LIGHT RAILWAYS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5198, 4 December 1895, Page 3

LIGHT RAILWAYS.

|_TO THE EDITOR.] Sin,—lll reply to a leader re light railway to To Nui etc., 1 sue you speak of a mode which was in existence in the mining districts in the north of England in 18-0, with this exception—they did not carry passengers. It was the far-seeing Stevenson that saw there was wanted something different to horse-power toconvey the coal from the collieries and to convey merchaiuliscgenei'ally, and passengers, at a small cost per mile. In Her Majesty's dominions on which "the sun never sets," it is the locomotive everywhere. To work it with horses as mentioned ou the 23rd ultimo, would require rails of a double llange, or if rails with a single llange of the same weight as the double ones, and nuts, bolts, fish plates, etc., the same as a railway. This must be taken into consideration, and also that the formation, grades, etc., are such that were not contended with in the Old Country. I know of two different kinds of line worked on the lines you mention; they are quite level and in case of breakages, etc. —which must and will occur—they have not far to go in either direction for assistance in the shape of un engineer, carpenter, or labourer. The cases would be widely different in this countiy. 1 maintain, as in a previous letter, it is the Iron Horse that will develop cither this or auy country. No less Hum 1% miles are to be constructed in Western Australia, and we have proof that a pastoral and agricultural district will pay better than a gold-mining one, besides a first-class terminus in the | shape of a good sandy beach, etc. Again, if it pays Mr Price, of Newman, to lay several miles of railway and keep an engine, I will leave the conclusion to he drawn by your readers. I may also say that the two lines I spoke of cannot drive the cart trallic away. lam sure if a lino of railway was constructed, and economically worked and taken up by the people of Masterton and public generally as something we must have,—wilhsuch a man toguido

it as Colonel Gerard Smith, Governor of Western Australia, who carried the' 11. & li, Railway and Dock Company against, such heavy odds in the shape of opposition from the most powerful Railway and Dock Companies in England—it would succeed, The question is, would this pay \ Yes, if taken up by the right persons. In less than live years we should have trains from Masterton to tho Caslle; and a good going concern it would be too. In conclusion, i may say that was I in such a position as Colonel Tiulino, Mr E. Cropper, or the head of the Londonderry family, 1 would be, as they were, private owner of a railway, from ll asterton to the Castle. I agree with the opinion expressed in the leader of the 23rd inst. 1 am, etc., T.B. Upper Plain.