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Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 149, 18 May 1877, Page 6

(Extract from Hansard referred to;) ■ Mr'Macandrew asked the Minister for ' ; Public Works, Avhether or not. the( Go /ernment, intended to give effect to the'reebmniendation of the Public Petitions Committee, as, embodied in their report on the' petition of settlers in the Clutha district, 1 Avith reference to the route of the, main - truhk'line between Balclutha and Clinton? His: reason for putting the question publicly Avas to allay the great anxiety which . existed among a very important section of L the people in this colony in regard to the ! ; matter. He would be. A rery glad indeed-to. find, and it would be very gratifying to : the people there, that the Government, had agreed to give effect to the repeated. ;■' expressions of opinion of the -representatives of the people, not only in the Provincial Council, but also in the House. , : ;Mr, Richardson said that the report of j. the Public.Petitions-Committee on this , matter, which Avas a very short one, was as folloAvs : —"That the line-by Waite- '. peka, while it -svill only increase the dis- ' tanee by one mile, at an estimated cost of , from £12,000 to £17,000, will benefit a [ much larger number of people than the -■Four-Mile;Creek route: That a branch • line of railway would.serve the petitioners better than - this, deviation, while the line | by the Four-Mile Creek would-be the best for the general public. ; That, unless such . branch line is made, the petitioners have a claim to favourable consideration." Mr Macandrew thought there Avas a ■ little more. ■ '_■ Mr Richardson said that was all that had been furnished to him. He might [• say that the Government entirely concurred in the report of the Public Peti- ': tions Committee tliat a branch line Avould, serve that district much better ; and they v also agreed with the Committee that the : line as laid out by the Government Engineers Avas the beat. They proposed constructing the line by Avhat Avas known as , the Four-Mile Creek route. There Avas | no doubt that the time would- come Avhen ' it would be desirable to construct a branch - line to accommodate the settlers in the adjoining districts.