THE WARARAPA RAILWAY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3376, 20 December 1871, Page 2

THE WARARAPA RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOtt O? THE INDEPENDENT. Sir,— l regret very much the action taken by . tho Greyfcown settlors in memorialising the Government with regard to altering the trunk line of railway, as laid off by Mr Bochfort, a gentleman who could have had no other motive than the general good, being a .tctaL. stranger to us. I trust the Government vr&P~~ only consider it a small section of the people, and not the settlers generally who complain. Now the Hutb people seem to me to be suffering to eomo extent, having to cross a river to get to the station, but they are not; making a noise about it not passing a'l their doors. The stations in England were, as a rule, made at a little distance from the towns and large cities I never heard any outcry against it ; and in many caces, immediately it was known the bill had passed the Legislature, the event waa celebrated by public rejoicings. How different in Greytown. The letter signed " Tramway" which appeared in your last Thursday's issue is, in my opinion, a very good one, and is deserving of attention. For my own part, if a station were two or throe miles from my dwelling I should be satisfied — it might ba better if closer to me, but I cannot expect to be con*, sidorcd an individual before a community, and I shall use it to some extent, very much more than many whose names are attached to tho petition. I think the names should be oil published. Now with regard to the amount of carriage from Woodside Mills with the carriage of goods from Greytown proper, X believe Woodside sends more than double the number of waggons to Wellington, and with a railway would send ten times the present I quantity ; but Greytown proper would send no more, because what produce they would have (if any) would be required for the extra population. Would ifc be wise to cause the bulk to bo carried to the centre of Greytown, or the centre of Grojtown to c»rry the smaller quantify to the station ? If tho people wish a railway to look at, if; would bo an expensive - luxury. I should fancy ifc would be ridiculous to consider tho small passenger trade of a 'small village, considering it is proposed to h ivo another station ut three miles distance, viz., Carterton ; it really seems to me fortunate that the line is laid oufc through the tirabored districts, as we shall see at least a dozen more saw-mills in our district, which I will add greatly to the income of the railway, ■ and the timber is our greatest source of wnalth. Wool lias no comparison to if. Look at the number of hands kfipt at each mill — quite a village. I eonaidev a railway running throngh tho whole length of a town would bo more a nuisance than otherwise. Ifc is bad enough to have it cro9s it. Most people that have seen railways would look at it in the same light, but perhaps the people of Groytown consider folks will desert their present habitations and go to the neighborhood of the railway station to live. If so, I will tell them that is a sad mistake. Vested infcpresfc is too strong for that. A railway station has never done thi3 in England. Begin at the Land's End in England, and take ail tha stations on the line to London, and see if what I slate is not correct. Exeter, tho fashionable watering place of Torquay, &c. All the hands that will bo kept in a small country village like any in this district will simply bo a porter, and perhaps a station master, still I lire in liopes of seeing Greytown reach to tho site of the intended railway station from natural growth, even if we have no railway. — I am, &c,