The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1888. RAILWAY TO KAKAHU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1697, 11 February 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1888. RAILWAY TO KAKAHU.

The Oxford Bridge is to be removed, i he County Council has received permission from the Government to remove it and to utilise the material, of which it has been constructed, ia any way it may deem desirable. In some respects this is to be commended. The bridge as it stands is worse than useless. It has done mischief, in fact, for without doubt the encroachments of the river on the south side have been caused in a great measure by the resistance it offered to the free flow of the water. But we doubt whether the County Council will find it any great bargain. The cost of taking it down will, we are sure, come very close to what the material is worth. Ibis, however, is not the view of the case with which we have to deal, but the fact that with its removal we must give up all hope of a railway to Kakahu being made. If the Government had adopted an economical policy, we should not urge any reason for building this line, but the old policy of extravagant borrowing is "till persisted in, railways are being built everywhere as well as ever, and when such is the case it would only be right, and proper, and fair, that this district should have its share of the money for which ii will have to pxy a tax. It is well Inown that the Kakahu district teamf with mineral wealth; it is also well known that had this railway been made it would soon have become thesiene of extensive and varied industries So superior is the quality of some of the clay found in that district, tha| it is frequently carted down to Winchester and taken by train to Christeburch to manufacture into article! of use, and we have it on the mostjreliable authority that the firm whiclj utilises it would start a factory in Kakahu immediately if railway communication were established. Thus thisiline would not only act as a feeder to he main trunk line, but would also Jevelope industries, which would increase the national wealth, and find employment for alarge number of peoplej Every ton of coal, every pound’s worth of pottery, every brick, and every article made out of its mineral products would be so much material wealth) on which property tax would have to be paid. The development of industries would thus enhance the revenue returns through the property tax, through increased railway traffic, and through the eonsumption by the ihen employed there of duty-paying articles, while the amount of labor it would give would be a great boon to many who are now half the year idles. Such are the benefits which would undoubtedly flow from the construction of this line, but evidently all hope of the present generation seeing it built must pass away with the Oxford bridge. Had half a dozen large runholders lived in the district, there can be no doubt but it would have been built long ago. In many parts of New Zealand far more expensive lines have been constructed to benefit a few large landowners. Ihese lines have have had to be shut up in some localities except during the wool season, as there was no other traffic, and in other localities trams run only two and three times a week. Many of tliese kind of railways have been built daring the last 10 years since the Oxford bridge was erected. During this time something like 15 millions of money hare been borrowed and spent, and now nearly 2\ millions more are about to be raised, yet it seems that there is less room to hope for the construction of the Kakahu railway than ever. In 1882 we directed attention to the necessity of having this line _ constructed ; we also got a petition signed in favor of it; a public meeting was held in Temuka to urge it upon the attention of the Government, but we had no one at headquarters to insist on attention being paid to it. We have religiously returned to Parliament men of supposed weight, and we have scouted the idea of sending any other class Tha men of weight have never in the slightest degree dpue anything whatsoever for the benefit of the district, excepting that oue of them got a piece of land reserved for a racecourse at Orari. Had this district been properly represented in Parliament this railway would have been made long ago. Had our representative said to the Government; “You are borrowing and spending millions yearly, and 1 think my district is entitled to a share of it. I want about £50,000 to build a railway to Kakahu. The place is rich iu_ mineral wealth ; railway communication with it would lead to the development of many industries of great importance, and it I do not get the money you will not get my vote”—lf we bad had a representative who spoke so the railway would have been made. Mr Sutter got the railway made to Fairlie Creek, and Mr Wright got one to Mount bqmers An Ota-jo' member when bo did not get what he wanted threatened to stonewall the Government measures, and his request was complied wit*. This district has never been represented by men of that stamp; i “I*. of weight to PaHianear One of these voted for Don Moie million to build » rfm ™ lefaSd? Hi! protege, Mr B Wes, has

voted for borrowing nearly 2\ millions now, but he has made no effort to get any share of it to build the Kakahu railway. He has used his position to remove all hopes of getting the railway built, by removing the Oxford bridge. Thus it is that men of weight have looked after the interests of the district. Had a few men of weight lived at Kakahu things would have been different long ago, but it is almost exclusively a small farmer’s settlement, and no one cares about them, for experience has taught politicians that the small farmer will follow where the large landowner leads.