THE NORTHERN RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1000, 1 May 1871, Page 2

THE NORTHERN RAILWAY.

♦- PUBLIC MEETING AT ASHLEY BANK. An important public meeting was held in the Ashley Bank Schoolroom, on Saturday evening laat, in accordance with the following resolution, passed at a public meeting of the ratepayers in the Ashley district, held in the Loburn Schoolroom on the Saturday previous — " That a public meeting of all persons interested in the railway crossing the Ashley near Rangiora, be held in the Ashley Bank Schoolroom, on Saturday, April 29, at 6 p.m., * to consider what steps ought to be taken in the present emergency.' " There was a large and influential attendance, upwards of 150 being present, including a number of gentlemen from Rangiora. on the motion of Mr Archibald Wilson, seconded by Mr Clifford, the chair was taken by Mr A. H. Cunningham. The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said he should have been very happy — indeed, truly glad — if some one better able to discharge the duties of the chair had been proposed. (No, no.) But the fact was, that this was no common occasion. He felt it to be a very uncommon occasion. He did not in his recollection during his long residence in Canterbury, and during the many meetings that he had had the pleasure of I attending — sometimes as chairman, and lon^other occasions as agjjlistener — ever

attended a meeting, or occupied the chair, with one tithe ot the importance that belonged to this meeting. (Hear, hear.) When one thought of it, he felt almost overwhelmed with its importance. If they got what they were met together to support that night, they would obtain more than they ever had before ; settlers on that side of the Ashley most assuredly would. And if they lost it, where were they ? In such an event, he could not imagine farming to be carried on in that neighbourhood. If farmers had to battle with the Ashley as they had hitherto done, he could not imagine their business to be carried on so as to get an existence out of it, if the same difficulties that now stood in their way were not removed and facilities given for the transit of their produce to market. (Sear, hear, and applause.) He believed it was customary at a meeting of this kind to read the advertisement which brought them together. [The Chairman read the advertisement accordingly.] He did not think it would be his duty to say anything further at the present period of the meeting, because he might be forstalling the remarks that some gentlemen would find it proper and suitable to make. Six or seven different resolutions would be brought before them either for their adoption, or disapproval if they did not caincide with the views expressed in those resolutions. Therefore, he did not wish to say many words at the present moment. He would just premise that the General Government, in the last session of the Legislature got power from the members of the General Assembly to raise a large sum of money — a very large sum — and a considerable portion of that money was to be laid out in railways — in a railway to the south of the province, and a railway to the north of the province. The Colonial Treasurer, as most of them knew, had gone to England to get tbe money if possible, and he was shortly expected back. When he returned, they had every reason to believe that the railway would be made to the north as well as the south ; and the object of their meeting that evening was to bring it as near that neighbourhood as possible — (hear, hear, and applause)— for their convenience, for their accommodation ; in fact for more, for their existence on that side of the Ashley. But he would make this remark, that whether they had the convenience of the railway or not, they must pay for it. The province was to guarantee a large amount of interest on the borrowed capital, and they would, of course, come in for their share of the guarantee. Whether, therefore, they had the convenience of the railway or not, they must pay for it wherever it went. In one of the resolutions to be proposed, reference was made to the survey that had been lately made in that immediate neighbourhood. They believed that was done in compliance with a petition or memorial that was sent from the adjoining Road Board. Since Mr Blackett had come into the province, the Ashley Road Board had sent a memorial to his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive, and the reply was to the effect that the memorial had been laid before Mr Blackett, who would make a survey and report thereon. He need scarcely occupy their time in reading that memorial, because the first resolution referred to it. It was his duty, however, to read the letters he had received in reply from each of their representatives. Messrs Brown, Maskell, and Walker. [ The Chairman read a letter from Mr Walker, stating that Saturday being his busiest day, he did not think he would be able to attend. Also a letter from Mr Maskell, apologisingfor his inability to attend, and stating that he was in favour of the railway crossing the river at a point not far below the Ashley township, as far as he remembered, somewhere above where the Saltwater Creek broke out from the threatened outfall ; be would be glad to assist the meeting as much as he could. Mr Brown sent a verbal message to the effect that he was extremely busy, and could not attend, though he entirely sympathised with the object of the meeting, and they might rely upon it that he would do all in bis power to forward the object in view.] Mr Clifford said he thought that Mr Brown took it very coolly, and in his opinion before the proceedings were over the meeting should pass a vote of censure upon him. The Chairman thought the meeting should give Mr Brown credit for sincerity in the message he had sent them. (Hear, hear.) Perhaps he was very busy, and felt that he could do their work better by not being present on this occasion. (Hear, hear.) He (the Chairman) should be rather inclined to take that view of it, though he Bhould have liked to see Mr Brown amongst them. He would now ask the meeting to proceed to business. He trusted the speakers would receive a fair and patient hearing —not only those who rose to move and second the resolutions, but those, also, who might feel disposed to move amendments thereto. He trusted that the meeting would be peaceably and orderly conducted, and that they would be unanimous. (Hear, hear, and applause.) He begged to call on Mr Joseph Barker to move the first resolution. Mr Barker said he had great pleasure in moving the first resolution, inasmuch as there was no matter of complaint contained in it. The Ashley farmers had been accused of being a grumbling lot. Well, he must certainly say that he thought tbey had very good reason to complain with regard to railway communication. They had every reason , to complain when their provincial engineers were advocating the construction of a line near the sea, and through a line of country quite remote from farmiog operations. He had no doubt the General Government would get the money to construct their railways, and he believed they would be sufficiently remunerative to pay the interest on the cost of construction. He begged to move : — " That this meeting recognises with thankfulness the action taken by his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive in having a line of railway surveyed across the Ashley, opposite Rangiora, in accordance with a memorial from the Ashley district."

Mr Fawcett said he hid great pleasure in seconding the resolution. He disapproved of the remarks made at the opening of the proceedings by Mr Clifford with regard to Mr Brown, a gentleman who bad always displayed an active interest in the Ashley district. The motion was put and carried with acclamation. Mr Samuel Barwell moved the next resolution, as follows -. — 11 That this meeting would have left the matter as it is, in the hands of the Government, did they not know that another route had been surveyed and recommended by the Provincial Engineer ; a route so utterly at variance with the interests of the popu'ation on both sides of the river that should it be carried out, this meeting can but denounce it aB a gross misappropriation of publ'c money." A survey of a line of railway wr s now beiig made that would not do the district any good whatever, Christchurch, at the present time, was now advocating a central terminus, for the simple reason that the present station was far too inconvenient. The Government were about to repeat the same mistake with regard to the Northern line. In Eng'and they found companies carrying lines of railway across the tops of houses in order to bring the terminus to the greatest centre of traffic. (Hear, hear.) Iv New Zealand, however, they seemed to do just the opposite thing. Was there any reason why the Northern line should not be brought light through Rangiora and across the Ashley at this point ? It was proposed to have a terminus somewhere near Kangiora, in a spot which was more fitted for a dock than anything else. (Hear, hear, and laughtsr.) If engineers chose to take a line through a district such as that proposed, it was time the people protested and got rid of them. (Hear, hear.) Mr W. H. Percival said he had great pleasure in seconding the resolution, and expressed a lively hope that their a'jtion would have a good and salutary effect. But if the Government ceased to recognise the right of the people most interested in the matter, to meet together and protest in a constitutional way agains- the line being taken right away ■« from the district, then he would say it would not be a Government, and instead of having their confidence, it would just have the very reverse. (Hear, hear.) He must say that ■ the explanations from their absentee members • were anything but satisfactory. (Hear, hear.) Hecould nothelp remarking that as a rule Can• terburymembers especially did notconsideron occasions like this that they were the servants of the public, as undoubtedly they were. > (Hear, hear.) The people's representatives ■ did not confer an honour upon them by attending on occasions of this kind. On the contrary, the public were honouring their members with an exposition of their views. He considered that each and every member when he accepted office under the terms imposed upon him, he accepted a trust to •be discharged under certain conditions, and by members not attending meetings of their ■ constituents they had accepted t'.at trust under false pretences more or less. He thought that some of their members might have attended that evening, and though he was willing to believe that Mr Brown was decidedly in favour of tbe route they had met together to canvass, and that he had always acted honestly towards his constituents, still he should have much lather preferred to see him present that night. He felt that a meeting would shortly be held on the Rangiora s de to discuss the ■ same matter, to be followed up by similar ■ meetings in other parts of the district. Although in concluding terms of the resolution — "a gross misappropriation of public money," were strong, still the language was -decidedly within the bounds of right and reason. To carry out the line as recommended by the Provincial Engineer would amount to a turning away from a paying route and following up swamps to districts deserted, swampy, unremunerative, and anything but inviting to population. They had the experience of the mother country before their eyes. Was it not a weilknown fact that railway companies, wherever they had made a mistake, and gone away from population into a comparatively barren and unproductive district— was it not a fact, be would ask, that these companies at a cost of thousands upon thousands had diverged from the original route and tuken their lines through the most populative districts ? From his own experience, he had every reason to believe that the first survey here was a dishonest survey ; and in speaking of officers of Government, it must be clearly understood that he did not speak of them privately. It was a most remarkable coincidence that that line should have been taken through Kaiapoi, ran through, he might say, his Honor's private property, and then taken away from what would be one of Canterbury's best country towns. The Government had never done anything for them. They had never given them even a mechanics' institute. Tbe members of the Government merely came up at election times and n ade idle promises which they never intended to fulfil. It was curious, too, considering that the proposed line was tbe worst that could be adopted, that not only should the Government have to pay compensation to Mr Justice Gresson, but also to his tenant. He believed the tenant's right represented the asking of some thousands of pounds. The tenant had sent in a bill for compensation as long as their arm. (Laughter.) If it had not been for Government influence, that line would never have gone as it had. He had some reason to know that but for a very strong influence brought to bear by a party whom he knew, and a tramway being mooted to Oxford, the line never would have gone where it had. He could not think that the Government would agree to a cost like that to be incurred in bringing the line through the judge's property. If the Government could shew the people of the Ashley that the engineering difficulties were of such an unsuimountable nature that they cou'd not be gotjover, "then

• they would have to give way, but he maintained that even an additional £10,000 in the : cost for a bridge was nothing in this instance. (Hear, hear.) The district would repay the additional cost in five jears — he believed in even two. As far a 9 he could judge, there were no engineering difficulties in the way. He believed Mr Blackett went as far as saying "that he could see no engineering dif- ■ Acuities. If they had to pile the Ashley from bank to bank, it would pay them in the cod. (Hear, hear.) It would be a great mistake for the Government to leave a district i fast growing into importance, a district in : which men had sunk their " little a ; which constituted a great deal, and the working men were the back-bone of this i country. (Hear, hear.) It could only be an ; agricultural country. The day was when 1 they knew it to their cost that the squatters " ruled the roast" here, but as civilization and : population advanced, the sheep naturally fell , back, and the consequence was that squatting • was no longer the paramount interest of the i country. There were some thousands de- ; pendent on what the position of the bridge i would be. If the line were taken as proposed, i the result would be that there would be two : bridges together, and wouldn't they consider i it a most unpardonably dishonest thing. In b*s : own country, the Government dare not do , such a thing. (Hear, hear.) He felt it i would be a great injustice, and they couldn't i adopt a better or tribre constitutional course ; than to memorialise. He believed the Fox ; Government was sufficiently honest and consistent to do them justice in this respect. He ; believed that Government would serve theoi if it could. He did not believe there could : be any objection to the erection of a bridge . in that neighbourhood ; and, as far as he ! could hear from conversations that it would . not do for him to repeat, he thought they had a chance of getting this first line. (Hear, ; hear.) No people should be rewarded more ■ than the settlers in the North. Before the [ Southern line was thought of, the remark s was made that the Northern line was the. best. : It was moved by Mr Hall that the Southern i line should be commenced, but that the i Northern line should be proceeded with ■ simultaneously. The northern members gave [ way to the proposition, and, as he thought, ; very injudiciously. With all deference to ' the present Government, they required to be t watched with regard to the Northern rail- ) way, because there was a great deal of back- ) door influence which they would fain admit - A great deal here went by favour. He prei sumed that Mr Blackett's official report i would be handed in to tbe Government in , due time, and would be published ; and if he i committed himself to any undue favouriteism ■ at the sacrifice of his professional knowledge, i all he could aay was, that he would be " a gone coon." (Hear, hear, and laughter.) The Chairman then put the resolution, ■ which was carried unanimously. Mr Thomas Wilson moved the 3rd resolution as follows : — " That this meeting believes that a railway, if properly laid out to the north will prove an immense benefit to the district, and that the receipts from traffic will far counter- ' balance any possible additional cost of con- > struction, while the route advised by the Pro- ; vincial Engineer (mysteriously) leaves population and cultivation diverging from the > straight course, at a right angle, at Mr Justice Gresßon's corner, and passing for the most ■ part through a grazing district in no way de- ' pending upon it." , He must confess that he stood in a rather ; peculiar position, and for this reason, that if he were a selfish man, he could not support [ the movement now on foot, because he would | thereby be advocating the removal of the | line of railway from his own land. He was convinced, however, that the people of Ashley were right in the step they were now taking, seeiug the grea*t difficulties ; under which they laboured in the transit of ' their produce to a market. (Hear, hear.) He hoped that if there were no engineering difficulties to contend against, the railway , would be taken across this district, and continued to the north. He wss convinced that ' the line should be brought through the greatest centre of population. (Hear, hear.) If the railway were made as now laid out, it would pass on the other side of the Ashley bridge, and altogether through one end of this district. He advocated the present movement, because he believed that the carrying of the line through this district would be attended with a far greater degree of public advantage. Mr Alfred Sate seconded the motion. If the railway were constructed through this district, farmers would send their produce , down that line, but if it were taken round by the judge's corner, they would continue | to send it on their drays to Kaiapoi, after getting it across the Ashley. Mr J. Thompson said that he had gone into figures, and found that there were 86,01"/ bushels of grain in the district this year. The lowest amount for carriage to Kaiapoi was ; 2£d a bushel, and that was considered reasonable. This represented a sum of .£896 in , round numbers, and would be the contribui tion they would pay, at the rate of 5 per cent, ; for £17,920. Having been two or three years ' in connection with railways at home, both in i the passenger and goods traffic, he could say ; that the passenger traffic would be at least double the receipts from grain traffic. So that ■ both combined would pay for, in round numbers, a loan of £35,840. One of the audience asked if Mr Thomp--1 son's estimate included the carriage of bacon, 1 &c. Mr Thompson replied in the negative. His > estimate included wheat, oats, and barley. The Chairman was sure the meeting must feel indebted to Mr Thompson for the interesting statement that he had just furnished. The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously. Mr James Banks said that - previous speakers had taken away from him almost all he had got to say on' the subject now

under consideration. He would read the resolution he had to propose, as follows: — " That this meeting cannot, in justice to their own convictions, their own interests, and the interests of their families, stand by and allow in silence so unreasonable an act to be perpetrated, by which this district will be entirely deprived of all railway communication, whilst the hardships and losses entailed by fording the Ashley, where nature compels them to cross, remain, and which have already driven so many settlers from the district." He was a member of the Road Board in the Ashley District, and they had done all they could to forward the movement now on foot. This was the last fight, and he was glad to see so large an attendance on the occasion. He thought, however, that their representatives should have been in attendance. The difficulties of bringing produce across the Ashley were too well known by those present to require recapitulation at his hands. He trusted that the line of railway would be altered as proposed, so that the Ashley farmers could get their produce to market with less risk and greater facility. (Hear, hear.) Mr Carr seconded the motion. He pointed out the {/reat difficulties which the Ashley farmers had to contend against in getting their grain, &c, to market, and also to the loss of life that had been sustained in crossing the river. He contended that the railway should be taken through this district. The great 01-jjct of railways should be to open up the country, but this would not be effected if the Northern line were taken along the Sandhills and down by Woodend. He believed they were doing right in advocating a change of the line, so that it might run through this district. (Hear, hear.) The Chairman then put the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr Alex. Cunningham moved the fifth resolution, as follows : — " That the line surveyed by direction of Mr Blackett, the Colonial Engineer, through Rangiora and across the river near the township, is the only route that meets the necessities of this meeting, and that the adoption of this route be urged upon the Provincial and General Governments in every possible way." There whs no doubt they must bave a bridge across the Ashley. If the Government did not give them a railway bridge, they would have to give them another bridge, and the result would be that there would be three bridges wkhin a space of eight miles. He thought that all those facts should be made clearly known to the Government. In this district something like 8000 or 9000 acres of land had been purchased at £2 an acre, and he believed very little of thiß had been spent in public works. He could only repeat that if the Government refused to carry the railway through the district, they must erect a cart bridge. Mr Chas. Delamain seconded the motion, and in doing so, expressed his surprise that it should ever be proposed to take the railway through any other part of the country. Mr Clifford made some remarks of a personal nature with regard to his Honor Mr Justice Gre9»on, but he was called to order. The Chairman then put the motion, which was carried unanimously, Mr Blackett moved tne'sixth resolution, as follows : — " That, apart from the important benefits conferred on the district by the adoption of the Ashley township route, this meeting, in view of the overflow of the Ashley into the Sefton swamp in every considerable fresh, and the probability of the whole stream ere long leaving its present bed, firmly believes this route to be the only safe one for the railway." He had great pleasure in giving his advocacy to the movement now on foot. He believed that a line carried through this district would be more remunerative than any other, because it would be taken through a large graingrowing tract of country, and he believed that at the same time the profit to the farmer would be increased by at least 25 per cent. (Hear, hear.) He could not help thinking that some private interest must have been at work to induce the Government to carry the line elsewhere. (Hear, hear.) Mr Houghton seconded the resolution, and in doing so pointed out the inestimable advantages that would accrue from the line of railway being taken through this district. The Chairman then put the resolution, which, like all the others proposed, was unanimously agreed to. The following resolution was then proposed and unanimously carried : — " That the members of the Ashley Road Board, assisted by MrThompson, be appointed a committee to draw up a respectful memorial to his Honor, and a petition to the General Government, embodying the above resolutions. Also, that Mr Brown, the member for Ashley in the General Asssmbly, and Messrs Maskell and Walker, M.P.C.'s for Sefton, be requested to support its prayer." The Chairman expressed the very great gratification he felt at the unanimity which had prevailed throughout the proceedings. He trusted the gentlemen representing the Press would take note that it was a large and unanimous meeting attended by residents in all parts of the district. To most of those present, it was a great effort on their part to leave their homes at night. He trusted their action would be fraught with good results No Government could resist the desires of a unanimous people. (Hear, hear.) The residents of the district should use all the means in their power to bring such moral pressure to bear on the Government as would induce them to concede to their wishes. Mr Botd thought the meeting should discuss the question of a broad and narrow gauge. Mr Pehcival submitted that such a question was premature, and might defeat the object the meeting had in view. The Chairman concurred with Mr Percival. Tbe question before the meeting was neither a broad nor a narrow gauge, but any gauge. . (Hear, hear, and applause.) Personally, he was decidedly in favour of the

narrow gauge, but the meeting had been called to discuss another question altogether. After some conversation, the Chairman said the Road Roard would do all in its power to forward the object of the meeting in every possible way. The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.