PUBLIC MEETING AT OXFORD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2567, 29 March 1869, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT OXFORD.

On Thursday, March 25th, the hon. G. Leslie Lee, member for the district in the Provincial Council, met his constituents at the Church of England School. Mr Lee was accompanied by his Honor the Superintendent, and Mr li. L. Higgins. Mr Higgin's was voted to the chair, and having stated the objects of the meeting called upon the mover of the first resolution to address the meeting. Mr S, Hedfern in rising to move the first resolution, said that he should like first to make a few brief remarks as to the amount of timber which was leaving Oxford, and secondly as to the probable cost of laying a tramway between Oxford and Rangiora. As regards the timber being sent from Oxford, he said that the returns had been made by taking the average of the last thirteen [weeks, reckoning that there were twelve pair of sawyers in the bush, sawing at an average of 600 feet a week per pair, which lie might say was a very low computation; this made in the thirteen weeks a total of 93,000 feet, and reckoning the mills at 12,000 and GOOO per week, or 234,000 per thirteen weeks, this would represent a tonnage of 490 tons for thirteen weeks in sawn timber alone. Then as to shingles, the mills sent away 100,000 every three months, which represent a weight of 30 tons. As to posts and rails—l2 hand-sawyers, 13 weeks at 400 per week, make 62,400, and the two mills, reckoned at 60,000 and 30,000 respectively, make a grand total of 152,400, or a weight equal to 228S tons. Then as regards slabs, round timber, &c,, he thought he might

safe'r reckon, without fear of exaggeration is tnni weight for the hand-sawyers, and 135 tons for the two mills. This would make a trial tonnage from Oxford, for 13 weeks, m timber alone, of 2959, or 11,836 for the year, and reckon the imports and exports of agricultural produce at 8200, brings up the tonnage to be carried on the tramway to 20,000 tons, which, reckoning the cost of carriage at 5s per ton represented a yearly iucome of £SOOO, He had taken no account of firewood, but knew that this also would make a considerable amount of traffic. Secondly, as regards the. cost of a tramway from Oxford to Rangiora, a wooden one, consisting of 5 x i timber rails on sleepers 4 fi-ct apart from centre to centre would amount to £6635 13s, 'I he cost of laying angle iron on the rails was not reckoned, as the inhabitants of Oxford had no data to go by as to the cost of such iron, fcut he thought that he had shown that a tramway would be very remunerative; he therefore begged to propose the I'vst _ resolution, viz, " That in the opinion of this meeting the time has arrived for the inhabitants of Oxford to take steps for the formation of a tramway between Oxford and lkngiora; and that the hon. G. L. Lee be requested to use Ms best endeavours towards forwarding the object," Mr J. Yooxom inseconded the resolution. .Mr Hexdeksox Gordon wished to say a few words. He thought- that every thinking person would sec that advantage would accrue not only to the inhabitants of Oxford, but also to the Government chest, and through that to the whole province, for if better communication existed for the transport of the staple n ommodity of Oxford more land would be sold, and more land would lie opened (speaking of bush land) up for purchase. The Hon. G. L. Lee, before the resolution was put, wished to say a few words. He had listened with great satisfaction to the remarks made by Mr Kedfern, but thought, to render the tramway thoroughly efficient, it should be earned through to Kaiapoi, being the port of shipment for the northern district of Canterbury, and that the agricultural produce which would be carried on the tramway would form a by no means small item in the total amount. He (the Hon G. Jj. lee) would like to have explained to him the reason why the timber sawn in Oxford could not compete with that sent from the Pelorus, Picton, the Bays, and elsewhere. Some time ago he had occasion to want 6ome timber, and on comparing the two costs he found he could receive timber from Kaiapoi at 6d per 100 ft cheaper than he could get it from Oxford, and he thought that until some reduction was made in the price of timber as delivered outside the bush, no tramway would benefit Oxford. He most cordially agreed ■with the desirability of a tramway, and considered that for many years to come, a tramway would suffice for all the wants of the colony, and this district more especially. He inew, as he supposed most of those present did, that a sum of £60,000 had been placed on the estimates for the purposes of a Northern Railway, but he thought this was starting fromthe wrongend. He thought that by carrying tramways from the outskirts towards Christehurch the country would be more opened up, not be working in so small a circle, and they in time a railway might be carried from the termini of the tramways into Christehurch when it was found necessary ; he would most cordially support the question of a tramway when the Provincial Council met, and hoped some one would explain the reason why timber ■was so much dearer in Oxford than any other wood-producing part of this island. Mr Gordon found that in Oxford, he had to reset and sharpen his saw oftener in this bush than he used to have in the Rangiora bush—the wood is therefore harder— Tery often alsothe wind blew a tree down, and in its fall it struck another and scarred it, which caused the tree to become rotten internally, although covered with bark, and this was not discovered till the tree had been felled. Again the trees in this bush were of a much smaller growth than those of the Pelorus, Picton, &c.,and they had no Totara, Kauri, and very little black pine, which were much more easily sawn than black birch; he thought this would explain the difference in price somewhat, Mr Redfekn thought the difference also arose from the high price sawyers had to pay for available bush, all the front sections having been purchased long ago from Government, and now the owners sold it at never less than £lO per acre. The Hon. G. Leslie Lee thought that as his Honor the Superintendent was present, the meeting would like to hear his opinion on the subject of a tramway. His Honor the Superintendent, who was received with acclamation, stated that he thought he had best speak on each subject separately as it was brought before the meeting. He had been visiting since his election as Superintendent most parts of the province, as he thought this was the only true way of finding out the true wants of the various places. With regard to the tramway, he cordially agreed with the desirability of its formation, he thought as a young colony that tramways, being cheap works, were more adapted to its wants and less injurious to its resources than the launching into grand ideas; he considered that tramways would be a great saving to the Road Boards of the province by saving the roads from being so quickly worn out, and at the same time they would be a saving also to the country at large. They must nothoweverforgetthatthey had to apply to a failing treasury; the Provincial Council had no power to guarantee a bonus without an Actof the General Assembly, and if a bonus could be granted, he should not advise the Government to guarlantee beyond a year. With regard to land, he always thought that tramways should run alongside of the public roads. And then as regards a wooden tramway, he considered that as speed is at the present time no great object, and that as all they wanted was a safe conveyance at all times and in all seasons for heavy weights,wooden railswithoutbeingshod would for many years answer all the wants ■of the province, then they could have light railways as in India. With regard to the running of tramways alongside of the roads (Queen's highways), it wou d be necessary to obtain the sanction of the General Assembly, which he would use his endeavours to > obtain.

The resolution was then put by the chairman and carried.

Mr Henderson Gordon explained that some years ago, with the sanction of Government, he had visited the Waimakariri at its source, with a view of selecting a site for a bridge or punt, and during the past week he had again visited the same, and had selected a narrow, rock-hound situation, where he considered a punt could be established for a fery small sum as compared with the expense of a tramway, The cost of this lie had estimated as follows, viz., two (2) punts, capable of holding a team of 6 or 8 bullocks with a load attached (a supposed weight of 15 or 20 tons), would cost £100; for cuttings, the sum estimated was £250; for platforms and tackling, £100; and for wire rope, he (Mr Gordon) recollected hearing, when crossing in a punt at Felton's ferry, that the cost the 6-inch wire rope used there was £100; tut as the stream at the proposed site was stronger and more rapid, he thought that £l2" would cover the cost of the rope. This would give a total of £570 for the punt. Besides this, there would of necessity have to an accommodation-house and stockyards, which would be a further outlay of £2OO. There was on the other aide of the Wai- j Kakariri many thousand acres of bush entirely unapproachable at the present, and thereforeunsold, which, in the event of a punt oeing placed across the river, would immediacy find purchasers, thus repaying at once the outlay for a puut made by Government, jnd the class of settlers on the other side being such as use a very large quantity of firewood (as was shown some years ago when the punt went across the Waimakariri at %enham, and when the supply of timber Was quite unequal to the demand), this would ® «ke the undertaking at once profitable and beneficial. Haviiigmentionedtbepunt atDagenbam, some people might ask why was it abandoned ? Simply for this, that the site chosen was a very bad one, inasmuch as the beach on each B 'de was entirely composed of shingle, which shifted with every fresh. Mr Gordon stated he had heard that in the event of a punt

being put across the Walhmlcariri that Messrs Cobb and Co. would use the Northern Road for transit to the West Coast, instead of by the Coal Track, ttud had written to enquire, but received no answer at present. ;The width of the place chosen was about 120 yards. In conclusion, lie begged to propose the second resolution, viz., "That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that a through communication should be established with Christehurch, by means of a puut across the Waimakariri, at the Pass Hill."

| Mr D. Pisiieh seconded the resolution. Mr Redi.'ep.x said that he felt convinced that a puut at the proposed site (which ho had visited along with _Mr Gordon) would greatly benefit the residents on both sides the Waimakariri. The inhabitants on the other side were great consumers of timber, firewood, sawn timber, and posts and rails, and they would certainly take their timber from Oxford, in the event of a punt beiug put across. There was, he thought, no danger of the puut being washed away by a fresh, as the rocks on each side rose perpendieularlv, so that there was very little play for the water. Some time ago a party offered to put the punt across, and find everything necessary for the sum of £SOO, but Government offered £2OO as a bonus on the conclusion of the necessary works, Now, he (Mr Redfern) thought, or indeed knew that, if the Government would assist the inhabitants by placing a sum of £SOO on the estimates, the remaining money would easily be found amongst the inhabitants of Oxford. Mr Goiidox wished to add to his former remarks that the rope for a punt, he understood, was (at the time of the last agitation about this subject) lying in the Government yards.

The Hon. Geo. Leslie Lee said he could see perfectly the beuefit a punt would be to Oxford, but what the feeling of the Government was on the subject lie was totally unable to say, but he would use his best endeavours to make the Government take a favourable view of the project, and thought Mr Redfern's statement with regard to the people being willing to find any money needed in addition to £SOO, was a strong argument in support of the claim. The resolution was put to the meeting and carried. His Honor the Superintendent stated that it was his intention, if possible, to go and see the site selected before the Provincial Council met; and the committee offered to accompany him if lie would let them know on what day he purposed coming, which his Honor promised to do.

The meeting after listening to several questions as regarded the Education Reserves, the police, and the eradication of thistles, passed a vote of thanks to the chairman, Mr R. L. Higgins, and his Honor the Superintendent, and the Hon. G. Leslie Lee, for their kindness in attending.