CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5313, 15 September 1882, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A •peeial general meeting of the Chamber of Oommeroe was held at 8 p.m..yesterday, tir consider the extension of the Middle Island trunk; Una by either of three routes mentioned by the Government Present — Messrs W. D. Meatees (president), B. D. Thomas, 0. A. Pritchard, L. 0. WiUiams, €r. Booth, Cameron, J. Gould, A Cuff, W. B. Mitchell, W. Browne, Aitken, J. Anderson, jun„ W, Ohrystall, F. Jenkins, W. Wood, A. C. Wilton, P. Cunningham, O. B. Blakiston, T. Pavitt, Inglis, Struthers, J. H. Twentyman,P. B.Wright, J.D. Maopberson, Geo Hart, J. Gibbs, Hone. J. T. Peacock and E. Biohardson. • ; , The Secretary, Mr J. A Bud, read the advertisement convening the meeting. The President said that; at the annual meeting the proceedings were so prstraoted that they were unable to carry out the suggestion of their retiring President, that the Chamber should discuss the question of the extension of the Middle Island trunk line. The committee had agreed with him that the [members should be called together, and the 'largeattendaneethat day proved the wisdom of that advice. He felt sure the matter; would be dispassionately considered by the members, and the decision arrived at alter conlodasieg the interests of the colony as a iwbdle, as well aa those of Canterbury in 'particular. He could not but express the 'opinion that the proposal of the Government to epend aome two millions .of Smoney on a line like that spoken of 'by Mr Blair was unwise. That gentle; <maa had said that the, proposal to make the line across what was known as-the East jrjoaat lino would m sm emfflbyisethougbt thusthe apeedreatTina best route Would be by steamer from Lyttelton. [Laughter.] There was one point whioh he desired to bring under the notice of the' ICbamber,Twbich had been given to him on very |*ood authority, vis., that one -hall of the Canterbury members of the House were pledged to support the East Coast line. If Ittus" .were so, then be oauld only regret jwith the Chamber that such a estate,; of things should exist. The Government were'going to appoint a commission on ithe matter, but he might say that their experience of oommiteions was not encouraging. He only hoped, that the Chamber would agree with' him that" it was inexpedientlfc?>tbe Crovaxnmsnt to proceed with any of the three 'lines' proposed.. Jlhe Chamber, in cjoigidering tins matter, would, be hoped, do so in a manner quite dispassionate, and altogether free from bias. He would now leave the matter in the hands of the Chamber. : Mr B. D. Thomas asked the President to •be kind enough to explain the three lines pro* nosed by the Government. i The President gave, from the maps exhibited in the room, a description of the three routes proposed by the Government. Mr T. Pavitt said he was sorry that some other person bad net risen to speak on this question, and also that they had toot before them Mr Boy's report. This latter dooument stated that the Bast Coast railway could never pay, and he felt also that the Canterbury people had cause to feel aggrieved, because one of tbe Ministry, the Hon. Mr Bolleaton, had some four yean ago written a letter urging the completion of the Weat Coast railway, and alio inciting the people to agitate until they got it. Mr Bolleaton.had gone over all the country, and knew that the proposed railway would pay handaomely. E was, therefore, to be expected that when he had an opportunity to push forward the brtrject be would do *>. The connection of fhe Wett Coast with Canterbury was a matter of tbe greatest importance, because it brought them into eommunwationwith the minerals and timber of the West Coatt ji it would enable them on this coast tosupply the miners with the requisite n* o *™?' ™* Canterbury district, rememb»7onW received one-tenth of the four guioTfoan, and out of this there was to be Stnandedlaßo,ooo on a railway to Blenheim, (3S p»sedseveral shipping ports, and also atonAwhieb goods could not be earned at figure that they could tW aea. If the Government appointed a g T8 10ommiBBion on the sut some gentlemen in whom they could Sundance would be associated,with Sem and further, though perhaps foreign to S he thought the Chamber might

'Mr J D. Macpberson said feat they had thTrl todayMemberof tho Upper House *>T couldi what tbe Government &S"tofS3Hi that tbe v Govern. if? all new works should of Parliament next ta ac Kb line was considered, he terstood^T was to bo.carrwd to the SS.n hnfc no further extension was, he doeSS£SrJS3MSg SefesasSsisi£» Ksmmwejungwa wdiington were so .Sports »n,* he P"P"! a S a any idea £Sfam» wm .unable _JSaUmsTeven* Ji «*«♦ dons the precsaing «»»" iL whust tte Canterbury papers got euoh £?£*«■'ho bfd \&Z!£*LftEaiiam-'Va» Canterbury | MScoubiSget in WeUtogtom KSbAW tbatlSfa wTan | He migns say 6 ""~ «:-]. - wof k, with maps fefabkshei, , Mid be felt sore, as epon Mthu work was V£Zk\*&tO : mA» «*• last CfcseTline w» »J?^»4bs» routebyseacould « oß^ S iJ^ti»etoaneers •P5 ••bmgtitts h^even combe used long before nuite piste. He that he eouio ■»*

' understand 'W jjaawi&'illav* the reportaj but, itbis ,was »>* M r.bar because be bad toslL\il*embara Btnee-Plp| return, of votes pasted which had squandered money of which they had no knowledge. Th© Government proposed two routes, ooatingesoh £1/200,000, and the West Coast line, which the people of Canterbury, Wettlacd, and Nelson wished for, could bs got for lets money than would be expended on the line the people did not want. [Cheers,] If Christchurch was joined to Reafton and Ficton by way of the Tophoute, the term trunk lice would.be perhaps misapplied. He might say, however, that this waa the route which Sir Julius Vogel intended in introducing his public works policy that it should take. For himself, ha always held that tbe route spoken of as the West Coast should follow the line

he had indicated. He desired to call attention

to this, that the Bast Coast line was on the schedule of the Loan Bill £90,000 for extending the line from Blenheim southwards, and from Waipara northwards, £90,000. These were the lines the money was placed on the schedule for. The Government

had pledged themselves to do nothing until next session, and to appoint a commission, aad he thought no Severnment—though during the past few days the Government had acted most extraordinarily

—would do such [a thing aa this. Therefore he thought chat, though half tho Canterbury members were pledged to the East Coast line, that public opinion, aroused as it waa, they would not dare to take any steps to carry out the line to the Bait Coast. He was not prepared to move any resolution, but would support any resolution whioh might be moved in the direction that he had indicated. ikx Paritt, by permiaaion of the ohairman, read a tetter from Hon. W. BoUeaton to the editor of the " Star" re West Coast railway, which was referred to at the late public meeting in Obriatcbureh on the Bast and West Coast railway. The letter bore date July 20th, 1878. He had read it because it would show what a deep interest Mr Bolleaton felt in tbe matter. [A Voice—"He was not then in the Government."]

Mrlnglis said that the real fact was that the Chamber knew very little about the* matter, but if it was a national work then iffi ought to be carried out. He had enquired* as to the quantity of land likely to bei opened up by these proposed threel routes, and the information he had received showed him that it would be unwise to proceed with any of the lines. He had formed one of the committee which had explored the .1 country at the requeat of the Chamber, and the information he had gained had brought I the conoluaion forcibly home to bim, that at J present it was not desirable to pledge thej publio credit to make a line whioh would notl return more than working expenses. XheS whole of the three routes then on the mapg did not open up any country, and the West? Coast line up to the dividing range was In the 1 same position. Beyond this, of course, there was the development of minerals, produce, &c. Thus he was in favor of the proposal of the Hon. Mr Biohardaon, vis., to take that line which would give them the greatest return. If the West Coast line could only give a fairly moderate return by-and-bye, how could the other propoaed linea hope to pay. The West Coast railway, ho thought, had been prejudiced by the advocacy of too sanguine people. He aaw that at a publio meeting recently it had been calculated that the consumption of ooal in Canterbury alone amounted to 300,000 tons. This was absurd, as the total consumption of coal in Canterbury was only 56,000 tons. The same remark applied to timber. He was in favor of apeMing the publio money, if they were goingto do ao, on a line which would, after a while, return them a fair amount. He was of Hon- Mr Teaoook, that they should defer the matter until the fuU information was before them, when they would be able to *»y with some reason what the opinion ;of ther Chamber was. From hia own researches and from information received by him, he had.made up his mind on the question, but thare were a number;of gentiemen who knew rerj little about the West Coast. ; Therefore, he should be prepared to move or support a resolution for adjourning the consideration of the matter for a month. If -they were going to spend money, let them -spend it on the West Coast, as it would be the most payable one.

Mr Cuff Bald that as the money was put on the estimates it would have to be spent in the money would be spent elsewhere j were it Inot so then he should say that they ought to put their face against having any railway at ■all. '■'••" ! Mr Ingbs said that by going into the luangabua Valley they would strike the coal land goldfields together with timber, and he jthought the Government should be asked to consider whether money could be saved.

Mr Cunningham said that he intended to move an adjournment for a month. He was of opinion that the line to Blenheim was a ; luxury which could only be indulged in by a ! community of nine or ton millions. [Hear, [hear.] They must remember that Mr Bol# 'leston was only one of a Cabinet, and though Ihe might be in favor of this Una he could 'only have one voioe. The Bteamers could 'compete with any line that could be made, and he felt sure that the West Coast 'Hue would not pay for years to come. He. bought that the best way to deal with the matter, if they oould get the Government to take a common sense view of the snbjeot, would be to pay over the share of the 1 loan coming to Canterbury to the capital of the rail-! -ways now in work, thus reducing their railway rates of freight It had been stated iby the Preaideat that hs had been informed aa to half the Canterbury members being pledged to support what was known as Mousy JBobinson's line or the Cheviot fine, but he ifttr Cunningham) thought that this meant only half of the members who had spoken.' Twelve had spoken, sbx on one side and six on the other. This he thought was the solution [bf the matter. However, he felt that if the' matter was put to the people they would vote for it, Mr Pavitt etrongly urged the carrying out pf tho West Coast fine. By so doing they would tap large coal seams and urge timber forests within 130 miles of Obristohurcb. He was afraid that all the enterprise whioh bad marked tbe district of Canterbury in the ptat bad departed, and he only hoped that tiiis apathy would be shaken. The coal referred to could begot at 8s per ton, and witb'lad per ton haulage, it could be put in here at less than £1 per ton. This would give a great incentive to then? manufacturing faduatries. The Invercaf giU people he would desire to point out were sending timber as far as Ashburton. He hoped to see the Chamber take some stepa in the'matter.

: Mr Cunningham said that he* desired to move that the matter be adjourned for a month. Has opinion was that the West Coast railway would not pay for twenty years. It might carry the Ohnstohurchs trade, some 60,080 tons per annum, which might betaken over by the railway m a fort, night. Westport would never allow Lyttolion to take their coal trade, and they would find their Weet Coast railway idle half the lbs year. They had not been called together todisous* the West Coast railway, but to conaiderthe three lines now before them. On this question he felt they were agreed, vm* that they would have none of them. He move—"That the discussionon this subject be for one month.* . Mr Diglia said he seconded the motion, and he desired to point out that he had not Hirown cold water on the project, but he desired to show that now they were brought face to face with the exr*nditure of money on one of these three lines it would be better to expend tiw money on the West Coast rail**mV Thomaa pointed out that the £180,000, if spent aa. proposed by the Government on one of these three lines, would go. beyond the jpoißt of divergence to the West Coast. ! Mr Connirjgham said that the Government had Btated.tiiat no atepe would be taken until next session, • •« ' Mr Cameron suggested that a committee ehould be appointed to bottoot information on Ihe subject !Mr Maopherson thought tbe best way would be for the meeting to adjourn, anowiig; jShe chairman to call ihem together when was ready. t 2heCmairman said be supposed that it would be understood that the adjourned msetins would be enabled to discuss the weU ai the, Bast OoaaA'.ana.'.-. ■■■■■■*-■ --La __* ' Tn»m«Soa waa than put and carried, ana fcha mesting adjourned,