THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1867.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 183, 16 March 1867, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1867.

Judging from what has passed betweeu his Honor the Superintendent and the .deputations of the Hokitika tramway companies, the relations of the Government towards these companies are extremely indefinite and ; uncertain — so much so, indeed, as to be calculated to seriously interfere with the success of these itndertakings, if a better understanding is not established. And we fear that his -Honor's reinai'ks will not have tended to strengthen the position of the various companies. Mr Moorhouse is reported to. have .uttered the following remarks in reply to an application ,for protection to the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Co. His Honor, it appeal's, objects to grant protection for a longer term thaii five years : — " He would not lock up the land for "a longer period- fpr a line of wooden '"rails,' to the exclusion -perhaps of " something better, for the benefit of a " body of men who might not choose to "move themselves, and might be an " obstacle to others more enterprising. "He wanted to see something that " woxild increase the borrowing powers "of the province. He did kot wish to " SEE THESE DIVIDED ENTERPUISES. Why <; not at once form one company and 4 : construct a first-class iron railway " from the Arnold to Eoss 1 ■ . * * * " He wished to see a first-class raihvay "built, that would briug down coals " from Greymouth at 25s per ton. If " a company were formed =k» construct a " really good railway from the Arnold " to Rpssy he would be pi-epared to call "the Provincial Council together to " gaa)';mtee S 2> er cent interest on " £150,000, and that sum could be " readily raised in Melbourne. He " must insist on coals being brought "from the Grey to Hokitika at a merely " nominal charge ; and if the comj)any "were rot; prepared to guarantee that, " he would give them nothing, as sure "as his name was Moorhouse." We are not quite sure if we undei^tand Mr Moorhouse aiight, but we interpret his remarks to.. mean. that, the Government does not approve of "divided enterprises "—so fai; as. tramways are concerned. — that is' to. say, it would rather discourage than encourage anyithing short of a costly iron railway, however much the more modest wooden tramways would help to clevelope the country, and answer the immediate requirements of the population. Whilst we can see no other meaning that can be attributed to the. words said to have been used by Mr Moorht v -o, we cannot help thinking that his; Honor has either been misundei'stood, or spoke inadvertantly. We cannot conceive that any intelligent person, and more espe cially one.of so muchsagacity and general sound sense as Mr Moorhouse, would deliberately object to encourage the construction of tramways in Westland by public enterprise^ simply because iron railways are so much better, To outvminds, and' we fancy our opinion will be generally shared, nothing is better calculated to prodiote the development of thecountry and itsresourcesthautheconstruction of these cheap and conveuient lives of tramway. Of course, it is not pretended that they are as efficient as irou railways, but they have the advantages of costing little money, beiug rapidly constructed, an<i .qf being worked at a pmfit. In course of time, if the country continue to prosper, these .temporary lines will naturally give -place to works of ''-'a more permanent cha ract,er,^ So far ; from throwing any ; ol -i .stiicies;in the "way, the Government should offer every legitimate^encouragement to the ; constnictidh of tramways ; and the more "divided enterprises" we" have of this kiud the better. We yrent,o assejt;that iii matters of this kind< th.c divided enterprise 'to which Miv

Moorhouse is siaicl fto^pVject, is quite as uocessary and: useful';; as division of labor iv the arts of pi-c^ttctioii. Let us suppose that inst,tad;;'of the two com* '■'-. panies-/ which :;now- ; ;-Bijid' tramways be* tweeri Grey mouth anil Hokitika, the Government had insisted on one company alone carrying out the work. If this. condition had been laid down, we question very much it a mile of tramway would. haVe been constructed. But; as it it is, two companies, each formed in a ■particular locality, have by means of local support been able to construct at each end lines already of the greatest public advantage, and which will pro, bably soon bo united continuously. People more' readily embark in modest undertakings, the management of which is under the control of persons they know and can trust, than in gigantic schemes, however flattering '.their- '.-pros* pects may appear, It is quite right that, the Government shoxild protect the interests of the public as well as those of the companies in granting land or giving guarantees of interest. But whatever conditions may be enforced, they • should npt be such as to interfere with the legitir mate course of. public enterprise. It may be proper to make it a condition of a grant of land that at a certain time iron rails should be laid down, .on that the line should be extended, either by the Company obtaining the grant or, by the Government .; and it is quite legitimate that when.tjffi Government gives a guaraniflftgi^F^fT ■ ■ ■; _s***4" -Hfia' it should exercise^sawftrfiae^f^ „ •,. iifd o\mjimSi<j'&jLxt;i:oi over the expenditure. His Honor referred to the Indian system the other day, but. did not- quite correctly explain it. In India the Government guaranteed six per cent, on the subscribed capital, and this guarantee was encumbered with the condition that the expenditure should be approved by the Government, acid that the Governnieut could purchase the lines at a fixed price within a certain number of yeai-s. Similar conditions might be applied to those Tramway Companies which ask for the Government guarantee, but it is absurd to dictate to a number of shareholders that, they shall carry coals on their line ": at a nominal price." His Honor seems to have some fear of the propi'ietors of the tramways being sufficieutly enterprising to make them more permanent. at the proper time. We think that they have already shown a very praiseworthy spirit of enterprise in undertaking what they have done — a spirit which we may recommend the Govmimeut to fo low. We can assure his Honor that when the proper time comes for the tramways to be replaced by iron railways the people of Westland will not be behind hand, nor " be an obstacle to others more enterprising." If the Government desire that these tramways should form the nuclei of an elaborate railway system, they can so arrange that whilat this idea is preserved, the interests of the various companies shall not suffer. Let the Government grant. protection to the lines with the proviso that any time after five years, or even aiess period, the Government may have the right to purchase the lines at a fixed per centage on the capital subscribed. This proviso should apply to all Tramway Companies whether accepting the Government guarantee or not, and by -this means the public interest would be protected with- 1 out sacrificing that of the companies affected. ; - \