Reasons Why the Otago Central Should be Pushed On.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 31

Reasons Why the Otago Central Should be Pushed On.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l see from the Witness that the Teviot fruitgrowors, while ab the Fruit Conference held at Wellington, brought forward the construction of the railway to Roxburgh, and also interviewed the Railway department on the matter. On account of the hilly ground between Alexandra and Roxburgh it is not likely to be brought any further, and therefore the line can be of no benefit to Central Otago, and it will cost more money to construct it to Roxburgh than the Otago Central railway will from Eweburn to Clyde. Therefore I will state a few reasons why the Ot»go Central railway should be constructed faster than it is at present. There is now a population of nearly 10,000 people in Vincent and Maniototo Counties. Nearly all the river* and gullies contain payable gold, which require a great deal of material and machinery to work them, which become very expensive on account of the long distance necessary to carb them with waggons, and when breakages take place great delays necessarily occur in getting them repaired. Again, the ranges nearly all contain a,number of quartz reefs, some of which are partly worked now. but nev.er will be properly worked until the railway is constructed so that timber can be brought to tbe ground at a reasonable cost. There is from Ewtburn to the top end of Ida Valley more thin 40 miles of nearly all agricultural land which grows first-class grain of all descriptions and sheep and cattle. When a trial shipment of live sheep was made to England the srlection was made from a farmer at Ida Valley, a3 the best suited for the purpose. Then from Cambrians, and close to Clyde, a distance of nearly 40 miles, the land is all suited for close settlement. Then on the Manuherikis, above Alexandra, there is over 5000 aci-es most suitable for grapes and fruit-growing of all descriptions, which can all be irrigated from the Manuherikia River. Between Clyde and Alexandra, again, there are several thousand acres suitable for the same purpose, grapes and fruit having been grown there for nearly 30 years. Again, on the Earnscleugh Ruu and Flat there are more than 5000 acres proved to be suitable for vine and fruit culture. Mr Dawaon's grapes, grown in the open air, were first at the fruit show held ab the conference at Wellington. Again, from Cromwell and up the Clutha there are many thousands of acres which can produce the best fruit of all descriptions. The Government at present are borrowing money to buy oub private landowners for the purpose of settling people on the land, but I

think there will be very few who can be settled this way, as the prices in most oases are probably more than people can pay, whereas if the Government! wants to settle people on the land then let it use some of the borrowed money foe pushing on the Obago Central. Open the runs up for settlement, divide the land most suitable for fruit in small sections, and the back country in larger ones, so that those who wkh to have sheep and cattle along with fruit may do so, and there will soon be plenty of employment for all in Ofcago, as fruit-growing requires more men to be employed to the area under cultivation than anything else. If I myself thought the railway would be constructed I would in a few years have more than 100 acres under fruit trees, but until then very little fruit wilt leave here for Dunedin, as 70 miles is too far for the fruit to be carted by waggon before it reaches the railway. I hope some one better able than I am will explain the advantages to be derived from the speedy construction of this line more fully than I have (Jon©. — I am, &c, Alexandra South, June 1. A. C. Ivebsen,