WEST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 426, 10 April 1880, Page 12

WEST COAST RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES.

Sir—ln recent issues of your journal you urge upon the people of Wellington to agitate and not lose sight of so important a question as the construction of the West Coast Railway. Under such circumstances I trust I may claim a space in your valuable journal to propound a few ideas of my own, and prove how Utopian is the scheme proposed by Mr. Evenden. I shall take the first resolution, as proposed by that gentleman, and although I am. prepared to give him every credit for the care and attention which he seems to have devoted to the question, I am satisfied such a scheme could never be carried out for various reasons. We are first told by the Government that they have not much land along the line of route which the railway would traverse ; secondly, the land they have is not adapted to small farms, and that the pick of the lands is held by natives, who no doubt will demand a fabulous price for the accommodation wanted. And the last, and most important of all, is the mode recommended by which the working man may acquire blocks of land of 25 acres and upwards. The Government distinctly state that they have not the funds to devote for the construction of this rail way. And the next question at issue is how far the working men would be benefitted —certainly six days' pay at 75., which is the average of 6s. and Bs., as recommended. Now, supposing that each family consisted of a man, wife, and three children, that would cost him some 4s. per diem for rations, or 28s. per week, for although he would not be paid for Sunday ; he would have to provide food for himself, wife, and family on that day, and, not reckoning wet and stormy days which he could not work on. It is proposed that he should also receive 10s. per week to supply himself and family with boots, clothing, and other necessaries. Such a proposition is entirely absurd, and will not bear a second thought. Presuming that the Government had it in their power to give to every working man on the line of railway, say 25 acres free of cost, would they not require capital to make such a bit of land reproductive, and would not the result be that without this capital to depend on the land would be sold at half or quarter of its value to some land broker or moneyed man, and the beautiful line of farms which fancy sees dotting the line of railway would be like Martin Chuzzlewit's town of Eden—all in perspective ? A landlord might say to a friend, "I have a splendid shop, rent free—make a fir3t-class fruit shop." What would be its returns if the man had neither fruit nor the money to purchase it with ? Now, sir, we can all find fault, but there are ; few who can point out a remedy. It is admitted on all sides that the Wellington and Foxton railway would not only open up a large tract of country, whether in the possession of the native or European race, as well as give employment to a large amount of surplus labor, and I take the liberty of suggesting three modes of action. The first is, that a short

Bill be introduced into Parliament, entitled the Railway Construction Act, which should contain certain compulsory clause*, compelling all owners, whether native or European, to contribute to an acreage rate, to be levied for that special purpose, and that such rate should cease when the first half of the railway was completed, the remaining half to be paid for by Government dabentures running over thirty years, at 5 per cent., so that the rising generation should contribute, as they would receive the asset for which the debt was contracted. Secondly, a private company, either in the mother country or Australia, might be induced to construct this railway if the Government of New Zealand would guarantee them a clear profit of 5 per cent, on their outlay per annum. Thirdly, let them adopt the same principle as some of our large steam ship companies, who build large steamers, and the builders take a large amount of the cost in shares or interest in the company. Any person possessing the slightest grain of sense must admit that railways open up a large tract of country, give a wonderful impetus to trade, and avast increase to the value of land. Many persons remark that railways seldom pay, but the return the country receives in the construction of macadamised roads, in time and speed, is scarcely ever credited to the railway account, only its mere return on the outlay. Claiming your indulgence for the length «f this letter, —I am, &c, M. li. Marks. TO THE EDITOR OE THE NEW ZEALAND MAPI. Sib,—A friend has ju*t read to me a report of last Wednesday night's meeting. Mr. Evenden's remarks must commend themselves to every thinking mind, but I go further than that gentleman and maintain that the Crown lands belong to the people, and that no Ministry have a right to place an outsi ie price on the same. And furthermore, when Parliament votfid forty thousand pounds to the said railway, I hold that the amount should be used for the purpose for which it was voted. It is an excellent scheme put forth by Mr. Evenden for the working man to join his fellow in obtaining a homestead, but I fear it will not be carried to a successful issue, because the capitalists will in a few years hence purchase in a block their homesteads, the same as was done in the Waikato military settlers' land The extinguishing native title is indispensible, but let it be done on a fair basis, not by giving the native owners a penny per acre, and then for the wily pakeha to obtain possibly three or four pounds for the same. This native question has been a stalking-horse for many years, and it is really time that the Native Commissioners were swept away. The present Ministry have done well in removing Major Kemp from the list of Maori pensioners, and it would be a good thing if another illustrious i chief (Wi Tako) was also struck off the roll. I well remember the occasion on which the latter individual insulted Sir George Grey when that gentleman was Governor. The Hon. Wi Tako was the promoter of the King movement. Why in the name of common sense he is in receipt of public money I am at a loss to divine. Can you inform your readers ?—I am, &c,

Fjredertck Abbot.