WEST COAST EAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3551, 28 August 1879, Page 3

WEST COAST EAILWAY.

♦— ■ — Towards the conclusion of the railway deviation meeting in the Hokitika Town' Hall last week, Mr Jack, the Mayor, wo find from tho West Coast Times, took occasion to refer to Mr Blair's report, recently published, on the overland route of railway between the East and West Coaßt. Mr Jack, in condemning the one* sidedness of this report, stated that, in. estimating the traffics on suoh a line, Mr Blair assumed that the main sources of revenue would be from the coal and timber export, omitting altogether from hid calculations the large amount of traffic that would ensue on tho lino from Christohurch to Hokitika and Greymouth. This traffic . (altogether 'disregarded in Mr Blair's report), Mr Jack estimated as follows: — "Passenger traffic, 800 persons per annum Ohrintchurch to West Coast, at £2 each, £1600; passenger traffic, 800 persons per annum, "West Coast to Ohristchuroh, £1600; cattle, from Canterbury to Westland, 3240 head per annum, at per head £1, £3240 ; sheep, from Canterbury to Westland, 25,000 at 2s, £2500 ; merehwdue, 17,000 tons at £1, £17,000; total traffic omitted from Mr Blair's report, £29,140." These estimates, Mr Jack said, were based on the actual traffic of the present time, and were in all cases actually under the mark and considerably below the traffic that might presumably bo expeotod were the railway in operation, for, with the railway, of course, would come a very great increase in the passenger traffic, and in the. interchange of merchandise, &c. He remarked that it was very generally believed that Mr Blair, in drawing up his report, had been guided by instructions, but in any case it was only right that the question as it actually stood should be pat fairly.