THE RAILWAY SCHEME.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 159, 10 July 1867, Page 2

THE RAILWAY SCHEME.

To the Editor op the Nelson Evenikg Mail . Sir — Your "facetious contemporary Punch" gives us during the session what he calls the " essence of Parliament," and ,it is said, that not only do the public while being amused, sometimes gain information in this way, but also that the debaters themselves thus learn, and take hints from, what spectators say of them. I propose in a humble way to imitate Mr. Punch, and give your readers the essence of two letters in this day's Colonist, signed, "F.W.1." and "Francis Stevens." Epitome of F.W.l.'s letter :— Paragraph 1. states that the interest of the public and the proposed company are identical, and hints that nobody else but F.W.I, has had the gumption to discover this self-evident fact. Parapraph 2. devotes much argument to convincing us that whereas in England people are perplexed by the multitude of rival companies competing for the traffic, in Nelson it is our privilege to have no competition worth speaking of. Mr. Curtis and the Council may go to bed every night with the tranquil assurance that they will not have to keep the peace between Mr. Stevens and any other competitors for absorbing bur traffic. No one will be rash enough to contradict this profound assertion. Paragraph 6. cites Stephenson, Parnell, and Cotton to prove that it is the pace that kills. Paragraph 4. shows that, owing to the great amount of side cutting, the standard guage which English capitalists are familiar with, will be too costly j this is particularly the case iv the first two sections,

the road from Nelson to Richmond, Fox Hill, Motueka Valley, etc., being all the way on the side of a hill of 45 deg. gradient. Mr. Stevens and his English friends are 20 inches ahd-n-half too wide (awake?) for us. Three feet is our mark. In the next few paragraphs we learn promiscuously that 12 per cent, is better than 8, that Nelson people ought not to give up their old traditions and wish to travel more 10 miles an hour, and that it is no matter if the cars are as narrow as on the Dun Mountain, and topple over now and then like them, just to break the monotony of the 10 mile pace. Paragraph 8 cites the American railways, which are wide enough to admit of a gangway down the middle of each car, and double seats on either side, in illustration of a three-foot guage. The next few paragraphs remind us of the school-boy looking in through the shop-window, aud enjoying iv imagination the tarts which he.has not the money to buy. Having convinced us that Mr. Stevens and his guage will not do, and that other competitors are out of the question, and uot having himself given us any idea where the money is to come from, F.W.I, regales us with an imaginary feast, in which coals and potatoes, wool and gold, groceries and .all manner of merchandise make one's mouth water, and even gives us an outline time-table which puts Bradshaw in the shade. Nor is this all; in the next half column, like the gentleman *who occupied his spare time in inditing letters to imaginary correspondents, we find ourselves in actual treaty and familiar intercourse with the competing companies, and providing for our surplus profits. In his first paragraph F. W. I. says, " with these suggestions I leave the subject." "Parturiunt montes, nascitur ridiculus mus." I really expected something practical as a wind-up, after all these letters, about the getting up of the Company. I thought the look-in through the windows here was to be followed by a look-in at the Stock Exchange in London, where our agent would be seen hard at work getting up the money; but no; you have given us the shadow, have you told us anything about the substance? Francis Stevens says, I have a prospectus of your railway, which I offered to show you, but you would not look at it. lam ready to go at my own cost to the London Stock Exchange as your agent, aud do my best to get the money. I have shown it to the Council, who did look at it, and were satisfied. I have been trained to this particular pursuit; have you got anyone else better fitted than I am, to be your agent? Speak out like a man, and say whether you are willing to undertake the job, or whether you intend, as I advise you, to keep to your own calling. The above everyone who reads them must admit to be the pith of these two letters, as read by an outsider, who wishes very much to see the railway accomplished, but has not time to enter into the discussion further. He feels much obliged to anyone who devotes his time and ability to the question —to none more so than F.W.1., but being much impressed by Mr Stevens's offer, would say to those who are disposed to reject it, take care lest, while you are grasping at a shadow, you do not lose the only substantial offer you have as yet bad. I am, &c, Mb, Punch. July 9th, 1867.