Clutha Railway Committee.
Clutha Leader, Rōrahi I, Putanga 38, 1 Paengawhāwhā 1875, Page 6
Mō tēnei niupepa
Clutha Railway Committee.
A meeting of the Committee was held in the Council Chambers on the afternoon of Monday. The members present were — Messrs. Grigor, : Ritchie, Gow, Brewer, Cramond, Kilgour, Carrick and Dr. Smith. Mr Grigor presided, The Secretary stated tbat in accordance with resolutions parsed at a previous meeting, he bad communicated with the Provincial Government-relative to (Ist) the opening of the main lioe of railway to Dunedin ; (2nd) as to the provision to be made for a temporary station at Baiclutha; (3rd) the protection of the Hasborough road by fencing or otherwise, and (4th) the survey of the proposed line from Baiclutha to Catlin's River. In reply, the tollowing communication, dated Dunedin, 18th March, was read :-=." I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter, together with copy of resolutions passed by the Railway Committee, and to inform you in reply that the General Go- j vernment have been urged to give effect j to these resolutions. A a regards the survey of a line to Catlin's River, tbe Provincial Engineer's department has been j directed to attend to this without delay. I | am, &c, A. Wiixis, Under secretary." He (the Secretary) further reported having communicated with the Minister of Public Works (Wellington), relative to. the opening of the line and the providing of a temporary station. In reply, the following communication, dated Wellington, 18th March, had been received—'* I am directed by tbe Hon. the Minister of Public Works, to acknowledge receipt of your letter, of 12th inetant, cove-ing copy of resolutions adopted at a public meeting held at Baiclutha on tbe subject of the main line of railway between Chain Hills and Clutha River, and urging the necessity of a ter- i porary station at the Baiclutha end of the line. In reply I am to state that the matter has been referred to the district engineer, and T If found practicable, some temporary accommodation will be provided. I am, &c, Charles T. Benzoni, in absence of Under-Secretary. The Secretary to the Committee further reported that, as instructed, he had forwarded the following communication to Tokomairiro :—" To the Mayor and Council. Milton. Gentlemen,—l am instructed by resolution passe.i at a meeting of the Clutha Railway Committee, held on the 10 h inst., to forward the annexed resolution, passed at a public meeting held here on the Ist inst. Having a joint interest in the matter, my committee direct me to solicit your co-operation in order that the proposal contained in the resolution may be given effect to ! with as little delay as possible. I am, &c, Ro. Carrick, Secretary." The Secretary added that no attention whatever had been paid to this, communication. Af er the matter had been commented upon, it was decided that no further notice should be taken of the matter. The propriety of communicating with the district engineer WBS mentioned, but the opinion of the meeting was that that course should be avoided in the meantime. Dr. Smith said he did not believe the line could be op ned, for traffic so soon as was generally supposed He bad travelled upon it the previous day. In compiny with other gentlemen he left Dunedin by buggy at 10 am. Arriving at the upper end of the Chain Hills tunnel, they were taken on by train to the Reliance Hotel, from whence they were trans, orted by coach to Waihola. From Waihola they again proceeded by train to Clutha, arriving there in precisely four hours from the time they left Dunedin. The journey between Wa b.3la snd tha Clutha was performed in little over one hour, the remainder of the time le'ng occupied coaching and changing conveyances between Dunedin and Waihola. The bridges over tbe Taieri would not be completed for some considerable time to come. A lot ot timber just received bad been condemned, and other unforseen delays were likely to ensue. The line itself was far from being finished. He calculated that altogether there were over ten miles of ballasting to b i laid. Other members of committee, f peaking on the pointy said that the Government was evideniy alive to the importance of getting the railway opened at aa early a date as possible. Under these circumstances, it was decided the committee should take no further action in the matier at present. The cl airman explained in reference to a resolution passed at the previous meeting, to the effect that the committee should wait as a'- deputation upon the railway manager and others expected to visit the Clutha, that the then projected visit had taken place, but that, in consequence of the. the miscarriage of a telegraxo fixing the time when they would arrive, the deputation had been unable to see them. Eventually Mr Kilgour moved and Mr Brewer seconded— " That the necessity for fencing the Hasborough road should be further urged upon the attention of the Provinciil Government, and that attention be likewise called to the state of the road below the present contract, as also the ; unsafe state of the bridge at Anderson's." The motion was put and carried. Mr Carrick said that since la9t meeting he had had occasion to visit Catlin's River district, and .that he had had some pornmunicatipn with residents in that place relative to the proposed line of railway. The proposal was one which was well . approved of l>y the district, and the settlers there we uld be prepared to cooperate with the committee in forwarding the scheme. Alter discussion,' it Was agreed that the iollawitig oattlera at. Catlin's should be elected corresponding members of . com. mittee, with the view, of promoting. the line betweenJßalclutha and^that place :— Messrs Milr^^Sw^f^^^crson, Green, and Robertson. Explanations', were also made to the effect that the Invercargill and Mataura line would be open for general traffic the end at May or beginning of lune ; and it was suggested that action should be taken with the view of getting such arrangements made as would enable pssengers to and from Dunedin and Invercargill to complete the through journey in one day. The committee, however, decidedi to do nothing in the matter until tbey were in possession of authentic informatioq as f o the date when the Clutha line was likely to be opened. The meeting then, adjourned.
