“The Press” In 1864

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30420, 20 April 1964, Page 10

“The Press” In 1864

April 20 In our anxiety to give a full report of Mr Hall’s speech in the Provincial • Council, introducing the scheme for extending railways throughout the province, we are compelled to omit our leading article. PUBLIC MEETING.—A meeting was held last night in the Town Hall for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken for the formation of an Acclimatisation Society, his Honor the Superintendent in the chair. From want of space in our columns we are compelled to postpone the full account till tomorrow’s issue. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL Mr Hall rose to move the following resolution: —“That in the opinion of this Council it is expedient that the construction of such harbor Worts,

railways, bridges, and other important and costly works as may be necessary for developing the resources, and ensuring the progress and promotion of the province, should be provided for by means of loans charged upon the revenues of the province.” ... It appeared from Mr Doyne’s report, which was on the table, that the cost of a railway to the Rakaia, including the rolling stock, would cost about £172,000. The’ bridge over the Rakaia would cost £150,000. They estimated the cost of constructing the railway the whole .way to- Timaru at £BOO,OOO, including the rolling stock and stations. The railway to the Kowai would cost more per mile because it would go through such an extent of private property. They put it down at £250,000. The harbor works at Lyttelton may be assumed to take £200,000, and the

Lyttelton and Christchurch railway in addition to the sums already spent, would cost £150,000. They had already spent £212,000 on that work. The sum of all these items amounted to £1,400,000. The ' annual charge on the province at six per cent interest, with a sinking fund of one per cent, which was. what the House decided on at its last loan, would amount to £98,000 a-year. Now, he did not think they should enter upon this work only as a speculation. It was a matter of necessity in order to colonise the country. But of course it was right to see how far it eould be made to pay. They could form some idea from the railway already made. He could not give them exact returns, hut he could tell them that the traffic was three times as great as it bad been calculated it would be at so early a date.