TRAMWAYS.

West Coast Times, Issue 319, 1 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

TRAMWAYS.

(from the vlyttei/eon times.)

Our West Coast settlers seem in a fair way of taking proper advantage of the many facilities which, this province affords for making tramways. A company has been formed for.".the purpose of laying one down from Greymouth. ' southward to Saltwater Creek, 'and so to the Teremakau. It is not unlikely* thnt this will be met by a line .from . Hokitika, northwards to the Teremakau, which would complete the communication between the two towns. Were this line established, it . would unquestionably lead on. to the formation of a tramway along almost the whole western seaboard of the province, and so' open up, in the most effectual way, communications which are greatly needed. , Notwithstanding all that thY small coasting steamers can accomplish, — and their services have been .invaluable — there are many drawbacks to their usefulness, which would not be encountered by a system of tramways. Regularity of intercourse is almost as important between trading communities as speed : and. both objects would be. promoted by the tramway, but especially the former. ,

re The total absence of anything like a good harbor is t]je greatest wautexpe}u rieneed oa the West Coast. There is a „v certain amount of anxiety felt about \ e every trip the steamers take, for the XQ accidents which befal them are>many IV . and frequent. In boisterous weather, all communication by sea is completely stopped ; while sometimes tlie state of • the bar at one or other' of the rivers is', „ if. not full of danger, a cause of protracted interruption. „ It has often appeared to us that our *£ -district road boards would have been far more serviceable had they also been en- , abled to act as ti'amway boards. A system of tramways would do much to v meet all the practical requirements of a- „ c wide-spread ' agricultural and pastoral t country, such as the' eastern -plain of this province, while 1 it coulct be maintained at comparatively little expense. 3 Now that the railway is to be opened 1 fictf some distance southwards, we hope to see tramways established as feeders to it in various directions. Along the J western road a line has been reserved and surveyed. « The Little River tram- ' way has been opened for some few ; miles, and has its terminus on the ' Lower Lincoln road. .A third line 1 might. very well be. planned .from the H'jlleston station through a wide a'gri1 cultural district southward to ' Lake ' Ellesinere. ' ' ' ' The example of the enterprising merchants and settlers of the' West Coast must not be lost upon the population here. . The assistance granted by , Government must be equally distributed ; and as the western colonists are ready to contribute their capital andte work their own line, so_nvust "those of the , east. It would be a matter of great public importance to- have the district tramways established by the local road boards under, of course,, the control of the Provincial Government. The arrangements would probably be more complete, and more suited" to the convenience of the nnblic. But even were they formed by private proprietary companies, „ the assistance and control oi:" the Government might' be so directed as to secure nearly equal advantages. < The Government could, in most instances, grajit the .land, afford the h lp* of the provincial engineer's department, make certain conditions as to the accommodation provided for the public, and the' rates of charges, nnd also reserve ""power .to buy up the lines on terms to"be fixed beforehand. How far it might be a wise step of the Government to guarantee a moderate rate of interest upon the capital sunk' is a matter for some de- - bate. Our own opinion would be decidedly in favor it. Supposing that the Government, were Ratisfit-d. as to the manner in which the lin^s .were formed, they would be relieved of all the cost and trouble of management, they would practically obtain capital for>a public work at a low. rate, of inte-~ rest, and they .. would the, option of taking the entire control into the v ir own hands, when circumstances called for such a step. ' On the other hand, there a«e many and great inducements to landowners of every description to embark in stleh an undertaking. We need not point out the obvious advantages* to runhblders and s^eep-farmers resulting from cmfilling the traffic, through their properties to one particular line, instead of having it distributed in various directions, and alst) the immunity from .molestation which . would - .so far be secured for their flocks and herds. Owners of agricultural land would reap equal, ,'if not greater advantages from -•the increased facilities for sending their produce to, and receiving supplies from town, and from the increased "value of their properties. Were the Government to guarantee from five to six per cent, upon the capital expended upon /these, lines, it would remove from the minds of the shareholders all fear of risk. A great public convenience would be secured at a comparatively trifling y-early outlay of public "money : the shareholders would' have their gain in the increased value of their 'pi-op'er ties ; aid the 'province as a whole' would be benefited by the expenditure of money upon public works yielding profitable' returns. . We J trust this subject will receive from the Executive, and also from the Provincial Council at rls next meeting, that attention which its importance deserves. Meanwhile, we wish all speed to the enterprise and enei^y of . the inhabitants of Greymouth in their spirited undertaking.