THE WELLINGTON, HUTT AND WAIRARAPA RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume II, Issue 58, 8 February 1868, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON, HUTT AND WAIRARAPA RAILWAY.

A Public Meeting of those interested in this work was held at the School-house, Greytown, on ‘Wednesday evening last at four o’clock. Mr E. Grigg was voted to the chair, and in opening the meeting, said: —Gentlemen, you are all well aware of the object for which this meeting has been called. Very great interest has been taken by the Wellington people in this railway scheme and what we want to do is to assist them in every way in our power whether by subscribing to the necessary preliminary expenses, or by using our influence in inducing others to do the same, or in fact by contributing in every way whether by money or interest to forward the wishes of the Committee in Wellington. The Wellington people have without hesitation or murmur subscribed largely towards the work and it is to prove that we will not be wanting in energy and generosity that you are now called together. The work is also being pushed on with energy, for by the last advices I received from Wellington, I learn that Mr C. O’Neill has been sent to make a preliminary survey of and report upon fhe line through the Wainuiomata valley; this is done to set the matter at rest or finally decide it in some manner or other, as some confidently assert that this line would be the most practicable way to bring the railway. In a few days we shall know the result of this. Now I need hardly impress upon you that the people who will benefit most by this railway wiil be the settlers of the Wairarapa. These are the men that have the most at stake, and therefore I doubt not that they will give some satisfactory proof of the interest they take. I have constantly heard farmers here complain that their progress and consequently the advancement of the Wairarapa was retarded because they had no outlet for their goods—no market whereto to send their produce, as it would not pay them to send them over the Rimutaka, That difficulty is now about to be removed, and the opening of a railway will give them the easy outlet they so much desire. I will conclude by reminding you that it will not be your money alone that will be expended in this preliminary survey, for whatever sum may be raised among you will be supplemented by an equal amount from the Provincial Government. I will now call upon Mr Bunny to address you. Mr Bunnt;— Before I do so I should like to hear something from Mr Hirschberg by whom this meeting was called. Mr Hirschberg said that the object for which the meeting was called was so well known that it was hardly necessary for him to enlarge upon it. His reasons had"been explained by the Chairman. He regretted exceedingly that the class who were always complaining of the difficulties of transit to and from Wellington, viz., the small farmers, were so poorly represented at that meeting. It was to hear their opinions as well as those of large landowners that the meeting was called. What was now wanted was subscriptions for a preliminary survey and he hoped to see farmers all classes give their donations. He had not as yet stirred himself much in the matter, but he had already collected £3O and he believed he could get considerably more. He hoped that at the next meeting they would have a larger attendance, more especially of small farmers whose interests were intimately bound up in the success of the scheme. The Ch airman here said that he must mention to the meeting that he had received a letter from Mr Revans regretting that he was unable to attend on account of his delicate health.

Mr Bunny then said,—Mr Chairman and gentlemen, a resolution has been put into my hands with which I cord a'.ly agree and which I now beg to propose. It is—“ That this meeting excesses their cordial thanks to the Wellington public for the active part they have taken in the Weilngton, Hutt, andAVairarapa Railway, and that they will use their utmost efforts to obtain subscriptions and coopperate with the Committee now formed in Wellington for carrying the above object into effect,” I have no doubt that this resolution will meet with general satisfaction and I have only to regret that I have such a small audience to address myself to. I have constantly noticed here the intense desire of the people of Wairararapa for public meetings. Let it be any trivial matter, the cry always is, “call a public meeting." Now although they will attend in crowds a public meeting for some trivial object, yet now that we have one called for a most important one, we find all hanging back, and instead of addressing a full room I have to speak only to a few of you. We hear much of men who want either a market here or elsewhere for the remunerative disposal of their produce. Where are these men ? Why do not these men attend a meeting like this convened to take the preliminary steps to fill up that want ? Why are they not here to subscribe towards their desired object ? Do they think that while they remain inert others will bestir themselves to look after their interests when they are too apathetic to do so themselves ? They may in the end find themselves mistaken if they do. These men who have the greatest personal interest in the success of the work should take some of the necessary trouble in its initiation. I cannot understand this apathy. I know certainly and am prepared to admit that many have a valid excuse for not attending on account of the bad weather and the high state of the rivers, but while that excuse holds good with those out of Greytown, it is none for those who live close by and who could easily come. Do the settlers know that the railway will increase the value of property in the Wairarapa —their property—by one-half or two-thirds ? Perhaps they are not aware that our object is to get the funds to have a preliminary survey finished as soon as possible and that our object in doing so is to be enabled to let Mr Morrison have some positive data to take back with him to England and lay before English capitalists so as to induce them to speculate their money in this scheme. You must have something to show that this railway will pay the seven per cent on the outlay which the Government is prepared to guarantee. I do not for a moment pretend to say or suppose that we can make a railway out of our own breeches pockets, because I know we have not the welllined pockets to do it with, but I have no hesitation in saying that we shall find those in England able and glad to give us the necessary money. 1 need hardly point out to you the enormous advantage that would accrue to the province from having £300,000 spent in it in the formation of the railway and for which the return of 7 per cent would not be felt. Now I have heard a great many say, “ Gh! it will never pay, one train load would take all the produce of the Wairarapa for twelve

months.” My answer is, that' this and similar arguments are nonsense—a mere parcel ot nonsense and when experience teaches them how wrong they are they will admit and be ashamed of their mistake. I will remind them that it was not long ago that we found that the accommodation of the Wairarapa required only one trap to run to Wellington every Wednesday returning again the same week. Now we find that not only one daily coach but sometimes two coaches a day are requited to supply the increasing demand" of the passenger traffic between the two places. Why, I re-* member when the idea of Cobb’s coach was first mentioned here, people laughed at it as absurd, in fact, one was almost ashamed to mention it. You were told that the coaches would be blown over the hill, and yet the coaches have now been running some considerable time, and we have not heard of a single accident. In like manner if we have a railway we will find that an increased traffic will be produced which will astonish those doubtful people who now think that the railway will not pay. We have some, perhaps many settlers here who consider themselves very farseeing in this matter —thank goodness we have not more of them—who cannot see what is to make this 'pay. I will point out one item alone which will be an important one in railway traffic, and that is timber. We have more timber than we can possibly use ourselves, aye! more than sufficient to supply the whole province, but we cannot make use of it until we can transport it at a low rate of carriage to a market. We have a timber mill here that cannot supply remote wants because the timber has to be brought over the Rimutuka Hill. That great bugbear, the Rimutuka will be nothing when the railroad is established. The time is rapidly approaching when even if we have not a railway we shall have to find a cheaper mode of transit, for it is impossible that the present high rates can be sustained with the existing fall in the price of stock, wool and other produce, Let us find a market for our goods and Wairarapa will at once take that stand in the Province and Colony which its importance deserves. Ido not care even if the railway does not at first pay the 7 per cent guaranteed on the outlay. Does the wharf at Weliington which cost us £BO,OOO pay ? No! but Ido not the less recognise the necessity of having it, although it does not at the outside return more than £1,500 a year. The railway will bring us advantages of increased trade besides adding to the value of our property. I just now spoke ofthe possibility of the Railway not paying, but my own firm belief is that it will pay 7 per cent within the twelve months. I draw my conclusion from the returns of the toll-gate at Kaiwarrawarra. That toll-bar receives £2,000 a-year from carts, horses, &c., passing through it. What does that amount to as a per centage on the goods that go through the gate? I allow £6OO for what comes from the Ngahauranga road which leaves £I4OO received from the Hutt and Wairarapa. which would show that goods to something like the value of £30,000 a year pass from these districts even at the present time, which pay £2 or £3 a ton traffic. But with the railway we should not be paying more than £1 land freight for every £3 we now pay. After some further remarks he resumed his seat amidst applause, Mr Kempton seconded the resolution proposed by Mr Bunny which was carried.

Mr Ticehuhst moved:—That the meeting be adjourned to Wednesday next, at the “ Rising Sun ” Hotel, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon,

Dr Spkatt seconded the motion and it was unanimously carried/

After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the meeting adjourned.