Our Railways.

Otago Witness, Issue 1502, 28 August 1880, Page 22

Our Railways.

THE OATLIN'S RIVER LINE. At the meeting of the Oatlins Railway Committee held at Port Molyneux on ths evening of the 18th it was agreed to send the following circular to each of the Ofcago members of the Assembly :— "It has been resolved by the Balclutha and Catlin's River Railway Committee to ask you for your support in the House of Representatives towards having the second section of the Catlin's River railway made a distance of four miles and 30 chains. The first section from Invertiel has been formed, and last session a sum of L 12,000 was voted for immediate appropriation. Tenders were called for the work and sent in, but from some unexplained cause none were accepted. The public here are very much disappointed and inconvenienced at this work being allowed to stand over, and should you see fit to give your support in tho Assembly towards getting the 1/12,000 revoted, it may be the means of getting the line made to one of the oldest agricultural districts of Ofcago, and of forwarding a work which will amply repay cost of construction, seeing that it leads to the gate of the inoßt useful and extensive bushes in the Middle Island."

Speaking on the subject in the House of Re presentativeß on Friday, Mr Thomson, member for Olutha, said :— "I ahall read to the House one very important paragraph in the Public Worka Statement, and in which I entirely concur — 'We have no alternative before us but to confine our operations to the extension of some of the incomplete lines to such nearest points aa will bring them into use, and as far as posBible make the expenditure already incurred to some extent reproductive.' There is a principle here set forth. The line to Catlin's River, to which I have referred, is exactly a case in point. There has boen money expended on that line— some two miles and two and a-half chains have already been made. If the line were extended about other four miles it would go to an old settled district (to a well-settled district), but the Government bave nothing at all down on the Estimates for it. How ia that, I should like to ask the Minister for Public Works ? What are the reasons that have weighed with him in keeping this line, so to speak, out in the cold ? Here is a principle laid down by himself, and I say that this line to Catlin's Bay is exactly a caao in point. As I have said, the district is a very old settled district. It has been settled for upwards of 30 years. In the olden times it was one of the few distiicts in Ofcago that could be approached by sea, and that led some of the very old settlers to locate themselves in that district. This particular locality has been approachable by sea from the remotest ages up to about two years ago, when a great flood took place. This flood completely destroyed the Clutha River as a river suitable for sea-going vessels, I believe if a line were carried to the district of Gattin's. River that a very great deal of settle-

ment would take place. '. There is a" great deal of Crown land, in the; locality, and I believe. $, will eventually become a favourite place uor> small settlers. In fact the area of Crown lands' that would be tapped by this railway if it went to Catlin's River may be estimated at about two anda-half milliouß-e&acres, and the.landis very good. It will grow anything that is at all suit-f able to the climate, and I have no doubt whatever that if the line were carried to, Gatlin's, River it would lead up to a very, great amount" of settlement. -A line has been made to a place called Livingstone. There has been spent on! this line to Livingstone up to' the 30th~July L 20.000, and there is on the Estimates an addtf tional sum of clear money, with no reductions, of L6OOO, making L 26,000 for this branch to Living, stone. I should like the Minister for Public Works to tell me the reasons that have weighed with him in carrying on the branch line, to Livingstone, and not carrying on .the . line to Catlin's River." ' ' M