonable to suppose that the Government had made the line at the request and under the influence of a Member who had invariably voted against them ? It was absurd to believe so." You, sir, then assert that "I was entirely opposed to the Tuapeka railway." To show what an error you have been led into, 1 will extract two speeches made by me in the House of Representatives, and reported in " Hansard," vol. xi., pages 927 and 955, when the discussion took place :—": — " Mr. T. L. Shepherd said that he strongly advocated the construction of the railway from Dunedin to the Dunstan goldfields via Lawrence, firmly believing that it would be one of the most beneficial and payable lines in the colony. The Government had not dealt with' the present question in at all a masterly manner; they had dealt with it from a provincial point of view. They had been talking of a colonial policy, but in fact had adopted their measures from the provinces. What course did Victoria take when she commenced her railways 1 The very first one made there cost L 40,000 a mile, and ran straight to the goldfields. When they Raw that a district in the very centre of the Otago goldfields, which should have been the very first to have a railway, was entirely omitted from the schedule, what could be said of the Government'^ great policy 1 Mr. T. L. Shepherd could assure the Government that this was one of the most desirable lines that could be constructed in the colony, both when regarded from a colonising point of view, and as a commercial enterprise. It would not only benefit a very large population already settled in the district, but would facilitate the placing of a large body of settlers upon the waste lands of the Crown. He was sorry the Government had not appointed an independent commission to take evidence and report upon the lines of railway which should have precedence in construction, instead of leaving so important a matter to be decided V>y the Provincial Councils. Had the Government done so, he was convinced one of the first lines they would have recommended for cons traction would have been that from Tokomairiro to the Dunstan via Lawrence. He was glad to be able to quote the words of the honorable member for Mataura (Sir F. D. Bell), that the ;innual cost of carriage of goods to the Dunstan was not less than L 150,000. At the present time there were three lines of coaches running between the Dunstan and Dunedin, and a railway, if constructed, would intersect and open up a large area of good agricultural land, as well as make accessible the goldtields of the province. He regretted exceedingly that the Government had not taken, at the time of the initiation of the schemes, the course he had pointed out as the most advisable, instead of leaving the matter in the hands of those who, being mostly holders of laud, or the representatives of holders, were interested in getting their land made valuable by the construction of railways at the cost of the colony ; but he wished that now, when they must acknowledge the claims of the line, that they would have no objection to placing it in the schedule. By doing so, they would not be enriching, at the expense of the colony, lauds, every acre of which was alienated from the Crown, but making a line that would, if continued to the Dunstan, paysix per cent, on its cost in addition to the working expenses, and react bene6cially on the colony at large. That was more than could be said of many other lines upon the schedule." The above are the last speeches delivered by me on the Lawrence and Dunstan railway, and speak for themselves without further comment. During the present session of the Provincial Oonncil I gave notice for the appointment of a committee to report on she advisability of extending the railway from Lawrence to Roxburgh, Clyde, and Cromwell. In conclusion, 1 have io acknowledge with thanks, the kind support you have given to my efforts for the goldfields' interests from time to time, and to regret that yon should, by misrepresentation or solicitation, by induced to censure me in the undeserved manner you have. Directly I find it necessary to employ a " mentor," newspaper or otherwise, I shall feel itlimperafcive on my part toresign the trust so long placed in my hands by the miners of thU province ; but I am glad to say that 1 hope to reader further services to the mining interest, and shall hi cheered in tho future, as \a the past, , in my efforts by the belief th.it ihey are \ fully appreciated by tlios^ s;ai-ltiig oie'i, j hue miners of this pi-ovia.c. w\\-r.n I h.ive j the honor to represent. — i a.n. .»v., j T. L. »-i3cr"E& '„ , Ti'inolJn, Mny 19,18:3.