ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 5, 25 November 1862, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

"WE DO NOT HOLD OURSELVES RESPONSIBLK POB THE OPINIONS EXPKESSED BY OUK COBBESPONDENTS. To the Editor of the Invercargill Times. r Sin,— As the time is now drawing on for the sitting of the Provincial Council, and as preliminary steps will doubtless be taken for the formation, of a railway or tramway, trom hence to Campbelltown, I think no subject can be brought forward of more importance to the Province, and requiring . more thought and consideration, than the one in question. With all due deference to our worthy Chief Purveyor, I cannot agree with his statement, " that a railway to the Horse-shoe Channel, with a ship wharf at its termination^ would supply every want of Invercargill in the waj of port accomodaiion, in the most unobjectionable manner j " for even could it beprovedthat the losses that occurred in the New River, have resulted from acci- ' dent; carelessnes, or errors in judgment, for ■>which the Port is in "no way responsible, ma3ters of vessels, owners and underwriters •will not take the trouble to enter into the merits or demerits of the case, but act on the principle that certain persons are in the habit i of doing to maligned members of the canine species. Laige vessels will not come to the New st^B'ver . uninsured, or pay an exorbitant prejsy un of insurance, but will resort, a3 they iL ' c hitherto done, to the Bluff, a line (§' -r adapted lor vessels of the largest ' \ fwhile those of a smaller class will disclfifge (and with great facility when the improvents are completed at the Jetty,) as they have hitherto done. Again, is it worth while to go to the great expense of erecting a jetty, &c, at the Mokomoko, for one particular class of vessels ? f^r, admitting that L a vessel will be there of 500 tons buithen, I are we, for the convenience of the very few f vessels of that class that could be induced to come into the New JKiver, to the neglect of vessels of a larger size, to say nothing oi the important steam navigation now being rapidly developed ? Our principal, and, lam Borrytosay, (being a young Province), our only article of export being wool, the pioducerswoulddmve no benefit from this comparatively useless undertaking, for the expenees would be much greater via the Mokomoko, there being the two .charges of tram- . way ; and water-carriage, which would amount icf'znore than shipping if direct for the Bluff from the present Jetty-.

Then,again/i -would ask what facilities are given for the conveyahce-of-^oTodS"and passengers' from steamers, emigrant and other vessels, which have, and- always must continue, to make the Bluff th«ir,.port of call ? I have not touched on the^eteutipr^by; bad weather of vessels bound, from ...the , New River to the Bluff, it being patent to every one who has any thing to do with commercial transactions in Invercargill. The principal objection appears to be on the score of expense. There is no danger of our present government placing themselves in a s mllar state to that of the Hawke's" Bay, when, like a Prodigal son, it cried " peccavi," and ihtreated to be reinstated in its former position ; but there is a probability of being over cautious, and a shortsighted economy may materially retard the progress of the Province.

A large out-lay, consistently, unflinchingly, but judiciously disbursed, is the way to seenre large repayments. A timid outlay, a half liberality, is always extravagant and unremunerative.

But it may be asked what are "we to do if we have not the means of carrying out this design of a good railway to the Bluff? The answeT is a simple one — persist. Adopt the best plan ; carry it out pei f ectly> and as it is desirable it were done quickly (if 'twere done, &c.) we can, as gieut trades do, mortgage the future, although we become hampered wi h a temporary loan, in full confidence of an unltimate triumph. No doubt some short-sighted person, to whom a bramble bush before their eyes appears larger than an oak tree at a distance, would prefer the money in the Provincial Treasury to remain like their land and sections; but I fancy there are other matters that afford a better criterion to judge of our progress than a large surplus in the Provincial Treasury Chest. Independent of our increased traffic the opportunity given to passing strangers **f seeing our town, and paying a visit to our mral districts, would be a benefit, as it would remove many an erroneous impression respecting our capabi ities and resources. / lthough we do not at present com pare ourI selves to Canterbury, as far as exports are concerned, if that province can expend £500.000 on a Railway, ietty, &c, it would be culpable on our part, to lack energy, in so cjuiparaiively trifling an undertaking, which would give every facility to communication betweeen the chief port, capital, and interior. There are no engineering difficulties in carrying out this project ; the line of gradients, where any exist, is easy, there aie no such difficulties as our fellow colonists in Nelson had to contend with in the formation of the Dun Mountain railway, and I think, we may safely depend that thete will be no | cuttings six or nine feet too deep,as in Duneedin, to be filled up again at extra labor and expense. Trusting these remarks may find a space in your columns, 1 remain, Mr. Editor, Your obedient servant, OBdEKVER. Invercargill, Nov. 24th, 1862.