THE INTERIOR RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 16

THE INTERIOR RAILWAY.

The following is the text of the petition on the subject of the interior railway, which ia to be presented to the General Assembly :—: —

The petition of the undersigned in the Provincial District of Otago in the said Colony humbly showeth : That your petitioners are strongly impressed with the urgent necessity that exists for taking immediate steps for the construction of a line of railway which will open up the interior of this part of the country, leaving the Southern trunk line in the neighbourhood of Mosgiel, proceeding through the extensive and fertile plains of Strathtaieri, Maniototo, Ida Valley, and Manuherikia, and thence up the Valley of the Clutha towards Clyde and Cromwell.

That such a railway, your petitioners are advised, presents no engineering difficulties ; it could be cheaply and easily constructed, and would open up fur settlement at least 500,000 acres of Crown land, all comparatively level and fit for the plough. These lands are capable of settling and supporting a large population, and their judicious disposal would, after the construction of the railway, realise mure than the cost of the whole work.

Your Petitioners believe that the importance of the proposed Railway can scarcely be overrated. Apart from the large and favourable field for settlement it will open up, the line will develop an extensive traffic in Agricultural Produce, Wool, Stock, General Merchandise, Building Materials, Minerals, and Pas sengerp, besides increasing the prosperity of the inland towns', and extending around and be. yond them the sphere of settlement and enterpri3e. .b'rom statistics and information which have beeu collecied, your Petitioners are satisfied that the proposed line will, immediately ori completion, pay working expenses and interest on cost, and that there is no part of the Colony where a railway is more urgently required. No other projected branch line would develop so much material prosperity, or be the means of indirectly adding bo much to the public revenue.

Your Petitioners therefore very respectfully but earnestly beg to express the hope that such measures may be adopted during the pre sent sitting of Parliament lowirds the attainment «f the above object as to your Honourable House may seem fit.