PROGRESSIVE WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 19, 13 May 1893, Page 446

PROGRESSIVE WELLINGTON.

THE WELUNGTON-MANAWATU RAILWAY.

IN my previous contribution under the heading of * Progressive Wellington,’ which appeared in the New

Zealand Graphic of February 25tb, March 4th and 11th, my subject was the Post and Telegraph Departments, 1840—1892. By facts, figures, and illustrations, I therein demonstrated the wondeiful development of these very important branchesof the public service from their establish ment. That article appears to have been so widely appreciated, that I now forward for your acceptance a second article on Progressive Wellington, taking the Wellington-Manawatu Railway for my subject this time, as being one of colonial interest and importance, and one intimately associated with

the remarkable growth of Wellington during the past few years. If there is one enterprise more than another in which the people of the Empire City take pride, it is in the railway which has been laid between the city of Wellington and the town of Palmerston North, or rather the suburb of Palmerston North known as Longburn, where the junction between the Government Northern Railway lines from Napier and New Plymouth and the Company’s Railway line takes place. The story of the Wellington and Manawatu Rail-

way Company has so many interesting features that a brief resumi of its early history and development will doubtless prove of interest to very many of our readers. From the settlement of the province of Wellington in 1840 to the year 1885 the only approach from Wellington to the lands of the interior of the west coast of the North Island was by the

sea beach, and as a result these lands were almost left in a state of nature. The people of the city and district of We), lington had long urged upon successive governments the necessity of roads or railway, but without success. Tb e great Public Works policy of Sir Julius Vogel in 1871 made no provision for this part of the province, and it was not till the advent of the Grey Government (1877 79) that tne representations of the people had any effect. Ihat Government surveyed a line of railway from Wellington to Foxton, and made a start in the construction by placing a large number of unemployed upon the work. A change of Government and lack of funds, however, led to an early stoppage thereof. In 1880 a Royal Commission was appointed to report, amongst other railway matters, respecting the advisability

of proceeding with the Wellington-Foxton line. The result was most disappointing. In fact, a perfect howl of indignation arose from the people of Wellington and district when the Commission reported that the proposed railway would not only be unprofitable but that the lands abutting upon it were comparatively of little value. The feeling of irritation against the Commission was so strong, and the conviction so keen that it was hopeless to expect any Government to understand tbe necessity and value of tbe work, that a few of the citizens determined to invite the public of Wellington to form a company and subscribe the necessary capital to construct the railway as a private enterprise.

On September 30tb, 1880, a public meeting was held in the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, respecting the proposed rail way, about thirty leadingresidentsbeingpresent, Mr Jonas Woodward, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, presiding at this meeting. Mr W. T. L. Travers, as convener, explained the object for which he had called them together. The question as to what had best be done was fully discussed, and several resolutions adopted, one of the most important being the following, moved by Mr John Plimmer,

and seconded by Mr Wallace, * That it is the opinion of this meeting, that to give a practical form to tbe matter, a preliminary Committee be at once appointed to make the necessary inquiries, and take proper steps to form a Company, and report to another meeting as early as practicable, preparatory to bringing the whole subject before the public.’ In speaking to his motion Mr Plimmer enlarged upon the immense advantages that would result from the formation of the line ; in fact, he believed it would be the life of Wellington, and, as demonstrating in a practical way his belief,

said he was willing to take up £l,OOO worth of shares himself The following constituted the committee then elected in accordance with Mr Plimmer’s resolution : — Messrs Travers, W. H. Levin, W. Johnston, Moorhouse, J. Wallace, Gi ace, Buckley, G. V. Shannon, Brandon, Hutchison, George, Greenfield, Woodward, Plimmer, A. Young, and Lewis. Shortly after this meeting Messis Plimmer and Wallace made a canvass of the city with the object of placing shares, and with very satisfactory results, obtaining within a couple of dajs promises to the extent of £lO,OOO. Messis J. E. Nathan, W. H. Levin, and G. V. Shannon lendered signal services towards the accomplishment of this most important undertaking. We cannot do better at this stage than repiint for the benefit of our readers tbe substance of the address delivered by Mr J. E. Nathan, tbe then Chaiiman of Diiectors, on the occasion of the opening of the line by Sir William Jervois, Governor, containing as it does matter of veiy great interest.

Mr J. E. Nathan, Chairman of Directors, addiessing the Governor, said :— * Your Excellency, permit me, on behalf of my Board, also on behalf of the shareholders of this Company, to tender to you our thanks for yourpresenccto-day

and for yonr kindness in consenting to drive the last spike, thus putting the finishing stroke that completes the line of railway between Wellington and New Plymouth. My Board ventured to ask you to perform this ceremony because they felt that although this work has been, and is still being carried out by a joint stock company, the work they have accomplished is of no ordinary character. They venture to esteem this work as of a colonial character, originally undertaken at a time when the colony as a whole was suffering from severe depression, at a time when the Government of the country practically said to the citizens of Wellington : However much we recognize the necessity of such a work being performed, it is beyond the power of the Executive Government of this colony to undertake it. Then was aroused in the breasts of the citizens of Wellington, and the settlers of this provincial district that feeling of self-reliance and thorough earnestness which, when directed to a good purpose, invariably leads to success. When the Public Works Act of 1866 was first announced, the Northern Trunk Line was laid down on the present Napier route, passing over the Rimutaka. Many Wellington citizens saw at once that such was a vital mistake, and that without provision for the connection of the city by the West Coast, Wellington, for all practical purposes as a commercial centre, was completely isolated and cut off from the largest and most valuable portion of her province, as represented by the rich lands stretching from where we now stand as far as New Plymouth on the one side and the centre of the Island and Napier on the other. Despite strong representations by prominent members in Parliament, no attempt was made to rectify the mistake, or to recognise the claim of Wellington to have a shorter, cheaper, and safer railway connection with the North than by the Rimutaka. It is to the Government under the Ministry of Sir George Grey that Wellington is indebted for this railway. Mr Macandrew, who was Minister of Public Woiks under Sir George Grey, was the first to recognise the necessity of providing a Northern trunk line that would give quick and easy travelling and yield profitable returns. In 1878 and 1879 Mr Macandrew had exhaustive surveys made, which demonstrated that by adopting a West Coast line to Palmerston, a saving of a third of the distance would be made, besides having a railway built on a much improved grade. Mr Macandrew had such faith in the prospects of the West Coast line that he commenced the work without delay. Unfortunately, after an expenditure of over £33,000, a change of Ministry having taken place, the works were stopped, and the line reported against by a Royal Commission. In face of such report there were those who nevertheless had faith in the line, and were prepared to risk their capital and spend their time in promoting the undertaking. Foremost amongst those who took a very energetic part about this line, I should mention Mr Travers, also Mr James Wallace, our able manager. Deputations waited upon the Cabinet representing all the advantages that would accrue to the colony by the carrying out of this work, when Sir John Hall (then Piemier) pointed out that the Government had not the means to continue the good work already commenced by Mr Macandrew. He said, however, that if the citizens were so confident of the result of such a railway being built that they would invest their own capital, then his Government was prepared to make certain concessions if a Joint Stock Company was formed for the purpose of carrying out the work, and he would introduce a Bill into Parliament to give due effect to the proposal. In a few months such a Joint Stock Com-

pany was formed with a nominal capital of £500,000, and shares were taken up by the citizens of Wellington and the settlers in and around Palmerston to the extent of £50,000. It was represented to intending shareholders at the time that they were not invited to take shares in this Company as in an ordinary Joint Stock undertaking, but

they were asked to subscribe such sums as they could, according to their several positions afford, without the expectation of any return, the intention being that the sum of £50,000 might be placed at the disposal of the promotors to ensure the work being carried out. The £50,000 having been subscribed, the Company was registered in 1881, and the Land and Railway Construction Act passed in the session of the same year. A contract was immediately concluded between the Government and the Company, and signed on the 22nd March, 1882 In the course of negotiations with the Government, and with those whom it was deemed desirable should be in sympathy with the undertaking, so much was learnt of the country through which the proposed line was to run, that those who had entered into the undertaking as colonists for the good of the colony as a whole, and for the Wellington city and province in particular, saw it would prove a pecuniary success. Invitations were sent out to eighteen gentlemen to meet at the Chamber of Commerce, of whom thirteen attended. The contract with the Government and the prospects of the Company were explained to these gentlemen, and they were each asked to subscribe for the maximum number of shares allowed to be held by the Articles of Association, i e., 2 000. It is a great p'easnre to place on record the fact that each gentleman present, for himself or for the firm he represented, at onee signed this paper,

namely, J. E. Nathan, John Plimmer, Travers and Cave, Jas. Lockie, N. Reid. W. R. Williams, Thompson and Shannon, Jas. Bull, Thus. G. Macarthy, F. M. Ollivier, J. B. Harcourt, Jas. Smith, D. Anderson, junr.—thus at once increasing the subscribed capital to £130.000. Within a few days of this meeting (23rd March, 1882),

the subscribed capital amounted to £300,000. I must not forget to mention that the Company is indebted to Sir Julius Vogel, who so ably acted as the first agent of the Company in London, to whom was entrusted the important function of floating the first debentures, amounting to £4OO 000, and appointing the first London Board. These important matters were carried out by Sir Julius Vogel at a time and under such circumstances that it is believed no one else could have succeeded as he did. Our first London Board consisted of Sir Penrose Jnlyan, Sir E iward Stafford, and the Hon. Mr Mundella. It is to Sir Julius Vogel and to these gentlemen that the shareholders are indebted for the successful floating of the Company’s debentures amounting to £560,000. The capital of the Company was increased in 1885 by the issue of further shares, so that to day it is £700.000, in £5 shares, 75,000 being subscribed for in Wellington and other parts of the colony, and 65.000 in London. In September, 1882, the first contract was commenced, and to day, the 3rd November, or in four years and two months, the last contract has been finished and the works in ay be said to be completed.

* As to the importance of this railway as a main link in the chain of the Trunk Line it may be stated that by using the company’s line when the Inland trunk portion from Marton to Te Awamutu is completed it will be possible to run at express speed from Auckland to Wellington in sixteen or seventeen hours. Even now with a fast line of steamers between Taranaki and Auckland, we hope to see a service between Auckland and Wellington of twenty font hours. The importance of this line as a link in the develop ment of settlement on those vast and fertile lands betweer the two great and fine ports of the colony cannot be over estimated. Wellington aid Auckland may be said to possess the only two harbours in the North Island. There is lying between them a vast extent of the finest land awaiting settlement, the one essential being rapid and easy communication to and from these fine lands to these two harbours easy of access to ocean-going steamers and sailing ships. But the line that would divide the traffic as between the two ports, as far as cheap transit is concerned, cuts across the island at the points which give the largest area of ground suitable for settlement by fourfold to Wellington, and through this so desciibed land we have the Ntw Plymouth line running a distance of 166 miles, the Inland Trunk line 150 miles when finished, the Napier (when completed at Palmerston) 130 miles, al! centring at L-mgburn, the junction of the Manawatn Riilway. The total area of this country, so seived by our line as the main link leading to Wellington Harbour, is upwards of five million acres, little more than one fifth of which can be said to be occupied. The balance awaits development. If this view is the correct one, Wellington, so far as settlement and developement are concerned, is but in its infancy. All other parts of the colony have been opened up, occupied, and settled ; the back country proper of W?l. lington has only been touched at its threshold, ami the Manuwatu Railway is the royal roail to its development.

No part of New Zealand is equal to that portion which this railway will serve as a stock-producing and agricultural country, because of its salubrity, shelter, and the quality of its soil. For all these reasons, we esteem our work one of colonial importance, and thank you for consenting to take part in this day’s proceedings. Allow me to hand to your Excellency the last spike with which I will ask you to complete the link that will unite Auckland, Napier, and Taranaki with Wellington.’

THE DIRECTORATE.

It is our intention to append to each article some brief particulars of one or two members of the directorate, their pictures of course appearing in the article. All are men of sterling worth and standing, whose very names inspire confidence. We give this week three of the oldest members of the Board of Directors whose names are familiar in the mouths of Wellingtonians as household words.

Mr J. E. Nathan, (J. E. Nathan and Co., Wellington,) was a member of the Provisional Directorate of the Company, and Chairman of the Board of Directors when the Company was registered, which position he continued to occupy until his departure for England in June 1887; he has not joined the Directorate since. He took a very active part in the promotion of the Company, and assisted towards establishing it in a sound financial position. Mr W. H. Levin (W. H. Levin and Co., Wellington) has always taken a very active interest in everything calculated to advance the interests of Wellington, and was one of its M. H. R.s. from 1881 to 1886 He was a member of the first Board of Directors, and succeeded Mr J. E Nathan as Chairman of the Company. He took an active interest in its piomotion at an early stage, and as one of the Wellington Representatives in his plnce in the House he rendered invaluable services to the Company by his influence in promoting the necessary Parliamentary work, and arranging the contract with the Government for the construction of the line. He retired from the Directorate some years since.

Mr T. G. McCarthy became a member of the B rard in 1887, and was elected its Chairman, which position he has continued to occupy ever since. As C.rairman he has displayed great ability and excellent business capacity. His addresses at the annual meetings of shareholders are full of accurate intelligence, and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of minute detail of the business and finance of the Company. In short, he has discharged the duties of his office with much credit to himself and to the advantage of the Company.