OCEAN BEACH RAILWAY PROMCTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4164, 23 June 1875, Page 3

OCEAN BEACH RAILWAY PROMCTERS.

TO THE KDITOIt. Silt—What have the aforesaid promoters done to call forth the ire of a correspondent in Friday's issue of the Evening Star, who signs himself " An Old Resident,'' and whose Roman hand—if I mistake not—may for the last four weeks be traced in the columns of that journal, :us writing down, without rhyme or reason, aai undertaking which is of the utmost importance to a large section of the community, both in Duuedin and in the Peninsula 7 One is almost tempted to the conclusion that the writer in iiuestion is the General Government whip, whose sole aim is to cover the false position in which his friends at Wellington have allowed themselves to" be placed in reference to the Dunedin and Peninsula Railway — a position into which it is supposed they were led in the first instance partly by the representations of the said whip. This " Old Resident," .says that the Provincial Council has stultified itself in passing the Peninsula Railway Bill, after having previously rejected it. I take leave to think, however, that the inexplicable action of the Council in the first instance with respect to this Bill was that of which it might well feel ashamed -action which went to deny to a- large and important district the benefits'of railway communication—action which was altogether unworthy of representative institutions. I suppose that even the Evening Star will not deny that it will lie a good thing both for the people ot'Dunedin and to a large number of residents on the Peninsula to have railway communication between Dunedin and Portobello. 1 suppose it will be equally undeniable that there is not the ghost of a chance of such railway being made for years to come, either by the General or Provincial Governments. Under these circumstances, a public company conies forward and offers to make the railway without any pecuniary assistance from either Government - all it seeks is permission to construct the line along the fi.reshore of the -Harbour, to join the main line near the Anderson's Bay toll-gate. It asks the Government to take the working into its own hands, upon fair terms, in which case thegeneral terminus at Rattray street would be available. The Colonial Government, however, declines; there is therefore nothing for it but that, at a large unnecessary outlay, the Company must extend its lino into the city and provide a distinct terminus of its own. Well, even this the Company is prepared to do, and to reclaim the necessary land from the tide at its own expense, without any title of occupation excepting that of mere sufferance so long as it fulfils certain condition.s--the.se conditions being that it was to run trains at such hours and at such farts as the Government might from time to time see fit It undertook, moreover, to relinquish the line to the Government at any time on being recouped actual outlay. In fact, if the speculation should turn out unprofitable the Company was to bear the It ss, if a success the Government might step in and appropriate the concern. As has been well said it was a case of "Heads I win, and tails you lose;"" and yet this is the great corrupt job which the virtuous and high-minded correspondent of the Star has been striving to gull the public mind with. By-the-way. 1 had omitted to mention another boon which the promoters of this selfish and grasping Company sought for themselves. So bent were they on proceeding with the undertaking, and seeing that they could not possibly make the railway in the air, they actually ottered to purchase, for cash at public auction, the necessary area of water to enable them to bring the line into the city. Xo doubt "An Old Resident," being a man who never invested his money many undertaking with a view of benefiting himself, sees in all tiiis some base and selfish motive. The only motive that 1 can see in it is that the promoters expected that if the undertaking did not pay directly, it would do so indirectly, in the enhanced value which would accrue to the property of all concerned. In fact, the proposed railway, while it would add vastly to the convenience and comfort of the community, would also greatly increase the value of all property contiguous thereto ; and, Sir, I have yet to learn that this would be regarded as a crime, excepting by thefewlarge-mindeu publicspirited M.P.C.'s and M.H.R.'.s of Otago, of whom "An Old Resident "is the type. Truly, Sir, if the majority of the Council were composed of such men, the sooner that Mr -M'Glashaifs prayer, that the farce way ended, is answered, the better. Sir, I shall concludeas I began, by repeating that to me the opposition to this railway has been utterly inexplicable. I have heard it surmised that the whole thing originated with the Superintendent, who it will be recollected, on the occasion of turning the first sod, very imprudently contrasted the time and cost of construction .of railways by private companies, and by the Provincial and General Governments, much to the annoyance of the latter, as represented by the Honourable Mr Reynolds, who was present, and who characterised the speech as an after dinner one. It is supposed that the Minister of Public Works and his worshipper were mightly offended at this unwise speech, and determined that the Superintendent's prognostication should, in this instance, not be fulfilled. I hope, however, for the sake of the Colony, that none of its Ministers are so small-minded, and that the rumour is without foundation.

Apologising for the length of this epistle.— I am, &c, AxOTHKK Ol.I) RESIDENT, And hxk who knows all auciut it. - Peninsula, 21.st June, 1875.