THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 849, 8 June 1888, Page 33

THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

The telegrams printed below were tendered, in evidence by Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R., to the Waste bands Committee, bat were returned to him yesterday week with the following resolution appended : r *.*.Th'at' ’the telegrams’ submitted:' by Mr Pyke be abV printed.” " TfejLEOKAMS IN RtP'OTAOD GKNTRAX. RAILWAY. rCJrcent.L Clyde/ May 23rJ, 1888. [To V. Pyke. Esq., M.H.R., [ /-■■•: ; Wellington. , Resolution that this Council is strongly of opinion'that the oonstroiptidn.’ot tbb Otago Central Railway is the bdljf thing that will prpmntiß settlement in the’interior of .Otago ; afid further, that the proposed concession of land to a company to enable it to undertake the work will in no wise retard settlement, or be inimical {subject, of course, to proper restrictions) [to the mining.interes.ts. ~ - ./_, - : Wm. Phaser, Chairman, Vincent County Council, [Delayed.] Clyde, May 25th, 1888. - To Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. The inhabitants view with alarm any obstacles that may be put in the- way of constructing the Otago Central Railway, and are of opinion that it yvill be a direct breach of faith between the Government and the inhabitants if any objections or obstacles• raised against the line .being proceeded with are entertained. The inhabitants [have ex-, pended large sums of money in land and other property with the understanding [ that the Railway would be made years ago. The Surveyor-General’s remarks that the railway would not encourage Settlement »ud be injurious H/O mining iuterfsts aro could only have been made use Jof for some other purpose than the general public’s good. It is a'well-known fact that rail vvaya are jthe forerunners of other industries, and are more identical with settlement than anything else. In faot settlement is blocked without them, every othor calling is at a standstill. It is high time for the Government to take notice of the general puhlm 'ijD sucli matters, aiid-'’-‘give Abem rail Way coinmunicatipu to enable them to send their produce to a good market. New Zealaud requires more producers to help to pay interest on the debt. But what is the use of producing without railway communication ? Self-reliant men will soon-be tired of it and [shake the dust; of New Zealand from their, feet. -v, I';: Bbkj.vmin Nayiok, >• •' -F- ’ •'•■?; -’Chairman.

Ophir, 25th May, IBBS. To Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.R., ■.- Wellington. - Public meeting held at Ophir this day re Otago Qentral the; following yesoljutions .were; carried unahimously. . .rt' . -J~ Ist. That this meeting deprecates any obstruction to the passing of the Otago Central Railway Bill now before the House which gives prospect of a speedy construction of the Une.so.much to be desired after t ,the exasperating dilatory progress made during' tb«' last ten years. The hostile evidence given before the [ Committee by the SurveyoriGeneral;causei.great alarm. ;r ? 2nd. That the district relies on the construction of this railway as the only means of saving the mining interest and of giving permanence to the agricultural settlement, of the district, ..the .district haying s-uffered for. so many years by a costly land oarriagd- ,1 • 3rd. That "this "meeting expresses hearty sympathy with Mr Pyke, and prays fur the successful passing of this Bill. ''- ; ' John Pitches, Chairman.

•./•'•'' -Matakanui, ■ ;'.:v ; ; May 25th; 1889. . Tb-Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H;R., Wellington.- . Resolutionvpassed at publio' meetihg held at Matakanui to-day —“That the Otago Central Railway will be certain to promote and further settlement in Otago, and will hot be injurious, but would be a great benefit to the mining population.” ~ ! ' ■ . R. Shephard.

Alexandra South, > ' 26th May, 1888. To Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.R,, Wellington. ; , ..... . llesolatioh' Alexandra Borough Council, 25th May—“ That in the opinion of this Council, which we believo is in accordance with that of the people[ : of the entire district; the construction of the Otago’Central Railway would be beneficial' to bOtli minihg and agricultural interests in the interior of Otago, and as there iB no prospect of the line being completed .by the '.Government for many years , to cohje, this Council cordially approves of Mr Pyk'b’s Bill providing for the construction of tho railway by a private company.” . ■• W. F. Forrest. . - .V- Town Clerk.

Cromwell, ‘ - V •. 28th May, 188 S. • To VinceDt Pyke, Esq,, M.H.R., . Wellington. Cromwell public meeting unanimously passed following, resolution “That this meeting regrets to hear that the evidence of the Surveyor General is against the construetion of the Otago Central'Railway, and is of opinion that the means by which it ii proposed to construct the railway, viz., by land grants, will in no way militate against the mining interest. This meeting is of opinion that the railway will bring population to the interior,'and that it. is population and cheap transit to and from the coast which the mining, agricultural, aud' commeroial Interests require for their speedy and true development.” - - Srexci: H. Tcrton, ’ ilayor. • Cromwell. • . - ".

'• [ ' • 28th May, 1888. To Vihcent Pyke, Esq , M.H.R., 1 Wellington. !: Public meeting, after resolution, unanimously passed vote of thanks to you for your present and past efforts re railway. Afterward .committee formed’, to watch progress of .BI T and assist by every means. - Si*enok H. Tui.iox, ' '. 'Mayor. - St. Batbans. '■ '

To VihosUt Pyke, Eaql. M.HIR., Wellington. Inhabitants of western .portion of Maniototo county in public meeting assembled resolved as follows

Ist, “That in our opinion the construction of the Otago Central Railway will benefit pvery interest ii* ‘district thrOqkh 'which it passes;’ V .. //'Sfid. “ That the wilhparjiicularly •benefit the mining and iigrioulturalintei e*ta, both of which ahs papable' of great expanSiqh 'with cheaper transit'of materiw; hnd produce.'’ > t 3rd. “ That the ptago Central:i.B in a posi ? .tion no other yailway;'-jn the Cdlony har occupied, or canocoupy,'seeing tdbjah' tholand Which this railway will pass through is'stilt iu the hands {lf-the Crown, and that sueh land will more [than pay jtbe coai/qf construe’tion.” t .' .. }*'/ fr % :■ 4tb. “ That the present road traffic betw*l?P: the interior of Otago and the c«aat/ although considerable, affords a criterion of what that by a railway would bt, and we are confident that within a few years after the opening of railway • communication the population of . the interior Would be increased fourfold.” ' stb. “ That in Central Otago the average railway traffic per head of population would be many-times whafT it is in coastal districts, seeing .that all goods procured from outside aud all: produce'exchanged or sent outside the interior for sale or export must pass over the railway, whereas on the coast threefourths’of‘the population hardly ever require or use the railways, or anything carried by them, and the altej-Dative and cheap r route by water takes the most remunerative traffic, that in heavy goods.” 6th' That the slow progress the railway has during the past 10 years made under Government control leads us to believe that if it is to be finished during the present eeatury, it must he by such means aB are proAided dridei Mr Pyke’s Otago Central Railway Bill, 1888.'' : ' [ 7th. “That great care, should be taken that under Mr Pyke’s Bill auriferous laud is not rendered inaccessible to miners, that 1 tailings outlets are not blocked up, and that no-riparian rights are graritfed.’’ [ "■ ' Bth. ! ‘'* r That copies of abd’/e'Tesolutio'ns be forwarded to the Government, to Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R., and to the member for the district.”

John Ewing.

. • Pembroke,'29th May, 1888. .To Vincent Pyke, Esq., M‘. . ’ Wellington. // f- - i." Public-' meeting -;held'' -here * last night unanimously passed following, resolution : “Provided the mountain streams and auriferous country, present and prospective, are preserved to the miners, the construction ofGtago CentraPßailwSy is * mOßt^hceSfafy work; and will 'ce'rtafnly tend to'the settlement of this district.” ; J. Cavkorti, Chairman. ; V ■; R. McDougall, Convener.