THE RAILWAY PETITION.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 105, 14 July 1876, Page 5

THE RAIL WAY PETITION.

Government had decided not to proceed with it till the Balclufcha bridge was ready to cross the l-ails, &c. The dolay with the bridge haa cause d the dolay in the forming of tho line, not the action of the Waitepeka settlers.— Eo. 0. L.]

TO THE EDITOB. Sin. — 'While I have no doubt your intention was good in wilting your article upon the deviation petition, I fear the settlers will give you but little thanks for it, as you have let tho cat out of the bag too soon, and have in tko meantime spoilt another card which we had to play. It will, however, be kept in hand. "Wo have not yet forgotten, nor will wo for some time forgive, the trick that your Balclutha . Doctors, Macdonalds, and Dunnes attempted to play uj.on the electoral district at last election, when they tried to get in either Yogel or Mosley, — they seemed not particular which. They will find we can play tricks too, and if wo manage, by the assistance of the very same gentlemen, to get the railway by the Four-mile Creek, and have a township to intercept settlers going to Balclutha, tllMli I think even the gentlemen referred, to will admit we have had the best of tho game. It has not yet been played out.— l am, &c, Settler. — .* -* TO THE EDITOR. I Sir, — I have heard some individuals sneer at tho proposal to establish a town where the Fourmile Creek crosses the Port Molyneux road, and they say it would have no effect upon Balclutha. I would ask all such to consider the effect even Stirling in its embryo state has upon Balclutha. Very few Hillend settlers now ever cross the bridge with their smithy work. They all go to Stirling. And Balclutha used to do a good business with Hillend. When men went to the smithy they had other messages, and probably spent a few shillings in the hotels. Stirling will shortly be able to supply all such. It has one hotel amply supported, and another one built. It supports two blacksmith's shojw, and a large store is in course of erection. Supposing the new township at the Four-milo Crook had arrived at even tho same proportions, would it not affect your stores, your hotels, your butchers, and others ? I think it would, and I think it likely those who signed the petition will mad this out when it may be too late. One would almost be led to believe that some people would sign a petition to hang themselves if it were presented to them. — I am, &c, FjsLixj <jb TO THE EDITOJR. Sik, — Tour leading article of Friday last has, 1 am afraid, caused me for once to disregard the sage counsel of a scribe friend of mine ; " Never," said he, " quarrel with a newspaper, or you will soon find yourself at the wrong end of the shooting iron." While admitting the truism, and acknowledging .the nature and advantage of the editor's armour, I feel myself in duty bound to reply to the strictures your leader would impose on tho judgment of these, who, like myself, signed the petition referred to. Pardon my presumption. Still, in justice*, the proverbial • characteristic of the press, I am entitled to an expression of opinion, though it were diametrically opposed to your own. At the outset you refer to the nature of the document, and deplore tho utter absence of the usual " prayer." Lot me assure you that signed by me, and in circulation in this district was replete in every particular, and depend upon it, its interpretation will in no way interfere with its object. I shall bo happy to forward you a espy for your perusal. Further, while admitting the advantage of the short route to this and the other districts south, you are inclined, in your zeal for tho Waitepeka route, to ascribe motives of selfishness to those endeavoring to secure it. In no way can the term selfishness apply to the people, of Kaihiku, whose solo desire is, and has been, to secure the greatest possible good to the greatest possible number. Has this been the case with tho agitators of Waitepoka 1 Methinks not. All-absorbing self, tho polo star of their devotion, stands 2->re-eminently to the foro in al] their actions, with what result, time alone will determine. I may say that, to the present timo, the pe'oplo of this and other districts favorable to the Four-Mile-Creek route have in no way sought to interfere with the opinions of those in high planes as to the most advantageous mothod of constructing the line, and have now been actuated with a desire of seeing the work pushed on in the intereßts of the Colony. There can be no doubt of the advantages of the short routo over the other, whatever tho people of Waitepeka may say to the contrary; and had they the; good sense to let well alone, tenders might have been called, and the work Ist long ago. What effect the line's direction may have on the future of Balclntha, is not for mo to say, bufc those interested may possess common Bense enough to conjecture. — I am, &c, Eaihiko Settler. Kaihiku, July 12, 1876. £Note. — " Kaihiku -Settler" lias not sent us his name, but, contrary to the rule With all newspapers, wo have inserted his letter, and that for the simple reason that tho opinion of tho writer differs slightly from bur own. We assure him wo never onco refused anyone an opportunity of giving tho fullest expression! to his opinions when they were opposed to ours. We would prefer to have rnoi-e such, so that every subject might be fully discussed, and thus assist the public to arrive at [the most accurate and enlightened decisions. The above letter, for example, is valuable, as it brings out the fact that different petitions in favor of the Four-Mile Creek route were sent round for signature - these no doubt being suited to the mind of the inhabitants in different localities. Then the signatures, we presume, were all detached from their repectivo petitions and pasted on to the one to be forwarded to MiThomson. The question row arises, which petition was so forwarded, and what were the allegaj tions and prayers of the various documents ? MiThomson should know what the people actually signed, before presenting the petition— if a petition it be. We have to put " Kaihiku Settler " ] ! right in one^particular. The action of tJaeWaite- ! i poka settlers has not delayed tlie formation of the { section between Balclutha and, Clinton, Tho ! 1 Minister of Public Works distinctly stated tho