RAILWAY TO THE WEST COAST.

Dunstan Times, Issue 762, 24 November 1876, Page 2

RAILWAY TO THE WEST COAST.

—o— At a meeting of the Cromwell Municipal j Council, held on the 17th instant, Mr T). ! MacKellar waited upon the Council with a view to point out to that body the deaira- | bility of at once addressing the Minister of | Works on the wisdom of causing at least a 1 a flying survey to be made of the route to I the West Coast via Lake Wanaka and the I Haast Pass to ascertain its capabilities as a I line for the proposed trunk railway from | the East to the West Coast. Mr MacKellar p pointed out that already two surveys had 11 been made for this line—one from Christ- I church and the other from Kelson ; hut If neither of the routes presented such easy B natural features for the work as that via the 1 Haast Pass. Resides, the line via the Haast fe possessed the great advantage that it would E run almost through the centre of the South Island, whereas the others would cut off the wealthiest and most populated portion of the Island. Ho had no doubt that were the matter properly represented to the Minister for Works, steps would bo taken to test the practicability of the route via Haast Pass. Mr MacKellar demonstrated the advantages to the colony which would arise were the railway carried through the Haast Valley, which ho considered the natural highway of the Mi Idle Island, and of which he could speak from personal knowledge. The Council expressed their thanks to Mr MacKellar for his valuable suggestions and information. Proposed, seconded, and carried—That the Hon. the Minister for Public Works be wiitton to suggesting the desirability of causing a flying survey of the route to the West Coast via Wanaka and Haast Valley, seeing that surveys are now in course for discovering the heat route for a railway connecting the East and West Coasts of the Middle Island.—Cromwell Argus.