The Railway Commission.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4562, 7 December 1882, Page 4

The Railway Commission.

[Pbb Pbbbs Association.] NELSON, Dbo. 6. The Royal Commissioners have been taking evidence all day. Messrs W. T. Layers, John Kerr, D. M'Gregor, Jonathan Brough, P. C. Riohmofcd, J. G. Blackott, H. Pilkington, J. Roohforb, A. Greenfield, O. Curtis, c.nd P. Browning were examined. The evidence was overwhelming that the climate of the oountry through which the Central line would pass would provo no hindranoe. Tho professional evidence of Messrs J. Richmond, 0.E., and J. Rochfort, C.E., was strongly in favour of the Contral line, the cost of whioh waa estimated at £8000, including rolling stock, while that of the construction of the East Coast line was £9000. The tfhief Surveyor stated that between forty and fifty thousand aores of agricultural land would be made available in the immediate vicinity of such line, and considered if this oountry were laid ' off in blocks of one part of agricultural land to fivu parts of pastoral land, settlement would follow. Mr Bochfort's evidence regarding the East Coast routes was that both were excessively difficult. The Green Hills lina would require stationary or speoial engines, and tho Cheviot line long and numerous tunnels, besides bridges. Mr O. Curtis, late Superintendent, stated that the line from Nelson to Greymouth would have been constructed by a private Oompany, but; tba^ " Tho Publio Works Act, 1870," took from the Provincial Government tho power of making arrangementa. The worst grade on the Contral line, Mr Rochfort said, was 1 in 43}, whioh would probably in a complete survey come out 1 in 60, and as there was a grade on the Bellgrove lino, two or three miles from Nelson, of 1 in 87, this would be the worst point between Nelson and Christohurch. On the Green Hills route thero was one grade of 1 in 7. The Green Hills route is a deviation of the East Coast line, avoiding Cheviot, and Mr Boohfort said ho preferred the line through Cheviot.