FAIRLIE-TEKAPO RAILWAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13803, 14 January 1909, Page 2

FAIRLIE-TEKAPO RAILWAY.

To the Editor cf the "Timnru Herald." Sir, —During my jipii- your holiday in the Mackenzie Country, ) was charmed with such a fertile country both from the agricultural and pastoral points of view. Jt struck me very forcibly that the railway ought to be extended at least to Tekapo, an enterprise which I am sure would pay very handsomely in the carriage of goods and passengers. Why the people in the back blocks should sit quiet and passively submit to these inconveniences of costly travel and carriage of goods beats creation. There are places in the South Island, where they have built railways to no purpose whatever, to wit, the Central Otago railway, which traverses practically a .sandy -plain with not a blade of. grass or grain to be seen for stretches of miles. In fact I have knelt down to see what the sheep were e:\ting, and I came to the eonchisinn that they must fatten on soil. As regards minerals, there )'s nothing hut gold, hence the Central Railway will always be a white elephant to the Government. But the Mackenzie Country is quite a contrast in that it is a very fertile country, only waiting For railway facilities for its development. The object of my writing is to get the people of the Mackenzie Country to form themselves into an association, which could be called the Fairlie-Tekapo Railway

League, for the purpoe of bringing pressure on the powers thiit he to start the extension ;is soon as possible. I. can't see that an . extension to the Pass, judging by the .formation of the country, would cost more than .£■looo per mile. If 1 can be of any service to /Hie ;Mackenzie people in the matter of' initiating the League or otherwise I '-shall be pleased,to do so, and in the meantime I will' take the names of all those who are willing to join the League.—l am, etc., J. 11. St. V. JAXON.