ROXBURGH RAILWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13263, 20 April 1905, Page 8

ROXBURGH RAILWAYS.

TO THK KDITOK. ' Sir. —The Southland speakers only expected scant consideration from tho Dunedin newspapers in connection with the recent railway agitation, arid tliey jot it. In some instances material points were omitted, particularly so those I produoed in connection with tho comparative port charges between the Blufl and Dunedin. The question o£ export dues, as I explained at the meeting, need not have enteral into the discussion so far as the Teviot district was concerned. The import charges, in which every individual member of the csmmunity is interested, discloses an advantage pnjoyed by the Bluff over Dunedin ot from Is 2d to 3s 2d per ton, as the following details will show:— Bonedust, cement, guano, gypsum, bar and sheet iron, salt, sugar, and woolpacks were

3s at Dunedin and Is 10(1 at the Bluff; fencing wire, fruit trees, girders, galvanised iron, kerosene, linseed oil, lead, minerals, steel rails and bars, riee, and vinegar worn 4s at Dunedin. against Is lOd at. the Bluff; castor oil, glass, iron rails, minerals, nianui'o. paint, rivets, seap, zinc were 5s at Dunedin, against Is 10d at the Bin IF. The charges on foreign and intercolonial steamers were ""also shown to be cheaper at the southern port. Frankly speaking, I would have been more satisfied with our mission had the meeting passed a resolution supporting the Moa Flat route, lint this was not expected by us after the "push" methods adopted by Dunedin. Their action in delegating one of their number to stay behind to create disorder at our meeting proved a wise proceeding. Considering (he good commercial understanding that lias always existed between the centres of Dunedin and Invercargill—and considering that the business people in the former centre already hold tho trade' of the TapanuiITeriot district, and the extension of the line to Roxburgh should not affect this connection,—members of our deputation nalur ally marvelled at the short-sightedness of keen business men acting so discourteously and so discreditably—where only friendly rivalry should have existed—so as to taint their actions with a disagreeable odour, an odour that time alone can dissipate. The report of Tuesday's meeting from a Dunedin standpoint read all right. If you arc well informed you will have realised that our arguments made a good impression on those who heard them. Facts irrefuted at that meeting, and irrefutable, will serve ultimately as against a snatch vote carried by the frenzied critic and his co-workers. The position I placed before the meeting will hear repeating. Lawrence to Roxburgh is 38 miles. 'This route includes one tunnel 22 chains long, a bridgo across the Clut'ia costing. £25,000, and the traversing for many miles of a narrow defile in the ranges, necessitating costly metal pitching and masonry, breastwork. and river protection. Yet tho public ii? asked to believe that this work will only cost £6000 per mile. £8000 per mile is a moderate .estimate. Add to the £300,000 interest at I per cent, and cost of maintenance at £6000 per annum, wear and tear of rolling stock am) departmental cxDenses. Tut on the other side the estimated trade of the district. Wc were fully justified as public men in the course we adopted of denouncing this rascally proposal to squander tho taxpayers' money. Promoters of a railway scheme generally point. with pride to the veritable Land of Goshen which the proposed line will traverse, but I suppose the modesty possessed by the coterie i from your city deterred them in this instance from waxing eloquent under this head. Charity will forbid me from entering into a disquisition as to tho latent possibilities of those mountain tops and alpine gullies to send forth their increase. Those interested in this extension know its stockcarrying capacity and its suitability for close settlement bettor than I can profess to do. The Dunedin deputation may also have a private opinion on the matter. So far ss the Edievale-Rao's Junction route is concerned, it is an impossibility, and the Minister of Public Works, the member for | .the district, and the officers of the Publio Works Department have to crawl out of a hole in respect thereto. If the Government. ever seriously meant to connect Roxburgh bv rail, the Moa.,Flat route was tha shorter by 16 miles and the least costly in construction per mile. This route is the only one in the running now, and every practical man familiar with the districts affected know 3 it. Th" extension to Tlttrick could bo accomplished at tho cost of taking the Lawrence extension to Dunkeld. Roxburgh would then have a terminus nini niiles distant, as against 26 miles. A factor not to l>c overlooked is that the Gore agricultural country intersected by tho shorter routes would go a long Way towards making the line reproductive-I qui, etc , : I. W. Katmosd,' : Invercargill, April 14. . "^