SUMMARY.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13020, 8 February 1911, Page 5 (Supplement)

SUMMARY.

THE PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT

(From "The Colonist," Jan. 14.)

The heavy impost upon mercnaiuuse consigned from Nelson to Murehison, and upon produce sent out from that district,by reason of the long and costly journey by road to and from the railway at Kohatu, has naturally been a serious handicap upon the settlement and development of tho district. The present waggon charge on goods between Murchison and Kohatu is £3 15s a ton, SOOOlbs being reckoned a ton. In spiiv of this obstacle, however, the growing volume of consignments to Murehison and despatched from there gives conclusive proof of the natural wealth and productiveness of tho back country, and justifies great confidence in its future- when, by the extension of the railway, it is brought into more direct touch with tho outside world. There is no more reliable means of ascertaining tho growth of settlement in the back country than that furnished by the railway returns. The Murehison traffic, as shown by the returns for the Nelson section of railways for the three months ended December 31st last, provides some instructive figurns. During that period the goods received at Kohatu for the Murchison district reached a total of between 300 and 350 tons, the railway revenue; -tlicroon being from £200 to £'230. During the same period the railway at Kohatu dealt with consignments from the Murchison district as follows:— General merchandise, 30 tons IS c.wt: v.ool, 207 bales; timber, 4-100 feet, the jail way revenue being £43 7s 3d. 'When it is remembered that on all this merchandise both to and from Murehison :i waggon charge of £3 JOs per ton ha; to lie paid, in addition to the railway freight charges, the heavy disadvantages under which the settlers are at present placed will be realised, and t!u disadvantage is proportionately borne by the outside merchants and traders who arc concerned in the development of business vith the back country. The district is essentially a dairying one, and the .M'Ccess which has attended the operations of the Murchison Dairy Factory Company during the two years of its existence, although it has been placed at. a peculiar disadvantage by the remoteness of its factory from the markets, shows that this industry has an assured and very bright outlook. Wo now have the virtual assurance of the 3f.inistor of Public Works that by July next the railway will be opened for goods traffic to Glenhope, the point 59 milts from Nelson where the line will meet the main Buller road. The opening of this rectum will give an immense iilip to the Murchison distri.'t, and it will greatly reduce the present disabilities of tho settlers. From thai time all the Murchison traffic w Hi be handled at Glenhope, and the stretch it road journey from there to Kohatu represents about half, and certainly the worst half, of the present waggon transport, ih.> actual saving in distance being i!4V mil.X. The hoiulquaiLTs of tl.e w;u;-

J.-OH and conch services will be removed from Kohatu to Glenhr-pc-, and charges on merchandise will be greatly reduced, it is estimated by £1 per ton, which, on tho figures we have quoted above, represents a very large saving to settler and merchant. Once tho Glenhope section is completed, the opening of a further section to the Hope Junction, tour and a half miles, should not be long delayed. Ther^. art.- few engineering difficulties to contend with on this section, and construction should proceed rapidly. We are aware that the Government fully realises the importance of pushing on the line cxpoditiously, but ;i: view of tho exertions which are being put forth by nearly every part of the Dominion to obtain a larger share of ihe public funds for railway construction, Nelson, would be unwise to rely solely on the knowledge that the urgency of tho prosecution of the Nelfoii end of the -Midland railway is recognised by the Government. While ■satisfactory progress is now being n.'ado, Nelson must not lose sight of the fact that- Murehison itself is thb goal which must be readied before we shall experience tlie maximum of benefit from,tho line, and that the opening {>'• -.iitervoiMng sections, great as are tho advantages they afford, must only b,< regarded as additional arguments, ■oin the point of view of tho State i well as the district, for pushing the jin-.' on until it taps the great natural venlth of the Murehison district.