THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5550, 23 February 1886, Page 4

THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Miss Georgie Smithson's Lecture. Miss Georgie Smithson last night addressed the public of ChrisMiurch on the East and West Coast and Nelson Railway in the Tuain street Hall, which was 'crowded in every part, a very large proportion of tho audierce being ladiuß. The front seats in the middle of tho gallery vv ere occupied by the members of the City Council. His Worship the Mayor presided, and, on his appearing with Miss Suiithaon, both were loudly applauded. The Chairman introduced tho lecturess by pointing out that the present was a unique occasion in the history of the Colony, for it was tho first time that a lady had appeared upon a public platform to advocate a project which would be of the greatest advantage to the whole of the people of this young nation. The conduct of the sister Provinces must be considered inexplicable and selfish in the extreme were it not evident that they acted in ignorance. (Applause.) Canterbury, however, in spite of all opposition, was determined to gain tbe day. (Applause.) lb was useless for opponents to urge that the country could not afford the money, for the time was not far distant when the railways of the Colony would be able to pay the whole interest on the National Debt of New Zealand. (Applause.) What would England's condition be if the whole revenue from the railways went to the Government ? Had the Public Works policy of 1871 been carried into effect the railways would ere this have gone far to bring about a much better state of things than now existed. He would not delay longer the address of the lady who had generously come forward to enlighten the meeting. (Applause.) Miss Georgie Smithson, who, on rising, was received with renewed applause, said she felt that she had undertaken that evening a great responsibility. Some present might Bay "What could a woman know about such a subject as tho West Coast Eailway." Fortunately, there were many ladie3 present, and they at least would sympathise with her. (Applause.) Then, again, others would say, "What can an actress know of people's wants?" But the fact vflin that no one knew better what the public needed than did actors. (Applause.) There was one thing she could not understand, and that was that so small a matter as the construction of the line should have' taken so long in being accomplished. All that it would cost was a paltry .£3,000,000, while the land on the West Coast was worth .£4,000,000 at £1 an acre; but much of the land was worth at least JJIO an acre. Forty millions worth of gold had been sent away from tho Colony, and of this JJ22,500,000 came from the West Coast. She had visited the West Coast a couple of years ago, and could speak of its great natural beauties. But the beauties of the country were not what sue would argue from ; she would rather point out that the line would give a great return in minerals — in gold, in manganese, zinc, copper, antimony, and iron ores, and timber. In return for the coal and those other products, Canterbury would give cheap grain. The whole of the population of New Zealand was 500,000, and Canterbury had 111,000, and with the population of Westland the people interested in the railway numbered one-third of the whole population, so that the West Coaat line was not to be asked for as a favour, but demanded as £i right. (Applause.) It spoke very well for the enuse that such men as Messrs Eussell, Wilson and Bell had testified that the line would pay. (Applause.) The working expenditure was reckoned at and the revenue at .£240,000. The demand for timber would increase, and in the matter of sleepers alone the demand would be enormous. The distance dividing Canterbury from Westland wa3 2G3 miles, of which 40 were already provided with a railway. Canterbury was only returning to her first love, as she had formerly been united with Westland. Tet Parliament refused even a Committee to consider the railway last session. Had she (Miss Smithson) the Bank of New Zealand at her back, she would stake every penny sho had on the West Coast Eailway. (Applause.) The demonstration of la9t September showed that the League had done good work, and tho Hon E. Eichardson proved that he was heart and soul with them when ho took back the Addington boys, discharged because they had, without leave, attended the demonstration. (Applause.) If our own Colony refused to support the railway, it was not surprising that gentlemeu at Home refused to do so. She understood that lit gentlemen had subscribed £25 each, the only return for which wao a very one-sided offer from a certain contractor at Horne — from a certain Mr Meigga, who had made a very meagre oll'er. (Applause and laughter.) Had the gentlemen who went Home as delegates, instead of ensconcing themselves by tbe fire in their office, bestirred themselveß a little more they would not have felt the cold so much. (Laughter.) Disraeli had needed no syndicate at Home when the Khedive's shares in tho Suez Canal were in the market. In a few hours the people there raised the money necessary to purchase the shares, and thus to open the highway to India. What the Suez Canal was to India the West Coast Eailway was to New Zealand. The ignorance of the English with regard to New Zealand was extraordinary. Ab an instance, she would mention that a friend of her mamma's had begged that a young man's outfit for New Zealand might include socks and shirts, as Buch articles could not be got here. (Laughter.) People at Home thought the Colonists were little better than savages, but she was happy to say that she working man here was a gentleman, which the English mechanic was not always. Her experience of the diggers, not only on the West Coast, but ateo in Otago, was that tney were well-educated gentlemen. The only way to lot the old folks at Home know what New Zealanders were like was to send someone, who knew both countries, Home, to lecture and toputmatters in their true light. (Applause.) The Colonists here did not half appreciate their country, because ?noat of them did not know what their country was like. During the present year it was intended to hold a congress of Chambers of Commerce, at which New Zealand was to be represented. Mr F. E. A. Graham had been mentioned as the representative, and was the right person for the post ; at least, that was her belief from what she had heard of that gentleman. As to the Government, the Hons Messrs Ballance and Eichardson had been consistent supporters of it, and the Hon Mr Larnach also was a staunch friend to it. Sir Julius Yogel — (hisses and loud applause)— said that the prosperity of the Colony depended on population being brought to it. She could not help it if all were not in favour of Sir Julius. Hisses would not alter tho man or his opinions. (Applause.) The railway would uave the miners from a deal of intemperance, for it would enable them to be comfortable elsewhere than at the public-house. They could not at pre sent send their children to aehool, and, in fact, could not settle down. Give them the conveniences that the Otago miners hud, and they would settle down with their families and make homeß for themselves. (Applause.) It was said that the line would go through a few miles of barren, unprofitable land, but the same had been the case with the Union Pacific line in America, which had opened up splendid country. (At this stage of her address, Mips Soiitheon accidentally knocked down from her table a tumbler containing water. She at once improved the occaßion, by saying that though it had thrown a little cold water on her discourse, it had not thrown any on the cause of the East and West Coast line.) She then continued :— lt might be said that Bhe whb only an actress, but Bhe knew New Zealand well, and the welcome she had always received throughout the Colony bad completely won her heart. (Applause.) The Otago Central lino also went through barren country. There whs almost as much rough country there aa on the West Coast. Still, if they let Canterbury and Westland have their line, let tho Otagans hare theirs, and let there be 50 other lines •

that would pay as well. (Applause.) As to the cry of depression, that existed all the world over. This, however, she would say, that the wheat of Adelaide should be preferred to that of New Zealand in the Home market, showed that sufficient care was not taken by our farmers in the treatment of their wheat. Canterbury was not badly off, for the Post-office Savings Bank returns snowed that last year .£700,000 had been deposited, while only je,3CO,OOC had been withdrawn. It would be a good thing if this could be invested in the "West Ooast Eailway. (Applause.) The shortest and best route was by Arthur's Pass. A gentleman that day had said to her, " Do get us the railway coach of prosperity instead of the donkey cart oi adversity." It would have been better for him to say " locomotive of prosperity instead of the bicycle of despair." (Laughter.) She knew the coal of the West Coast, and the numerous handlings it now had to undergo, which reduced its value by 30 tc 40 per cent. The railway would avoid this, and the people here would not have tc wait for the coal as they now had. Then, again, there would be a shortening of the journey to Molbourne to four days instead oi eight days aa at present. This would induce numerous travellers, who would rather gc millions of miles by land than one yard bj sea to visit New Zealand. (Applause.) She was sorry to hsar that Mr Hallenstein't arguments had not been well received ai Dunedin, but this should not discourage Canterbury. At Dunedin, the people were Scotch, and took some time to make up their nv.ndsj but, depend upon it, they would not be out of the good thing when they saw it clearly. She would propose tc invite a Committee of gentlemen representing the leading journals of Otago tc visit the West Coast, who would " nothing extenuate nor Set down aught in malice." She would not recommend the editor of the North Otago Times, though she believed she could convert even him. If the. whole oi the line was through unprofitable land, what was the cost of 263 miles compared with the bsnefit of connecting the two coasts of the South Island? She would advise that the cause should never bo allowed to Blumber. The ladies present might think the matter did not interest them, and that such thingß should be left to the gentlemen. But she could assure them that their dearest interests might be involved in the existence of the line. When in Hokitika she had known a gentleman to get a telegram from Wellington urging him to come to see his wife, who was dying. He could not get away by sea, the cotch was not available, for the rivers were up. The gentleman, therefore, could not reach his wife, and the ladies could understand what the wife's feelings must have been as she yearned for her husband's presence. (Applause.) She had nothing further to say, except that the West Coast Eailway must never be lost sight of. It was impossible for anyone to read the papers without coming across " Hop Bitters," and Canterbury must make the line Hop Bitters to the Government. (Laughter.) The i people must bother the Government until they did as a lady Bhe once kirew did — married the lover that bothered her, simply to get rid of him. (Laughter.) There was one thing more she wished to say. She understood that a pamphlet on the railway was about to be published. What she would say was — Get the pamphlet, sell it, but don't trust to it altogether. Give it to men to lecture upon. People went to sleep when reading, but became interested in a lecture, the main pointß of which they would retail to their friends. . (Applause.) She concluded by apologising for the bold step she had taken, for which, however, she had a good precedent. Miss Genevieve Ward had, unaided, built a wing to the Hospital in Melbourne. (Applause.) Let them not be content to be called, like Nelson, a " sleepy hollow." If the railway were made it was true that Nelson would be the terminus, but Christchurch would be the head centre— (applause)— and would get the greatest benefit. She had started the ball, and let the people keep it rolling. Hey re-payinenfc would be in after years, when she read of the construction of the railway, which would benefit the whole of New Zealand. (ApplauEe.) The West Coast Eailway they must have, and it was for the people to do their utmost to help in the cause. (Loud and long continued applause.) Dr Frankish, who was greeted with loud cheers, said he had been sent for to see a very urgent case. (Laughter.) Hewashappy to find that the case was only urgent, but not serious. The last time he had been sent for to see MiBS Smithson, was when she had broken her arm, and he was not sure that something- similar had not happened that night. (Laughter.) He was sure that they ought all to be very much obliged to Miss Smithson for the dissertation she had given on a subject very dear to all in this part of the Colony. (Applause.) He was happy to believe that it only required a little more to make their neighbours across the Waitaki as earnest in the cause as themselves. He had that morning been present at a presentation to Mr Back, who had Baid that within ten years the New Zealand lines would be the best paying in the world, and that the national debt would be more than half liquidated if the railways were sold. (Applause.) When a man like Mr Back, who had bo long and so successfully managed the railways, 6hid this, his opinion was worth a great deal more than that of people who, if they could get an ark to float themselves and their families in, would not care if New Zealand sank to-morrow. Canterbury grew a large amount of produce, for which there was no near market ; this the West Coast would prove if the railway were constructed. _In a few months that terrible cry of " nothing to do" would be again heard here. The West Coast Eailway would develop minerals not yet brought to light, and would prevent the recurrence of that terrible and disgraceful cry. (Applause.) In that morning's Lyttelton Times he had read one of the best things he had ever seen, and recommended all to read it. It was entitled "The "Middleman." The fact was that so long as the middleman was permitted to swallow up the whole of the profits of the producer, so long would the community remain pauperised. If the books of the hotels were examined it would be found that most of the visitors to Christchurch were from Glasgow, Liverpool, &c, who had come to photograph in their minds the Colony, and were prepared to cast in their lots here if they were given the slightest encouragement. The geographical formation, mineral resources of the Colony, and the industry of its inhabitants, must make New Zealand one of the most flourishing nations on the earth. (Applause.) He was glad to see so many ladies present, as they would urge their husbands to extra exertion in the cause of the railway that would open up resources which would find employment for the rising generation. No Government could withstand the pressure that must be brought to bear upon them. (Applause.) Unless the people bestirred themselves the Colony would relapse into what it was formerly, a gigantic and unprofitable sheep walk. (Applause.) He had great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to Miss Smithson for her address, which had shown her ability and goodness of heart. (Applause.) The Chairman put the vote, which was carried most enthusiastically. Miss Smithson acknowledged the vote in suitable terms, explaining that she had acted from love of the West Coast and of New Zealand. She would be only too proud to make a second effort for a cauße which she felt convinced would be for her own good, and ultimately for the good of the whole of the Colony. This brought the proceedings to a close. ■ Wo are informed that Mr Kempthorne, of Dunedin, following the example of Mr B. Hallenstein, has consented to act on the Committee of the East and West Coast Eailway League. .