THE WANAWATU RAILWAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1246, 5 December 1882, Page 2

THE WANAWATU RAILWAY.

' Mr M. W. Qrt.ii, M.H.11., write! ai follows to the Dumdin Biening Star on the above railway :—Although I agree with you that it was by virtu* of an Act of the Legiilature that th« contract for the Wellington . and i ■ Manawatu Hut »»b entered iite, yet that Act did not compel the Government to enter into the contract | for the lame Act Authorised aereral other lines to be made, but nothing van donp in rejard lo ihera. The contract was, therefore, tho f ut act of the Governmeat; and whitlnjr credit or blame ii due, l# ,. on account of the contract, it belongs to' the Government mukiug it. If you will look at tht. ichedule of the lands given and their position on the map I think you will see reason to alter your judgment somewhat ai to the character of the land.V But be that as It may, 210,602 acres have \ ilmdy beeti given, and the contract prqyg vides for an additional grant, of the valiyßf?* of orer 129,090, or, at tho average per\o • acre of the present itrant, a further extent ,: of country of nearly 00,000 aorea, or• •».'■; i.v, total in round numbers of 270,000 aorei. How the upi'et price of land is £1 per acre :lf and it is not' to much to say that, when the railway is made, this land •' will certainly be'equal In value, to that»umj and tbie thia grant will represent _, £270,000. But the contract provides that these landi shall be subdivided into farmi and ■ town and. suburban sections, and stipulates certain prig's for eacholaas of land; the town section to bo sold for not leu than L2O per aire, and the suburban not less thaaftS. If* then,:thia, fact is borne in mind,itwill be seen ; that when the land is sold the average price will.be very much beyond LI per tore; butj'for the sake of my argument; I simply reckon > tbeaveragaaiLl.. Add to the L270.G00 \, value of the land the farther itim of ir26,Q00, tke cost of <ho work done by .thei.Government pn the.lineanaVj' of plant o^'^

givou to the the sum boaHmo> ? L ! 308;O0O. tho twenty, acres of f oreslioro '■> are - reS tS-A •*■ eatimtito of itßynluo would bo L3iooo pdr R'cro, V LOO.OOO for tho twenty*;.atrea-ißiidv w tlib-'-OoriipHny-must navo„» ,pjacß,.in wliiolv to' put no -spoil 'lnnt llw ,apd.■ for which thoy this concession, it may be mid practically to cost them mmhing;-; ;Wd'thus hitvo-th'o jam-'pf I366,ooo,wfeich I.stateji theGdv."< eminent .h'n'd'".alro»dy '< virttrnTl/'-"fe'iVen*" .. towards miking [net mint be haoV» lien upon oyqry.-block ~of>Notiv6 land along the course of Jlie line v much of Which land is worth from •''# to £lO per a ßk Noyf - ofcoube thb'Governuient tbat.lieu i.n y favor .of tho, Compiflllkbut wo know";.what arrange- . menls can he made in'orileV to attain tho result: and" hi .this wo have the fricfc-tluit tli'o Govornmi'iit W their lien, mid 1119 Company became thrpurclusovj.aiid" from t|ie pur-, chase of thU \ m ] by th o Company a profit is likely to o.ccrue of.possibly between L2W,Wo,and, L 800.000., Tho length of the line,da M\. milo?, estimated >t<vc'ofit ; 15,000 per mile, or.-. total of L 421,250. Now, deduct the L36G.000 fivun thin, and the sole, cost of the line !to the Company would be L55,!50. If there is added to this the profit ( 'tbjJo hiade:by the sale of 'the, land ; o.ver. ; which .tho;:Gdvernv ruent gavo _up; Ihoiiy claim,-wo''maysay that Government have mado a virtual Rift to the Company of as much land,,'etc., as will' pay;:for Iho construction of llio wlmlo line, and a bonus' of between iIOO.OOO and £200,000, in addition'. If this was not a rash slop for tho Government to take, almost bordering or criminthen worda requiro new definitions. In view of thnso facli, which I beliove cannot bo controverted, I am .curious, to, know how 'you cau; make;'good your' charge thai I have beeu " 'conspicuously guilty of' juppresiio verii':"—l am' etc.-