TURNING THE SOD OF THE HOKITIKA AND GREYMOUTH RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5496, 28 June 1879, Page 5

TURNING THE SOD OF THE HOKITIKA AND GREYMOUTH RAILWAY.

1 • .. [BY TELEQKAJ-H, PKES3 iISSOCJATION.J [ Hokitika, liiday. , To-day was observed as a close holiday by the whole commnnity, to celebrate the turn- . ing of the first sod of the Hokitika.and Greymouth railway. A procession consisting of the Volunteers, Friendly Societies, hundreds of school - children, Government officials, and citizens, formed opposite the town hall at 11 o'clock, and thence marched to the site for the turning of the sod. On arrival, the Mayor, in a few appropriate words, expressed his gratification at the large crowd assembled, and called on the Hon Mr. Bonar, who, be said, had identified himself with the interests of Westland, to turn the first sod o£ the railway, with feelings of peculiar pleasure. The want of a railway prevented the progress of Westland, which has been so loDg in comparative isolation. This had no doubt told against the district. On one side was a bar harbour, and on the other a range of hills almost deemed impenetrable to railway communication, but now, after a sufficient examination of four ? r . a line was about to be made to bring Westland in direct communication with the other parts of the colony. They had been taunted-with being a part of Victoria, and it had often been said that Westland belonged rather to that colony than to New Zealand. Well, it was natural for free-trade people to buy their goods in the cheapest market. If they could not be obtained in the colony, it was of course necessary to go somewhere else. If a return of trade and an increase of population .was required, then communication would have to be kept up. On the other aide of the ranges was a large country entirely destitute of what the West Coast could supply in large quantities—coal and timber. He would refer to a striking instance of the injury they suffered from the absence of communication with a district in which was fine suitable timber, twenty-five or thirty miles south of Hokitika. They had to go to Auckland for timber for harbour works. That was not right. (No, no.) They wanted at present the means of communication with the East Coast, and a railway was wanted. To refer to the steady determination evinced on the coast to overcome the difficulty, it was seven or eight years since an agitation for the railway had been commenced, and slowly worked on. At first they got promises, which were not kept; then tmrvoys. Now he hoped that within eighteen months they would meet again to celebrate the opening of the railway, at all events, as far a<l Greymouth. (Applause.) The coast hsid been greatly neglected. The colony borrowed large sums of money to make railways. He would ask them if it was right and just that out of 1200 miles of railway in the colony, the West Coast should only possess eight. This was not justice. The total expenses of tho railways had been seven and a-half millions, out of which the West Coast received £170,000. This was not one fortieth part of the expenditure, and yet in exports and imports the West Coast ranked fifth in the colony. Hβ was glad this state of things was about to be brought to an end. It was also a noticeable feature that from the returns published by the Government, the Greymouth and Brunnerton railway, which had been stigmatised by some as a railway constructed for political purposes only, was the line in the colony which showed a larger receipt per mile than any other in the colony, the returns being £1091 per mile, as against £527 per mile on the Christchurch to Dunedin and Invercargill line. The percentage of expenses and receipts on this line also was the lowest in the colony, being under 54 per cent., as against GSper cent., the average for the colony. He had recently made a trip to the East Coast, and was surprised that tha general opinion seemed to be that the Weat Coast was done ; that it was going to the dogs, and that tho population were gradually leaving it. But reference to the statistics would shew that while there was certainly a slight decrease between the years 1867-1874, there was an increase at the time the last census was taken in IS7B, of 2130 aouls. There had been also an increase in the number of dwellings, a sure sign that the place was progressing, from 4054 to 4527. Another important feature was the return obtained from the lands they were occapying. This was a guide to the prosperity and otherwise of the district. Here we produced principally gold, and the following were the roturns since the year 1870 for Hokitika, only exclusive of Greymouth, or any other part of the coast: —ln 187G, 35,600023. ; 1877, 54,45i0z5.; 1878. 60,7G70z5. This shewed a steady increase. For the first three months of the present year, the returns were 22,4400z5., and those mouths were not very favourable to the mining industry, so far as the weather was concerned. By taking this as an average, the yield for 1879 would be 67,3200z3. The yield of gold then, so far from falliag off, was increasing. How then could it be said that the population waa falling off. These facts gave him confidence in the West Coast. They were told of the undoubted prosperity of large agriculture! district* on the East Coast; but there was n ' reverse to every picture, and two sides to every question. The late dry season almoas rained the farmers, and they had to wait for the next season to recover themselves. Here on the West Coast the crop—immediate gold—was got week by week and month by month. The main cause of the depression on the coast was known to many of the people. They had been too well off, and had had too much facility for spending. A check had been received, which wonld prove healthy and beneficial, and make them better men—more careful to inquire as to speculations before investing, and in looking after money earned by. industry and labour. After ridiculing the fact that the place was worked out, seeing that there was a coast line of 150 miles of known auriferous ;Rnd, only a few miles of which were occupied, he said he had no sympathy with persons who said Westland had no future. The West Coast people were consumers, and the Eaafc Coaat people producer*. Each wanted what the other produced. There waa a community of interests between them. He hoped they would unite in building up a grand and glorioue colony, to be the inheirtance of their children and children's children. (Applause.) Messrs. Barff, Grammond, O'Connor, and Cross, also addressed the assemblage, after which the procession was reformed, and tho children taken to the State school, where a picnic took place, lasting till evening. Our visitors were the Mayors of Greymouth and Kumara, Mr. Masters, Greymouth, and several other gentlemen from various parts of the district. Letters regretting inability to be present were received from His Honor Judge Weston, Hon. Mr. Lahman, M.L.C., and the County Chairman ol Greymouth. ■■' >■ ■ i' —