LAWRENOE-ROXBURGH. RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14038, 20 April 1909, Page 4

LAWRENOE-ROXBURGH. RAILWAY.

AN INVITATION TO THE PEOPLE OF OTAGO. , Air A. Moritzs on writes to us as ‘ follows : In accordance with the statement made 'by me at tho Town Hall at the indignation meeting, I hereby lay the. following before the Otago people: —A company, to be formed in* order to farm the revenue accruing from" the line, if constructed. The Government to construct the lino immediately right up to Roxburgh, to be finished in three years, and. the shareholders of the company will guarantee the . Government 3 per cent, on the expended capital of construction, to-the amount of £280,000, to commence, two' years after lino is constructed. This, at 3 per cent., would be £8,400. The Govemment .to run the line, and the first charge on earnings of the line to be the 3 per cent, interest, which the company would guarantee. *The second charge on the line would be the expenses of working the line and allowance made for depreciation. Any profit after this to be handed to the company. The company to have the rights oyer this line for twenty-five years, with the option of renewal for another-twenty-five years. ■ The writer wishes to bring the matter in this form- before the Prime Minister when the deputation wait upon him at Dunedin, and therefore the .writer invites the public of Otago to make application to him immediately by letter for shares. He would produce these applications and show the Premier that the Otago people are in earnest and determined to have their line finished at an early date. The shareholders, of course, would only guarantee the interest. Ray, for instance, that there would be 100 shareholders. They would each guarantee £B4. If there 'are 200 shareholders, they would each guarantee per year. If there are 400 shareholders, they would each guarantee £2l per year; and if there are 800 shareholders, they would each guarantee £lO 10s per year. Now, her© is a chance for the Otago people to show the Premier that we mean btifeiness, and if the Premier sees this he must be convinced, and persuaded to'go on with the line at once. The people of Otago are urged to qommunicate immediately with the writer of this letter, arid state whether he would take one or. more shares. Of course, this idea is only roughly worked out, and nothing can be carried put or*is binding until the company is formed, if the Government force us into this position.