NELSON INLAND COMMUNICATION LEAGUE.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10708, 4 May 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

NELSON INLAND COMMUNICATION LEAGUE.

1 — I SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING. : . IMPORTANT RESOLUTIONS ] CARRIED. A special general meeting of the newly formed Inland Communication League was held at the Camera Club Rooms on May Ist. j j The following were present:—Mr!T. H. Bannehr (President), Mr J. 'Graham, M.H.R., Hon Colonel Pitt, M.L.C., Hon. F. Trask, M.L.0., !the Mayor of Nelson (Mr H. Bai- j 'gent), the Mayor of Richmond (Mr : J. M. Croucher), the Chairman of 1 the Stoke Road Board (Mr W. Coleman), Councilors Piper, Webley, and! Neale, Messrs R. T. Melhuish, W. Rout, junr., T. Roberts, C.E., J. ■ Shields, A.; N. Batchelor, A. A. 'Lucas, H. Edwards, O. W. Hanby, ! J. T. Catley, Geo. E. Field, F. St. ijohn, R. B. Jackson, P. Bond, C. |Y. Fell, and J. P. Harris (Secretary). j Colonel Pitt proposed that Mr ! Croucher} Mayor of Richmond, be ; elected a membr of the Committee I of the League. J This was carried unanimously, and ! Mr Croucher was congratulated upon ' his election as Mayor of Richmond, i The Secretary read the report of the Sub-Committee appointed to draw up a programme of matters to be considered by the meeting:. (These have been published, and, shortly, consisted of recommendations to urge the Government to proceed with the construction of another section of the Midland Railway, and vote a specific sum for the TophouseHanmer road). The President remarked that every member of the Committee attended, tho mooting. The President, said that ab the last meeting Colonel Pitt referred to the remarks made at the Jubilee of Nelson by Sir Joseph Ward, regarding the progress made by Nelson, despite its isolated position, and there was held to be a tacit promise that that Minister would assist in extending the means of communication. The Committee appointed by the League had before it much valuable information collected by previous organisations, and also the report of Mr Cox upon the coal measures in the Central Buller, which showed that between the Lakes and the Maruia there were seams of splendid coal from 3to 6 feet in width. The possibility of working these coal measures was a most powerful argument in favor of the pushing on with a further section of the Midland Railway. Mr Bannehr also referred to the consideration given the matter of the Tophouse-Hanmer Springs road, and said it was Colonel Pitt's suggestion that a specific sum be asked for that these works might be pushed on with. He invited discussion on the recommendations. Colonel Pitt said that if the League was to be of any use they should be

practical. With that view he had suggested that the Government be urged to proceed with the working surrey of another section of the Midland Railway up the Tadmor Valley. Until the bridge was completed it was impossible to get railway material to a point beyond at all cheaply. He spoke of the question of survey, and said that almost the whole energies of the League should be devoted to urging the work upon the Government. As for the Top-house-Hanmer road he did not know exactly what had been done, but a aum was voted to enable a report to be made on what was needed. Mr Thomas Roberts (formerly of the Public Works Department) said that the Midland line was pegged out as far as the Little Hope. The grade was quite -easy, and the distance was about 25 miles from Motupiko. No tunnel was required, and the line at that spot joined the Buller coach road. Five years ago he had been all over the country traversed, and found the land all useful, fully twq thirds of it good. The valley widened at the top, and the land there was even better than lower down. Colonel Pitt was under a misapprehension as to the length of time required for a working survey. It was the preparation of land plans that took time. In the present state about ten or twelve miles of working survey could be done in a month, but it depended upon the amount of deviation required. There was very little heavy work beyond the Motueka river to the Little Hope. Colonel Pitt said that he was very pleased to hear what had fallen from Mr Roberts." 1 Mr Piper said that he could bear out the statement of Mr Roberts #s to the quality of the land which ran across from Motupiko to Sherry. He considered that, a deputation of the League should go to Wellington, and wait upon the Government regarding the matter. He suggested that the President and the members of the Legislature on the League form the deputation. The Hon. Mr Trask urged that no time should be lost in urging the placing of votes on the estimates. Mr Coleman aaid that the earthwork formation was completed five miles beyond the bridge to the point where the Sherry road functioned.

Tadmo* Vallef was 20 miles in length. \ Mr Roberts suggested that a deputation from the League go over the country, and place themselves in a bettei position to interview the Government. At a tough shot it was estimated that from Sodgkinson's to the Little Hope the line <>?ould cost about £6000 per mile. Colonel Pitt suggested that the officers of the League and the members of the Legislature should write to the Government on the subject, Which should be .sufficient in the meantime, and if found necessary a deputation could follow. Mr J. T. Catley spoke strongly in favor of striving for a grant of £10,000 for the Tophouse-Hanmer Springs road, which sum, he was convinced, would be sufficient to put the road into such a state that by next summer Newman Bros, could drive a coach right; through to Hanmer. The Wairau Gorge was one of the most beautiful in New Zeaalnd, and he was sure that the line would attract a large number of tourists, and people would prefer the line to going by sea from Ohristchurch to Nelson. The country opened would also be ideal for planting hardwood . trees to replace in time the forests now being cut down. Mr R. B. Jackson said that the tourist traffic would pay the Government interest on £10,000 by increased, railway fares. Mr Neale was of opinion that the? railway was the vital need, without in anyway disparaging the other project. There was no need for the two matters to clash, each being important. The Hon. Mr Trask thought that both projects should be urged, and that they should agree among themselves exactly what to ask before making any move. Mr Piper alluded to the information the President had placed before the Committee with regard to the coal measures in the Central Buller. Personally he was astonished at the value of these measures, which made it more important than ever that the railway should be pushed on with. After further discussion the Mayor of Nelson said that he considered that they were perfectly justified in urging both matters, it was not & bit too much to ask. He had urged upon the Committee that an exploration committee should be sent out to collect information and data as ta the class and extent of the land to beopened up. He was sure that theinformation gained would be invaluable. Mr Coleruan said that the Central Buller people were looking to Nelson as their outlet, and if the railway reached the Hope, che grade to Mur..chison was very easy. He suggested that the Lake Rotoiti should be looked after as a tourist resort, a piece of land reserved for an accommodation house, -and the road improved from the Tophouse to Lake Rotoiti. Sums were being spent on domains in other parts of the Colony, and about the Lakes they had some of the finest scenery in the Colony. Mr Roberts asked if any consideration had been given to the route ta be followed by the Midland Railway on the other side. He had heard it stated that if the route by the Maruia was taken it would be much better than that of following down the Buller. He could not speak persnally of the character of the country beyond the Hope. The claims urged for the Maruia route were better country, and greater extent of same. The President hoped that the question of route would not be raised, the League should confine itself to urging upon the Government to gtj on with the railway, leaving the matter of route to be decided by the Government under the advice of its best men. Route questions meant delay, and he would strenuously oppose such being raised. (Hear, hear. ) Mr A. N. Batchelor spoke from personal observation of the quantity of good land between Tadmor Valley and Fern Plat, and expressed the opinion that the construction of the railway would open up a large extent of splendid agricultural and pastoral country. He said push on with the railway "for all we are worth." Mr Piper moved the adoption of the recommendations of the SubCommittee. Mr W. Coleman seconded, the motion. Mr Graham said that in his opinion both the extension of the railway and the road improvement should be urged. He was exceedingly pleased to see the great interest taken by the meeting, and it was such meetings that enabled members of Parliament to go with confidence to the Government. (Colonel Pitt: Hear, hear.) He distinctly favored both projects being pushed on. The motion was then carried unanimously. The question of the method to be adopted in bringing the matters urged by the League before the Go-

vernment was then discussed* and it was Tesolved on the motion of the Hon. Mr Trask, that a Committee, consisting of the President, Mr Graham, Colonel Pitt, Mr Trask, the Mayor, Messrs Fell, Piper, and the Secretary, be appointed to draw up a letter to be forwarded to the Government through Messrs Graham and McKenzie, M *'sH. R. Seconded by Mr Coleman, and carried. The meeting then proceeded to discuss the advisibility of setting up sub-committees to obtain specific information on various matters, and the following were appointed a "Lands" Committee: — Messrs Graham, Piper, A. N, Batchelor, Catley, Roberts, Coleman, Field, and the Mpyor of Nelson. Mr Batchelor to be convener. The duties to be to enquire and report upon the land available for settlement, its quality, timber carried, and the mineral prospects. . On the motion of Colonel Pitt the following committee was set up for the purpose of assisting in bringing prominently Under the notice of the Tourist Department the natural advantages and the scenery of the district : — Colonel Pitt (convener), Messrs Melhuish, Rout, Jackson, J. P. Harris, and Fell. Mr Graham mentioned that Mr Pringle, the Department photographer, had informed him that he had found some of the finest scenery in New Zealand in the Nelson dis. trict. A thoroughly earnest and successful meeting was then concluded. It should be borne in mind that any person can become a member of the League on payment of the subscription, half a crown, to the Secretary, Mr J. Porter Harris, and the co-operation of everyone who desires to see Nelson progress should be secured. -