OAMARU-NASEBY RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1099, 27 October 1879, Page 2

OAMARU-NASEBY RAILWAY COMMITTEE.

A meeting i>f the Oamaru-Isasehy Railway Committee was, held .it the County Council Chambers this afternoon, when there were present —Messrs. .Steward (Chairman), (.iibbs, J. Booth, 3ioore, Claude, O'Meauher. and Sumptcr (lion. Se.-retaryV Thu minuies of the last meriting were read and confirmed. The Chairman having remarked that the portion <,i the line previously advocated had been commonoed, said that on the occasion of the turning- of the sod of the LiY!:v.'--ro!i« railway, it had been decided .■• ioi any t: ..!: - •jii")-: in connection willi th" c..>.rJ.........;:: oi the line r./;:iain over t;::-:: :!ie portion of tiie iine authorised was appro:- lug completion. Me thought they iiacl arrived at that stage now. He- did not think it probable that they. would succeed in •jetting a sum placed upon the ISsiiniates for the continuation of the line to Kyebnrn ; but he thought they might get, say, L2OOO placed upon" the Estimate-:; for the purpose of gutting .1 complete survey made of the remainder of the line, He had re* ceived information from a gentleman at Duntroon that iie could point out a place where a tunnel could be pierced through the hill three chains long, or, if the. surveyors thought the too m-ear. ho coiibl point otic a umi:oi ;. : ight he pierced l.ot ;,.ore than thice-quarters of a, mile long, This was very different from, the two-mile tuijue! «? whioh they wore told in the report the Committee had had prepared originally. That survey was, of course, only a rough one, and what he wished the Committee to do was to endeavor i.> have ft sniii plnced t|;p Estimates which would enable a proper survey boing made, and the cost of making the lino ascertained. If a sum of about L2OOO were voted, a proper engineering and topographical survey could be made, and the length of the line, nature of the country, and the probable cost of constructing the lirie ascertained. One reason for calling the meeting together was to lay before them his resignation of the position of Chairman, as he was about to leave the district. He would have been very loath to leave without doing what he considered his duty—calling the meiyjbai's of the Committee together and laying be forethenj his views as to the nest step to be taken. He then referred to the progress of tho harbor ..works, and said that he believed that in a few years vessels of large burthen would be enabled to load and discharge at tho wharves. Wl-oii that day cany) thy inopchants o.f Qarparu ought to be able to supply the large population of the interior. If, as he suggested, the line could be carried through from Livingstone to Kyeburn, Oamaru would become the port of :i large country beyond the Pass. From the terminus of the line now being made io Livingstone and Kveburn was only 10 miles. The cost of this would be from L 120.000 to L 150,000. But in considering this suni they would have to take into account tho great amount of trattio that would be created over the line by people from Christchurch and the ■North travelling over it to the Lakes. They would certainly not dream of going there by wa)' of Dunedin when they could roach the Lakes from Oamavu by a journey of 40 miles. He alluded to the fact that the portion of the line already constructed was, with one exception, tho boat paying in the Colony, and said this should form a strong argument in favor of the continuation of the line. He had made a long speech, but it was the last time he should address them from the chair. He had no personal interest whatever to serve, but was merely actuated

byadesiretopushforwardthe nterests ofa town in which he had passed so many years of his life. If a memorial were sent to the Government asking for a survey such as that he had indicated, he felt sure their request would be granted. Not only was it to Oamaru's interest that such a survey should be made, but to that of nearly every community on the other side of the Pass. The people of the interior , had been almost unanimously with them I when the projected line was pitted against | the Strath-Taieri railway, and most certainly now that the line from Dunedin was sanctioned they would have no opposition. Mr. O'Meagher said they might urge that while the Strath-Taieri provided for the comfort of travellers from the South, the line-ihey urged would provide for the comfort of those from the North who might be anxious to visit the Lakes, and who did not care to go to Dunedin. They would, therefore, not alone be conferring a benefit upon this district, but upon the whole of the North. The Chairman remarked that this would have the effect of securing the assistance of the Canterbury members. Mr. Maude said that he was afraid the twenty-one miles proposed to be made would be rather expensive. The Chairman said the previous estimate of the cost of the line was based upon the assumption that there would be a two-mile tunnel. Mr. Booth said the present traffic over the range was very small, but that was not the matter to be considered. What they had to consider was the immense tract of country that would be opened Some little discussion then took place as to the best course to be adopted to, get a sum suflicient to make a complete survey placed upon the Estimates. Eventually the following resolution was carried unanimously : That the Chairman and Mr. Gibbs be requested to address a letter to the Minister for Public Works, urging the desirableness uf causing a complete and careful engineering survey to be made over the distance iu-intervc-iing between the terminus of the Windsor-Livingstone line and the nearest point of the main trunk line on the Kycburn Flat, with a view of determining the grades, distance, and cost of constructing the same ; and asking that provision may bo made on the votes for public works this session for carrying out such survey. That such letter set forth the reasons why the completion of railway communication with the interior is desirable and expedient. That the members for the district and Mr. de Lautour, M.H.R., be written to inviting their aid and co-opera-tion iu the matter, and asking them to endeavor to secure the nlacing o.f a sum of not less than L2OOQ cm the Estimates for thepurpose in view, The Chairman then tendered his resignation of that office, intimating that he would be happy, though leaving the town,to remain a member of the Committee. On the motion of Mr. Booth 4 the resignation was accepted. On the motion of Mr. iiocth, seconded by Mr. O'M&agher, the following resolution was carried unanimously ;—■ That the thanks of tT\ii» Committee be specially tendered to Mr. Steward for his untiring cn.p<?gy in the matter of the OamaruNaseby project from its inception to the present time, with the hope that although he ceases by hjs own desire" to be chairman, he may yef in his new sphere over the river render us valuable assistance. Mr. Steward expressed his thanks to the Committee, and on leaving the chair proposed that Mr. Gibbs be appointed chairman. This was seconded by Mr. Maude, and carried. The meeting then ter<m,inatc.d>