THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 19, 11 May 1867, Page 3

THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

Mr Bunny in the debate on the reply, to His Honor’s speech is reported in the “Independent” cf Saturday to have made the following 1 remarks: — His Honor states that “ some disappointment will probably be expressed that nc steps have been taken to carry out the proposed railway to the Wairarapa.” He must say that he did feel great disappointment, and he might say also surprise that the present Government had taken no action whatever to ascertain if

English capitalists were disposed to make a railway upon the terms as mentioned in the Act passed last session, namely, a guarantee of seven per cent upon the oapital invested. He was more astonished at nothing being done, because the Superintendent’s present Executive were all last session warm supporters of the scheme. The Superintendent went on to say “it must be borne in mind that no provision whatever was made by the Council for the preliminary expenses.” To remove this objection for the future, he (Mr. Bunny) had given notice that he should move an address to the Superintendent, requesting him to put £2OOO on the estimates to provide for such expenses. He would shortly state to the Council what took place last session. A committee, of which two of the present Executive were members, was appointed on the motion of Mr. Stokes, to report on a proposal to establish a railway from Wellington to the Wairarapa such committee reported strongly in favor of the proposition, and such report was adopted by the Council It was then suggested by Mr. Fitzherbert, the Colonial Treasurer, that further action should be taken by the Council by legislating on the matter, and not leave it merely as a report adopted by the Council, to which the Government might pay no attention. In consequence of such suggestion an Act was brought in and passed, authorising the Superintendent to'enter into a contract for the construction of such railway. And what had the Superintendent and his Executive done towards carrying into effect such Act ? Why nothing—they had not even written a letter. The Superintendent talked about no provision being made for preliminary expenses but before we incurred such expenses the Government might have written a letter to England to learn whether English capital would be invested upon the terms proposed by the Act. The Superintendent went on to say, that no information had been furnished to show that the railway was likely to pay, &c. Of course noprivate person was going to incur considerable expense to ascertain the present amount of traffic; but nothing could be eaiser, and at little or no expense, tkanjfor the Government to direct the keeper of the toll gate at Kaiwarra to keep (for a month) an account of the traffic passing through the gate, showing what was the nature of such traffic, and the places it came from and were it was going to. The only reliable data which a private member could obtain was the amount taken for twelve months at the Toll Bar Kaiwarra. The year before last, tolls realised £ISOO ; last year, £1750 ; and this year they were estimated by the Government at £2OOO. I his large addition from year to year showed how greatly the traffic is increaing. Now taking the total of the tolls for this year at £2OOO, he believed he should be within the mark at putting £I4OO as the contribution for the Wairarapa and the Ilutt. Therefore the question was, what proportion did the tolls bear to what would be the cost of the conveyance of the traffic by a railway at an average of 30s. per ton ?—probably about a fifteenth; therefore multiply £I4OO, the amount of the tolls, by 15, and you had, he believed, as the result, £21,000. This result would arise from the present amount of traffic; but as a railway if we commenced the necessary negotiations to-morrow, would take fivey'cars before completed, by that time traffic would be so great, even by the present road, as to produce more than sufficient to pay the working expenses, and a seven per cent guarantee ; and this is not reckoning anything for that traffic which could never exist until a railway was • made. But, he submitted, that whether a great work will pay a certain amout of interest, was not always the only consideration which should determine a country as to whether it should be done or not. Did we except the wharf to pay us seven per cent on the £.80,000 it had cost us? Certainly not; but we made it for the purpose of facilitating trade, and to enable Wellington to carry on a large commercial business. Wellington with its splendid harbor and its central position, ought to do more business than any other city in New Zealand. All that was wanted was to open up the country by means of a railway, so that the lands might be populated, its vast island resources properly developed and be brought to a market. Of course, a railway to the Wairarapa was but the first step towards a railway right through the North Island. Some people thought it was too early to commence a railway, but in his opinion we could not be too early in taking action with a view of obtaining English capital to accomplish so great a work; and a work which would so largely increase the trade and revenue of the province; and as long as he took part in public affairs, he would not let the matter rest until he saw the great undertaking accomplished.