THE LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH EXTENSION RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13995, 30 August 1907, Page 8

THE LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH EXTENSION RAILWAY.

Sir, —I notice in your issue of tho 15th inst. a letter, signed by Alex. Snmill, critir cising the above extension. From my knowledge of the route I can endorse aJI he cays against the work. The Government has made a great mistake in starting the railway from Lawrence to Roxburgh. The lino ia about 40 miles in length, and will be- very expensivo to constnict. There arc a large tunnel between Lawrence- and Beaun' bridge over the river, and then another tunnel, or the line must follow the river bank through, lock-bound country, with eoverar heavy cuttings, to the Island Block. .From .there not much difficulty \vill Ixs found in the'construction of the line to Roxburgh. I have no knowledge of the engineer's estimate of the cost -of the line, but doubtless hie estimate, k a long way under the 'mark. The line, if over constructed, only .'.lap's a fev/ patches r.f Rood agricultural lurid—not. moro llian 2000 acres, uulil it roaches Ettrick. Then it will servo belli sides. of the river tn Roxburgh, but thr: nnnnnl revenue thai can bo expected from thq • lino does not warrant tho outlay of such a large amount of public money. Had tho Edievale-Rox-burcrh extension been adopted by tho Government, far better results would havo been obtained:'the. lino would liavo been several miles shorter, and no tunnels or expensive bridge would have been required, and, I believe, the cost when completed would ;be loss by 40 ner cent, than that of tho other .route. The line would run through the MoVFiat Settlement, good agricultural land, down to tho Molyneux RiTor, a short distance above Ettrick: serving both sides of the river to Roxburgh, qnd no doubt would injjimo become a," plying line. ' • I fail to undorstand how the LawrenceRoxburgh line could have been supported l)y fho public. Lawrence has Nothing to pain, but everything to lose.. No doubt the Roxburgh neoplc considered the shorter route to Dunwlin markets, but they eeem to have overlooked tho fact that Invercargill before long will become nn imoorttint city, with its fine harbour at tho Bluff and tho largo amount, of agricultural land behind it. Doubtless in a few years it will havo a market for fruit and produce equal to Dunedin. If ,ilio Kdiovalo route had been adopted the Roxburgh producer would in the near future have had two markets for fruit instead of one. Now that tho iinc is started I do not think tho Goyornmont will turn Kick. I do not know -.vhother it is a political or a non-political railway, but havo no doubt it will turn out a white elephant, reared by tho Government. —I am, etc., August 26, . Bush Ekgineek.