THE SOUTH ISLAND EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1879, Page 3

THE SOUTH ISLAND EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY.

* • Sir — I think we may take it for granted that the question of connecting the East and West Coasts by cross country line* has been settled, for the next few years at least, by Mr. Blair'* report recently laid before the House of Representatives. -v. Mia objections to the Nelson and West Coast line, as far as t am able to understand them, ire that the Nelson harbor is "an indifferent tidal harbor of limited caoafity," that it'fc im- * possible to get good gradients on the West Coast side of the wain range, ' and that as the only sources of traffic would be the coal and timber, that the coal is found in a narrow belt along the West C»ast, and that the line proposed wonld meet it at right angles, " entailing the maximum amount of carriage right across the country." He also objects that tbere could ba bo sew country opened up for settlement by the proposed line If tha main object sought is to connect the West Coast coslnelds with a good harbor on tbe Bast Coast, whence their produce can be distributed by sea, that can be attained by making the place whence I write the terminus, and would also to a great extent meet tbe other objections stated. Ist. As regards tbe harbor itself, Golden Bay is so completely shut in from the influence of the ocean swell as to deserve the name of a harbor rather than a roadstead; at any rate, vessels of any size can He tbere securely in all weathers, and deep water where large ships could alw&< s He afloat is found within a quarter of a mile of the Bhore. 2nd At tbe head of this valley a depression exists in the main ra; go known as tbe Wakapobal Saddle, near the sources of the Heephy River. Tbis saddle is ooly a few hundred feet high, and pnod gradients can be got up it on this side. From the other side the whole of the West Coast, south and north, is commanded, and except a piece of the country batween the Heaphy and the Karamea, about which there i« not much known, and which would therefore require to be more carefully ixamined, I am informed that tbe remainder of tbe route presents nothing more than the ordinary engineering difficulties. 3rd. This line would open up for settlement a considerable quantity of good country. 4th Jt would also run parallel with the course of the coalfield, and accommodate it much more effectually than a line cutting it at right angle I*.1 *. Taking the Grey as tbe southern limit of the coal formation, it may be said to extend northwards, as a continuous firld, to Cape Farewel. aud this line would therefore be in the coal formation the whole dt-tance I believe a few pounds spent in a careful inspection of the country indicated would be well spent. T am, kc, An Old Settler. CollingwoDd, 19th August, 1879.