THE LOW LEVEL TUNNEL.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 9 February 1880, Page 2

THE LOW LEVEL TUNNEL.

■ *» ■ PUBLIC MEETING. Avery largely attended meeting of the •nha'-itants of Innn'»'>ni was held in Dawson'9 Hall, on F'-idrty* evening last. for the purpose of passing resolution*! -irginsr upon the Government a fulfilment of the promise given relative to the abov undertaking, Mr P. Brennan. Oountv Chairman, was voted to the Chair, and in openin ■ the proceedings exolained the steps whieh had alreadv been taken in the matter. Tf** paid that when tbp reeent denutsi'ion f *om the County Council waited upon the G* 'Vernmenf, a promise was given thu** he w-irk should be subsidised to the ■^sfpnt of £ for £ upon the basw of the '•"•tirmte furnished. Suhspq'i**n'lv, an ergineT was s*nt down to report on thtindertakin**, and the resu't of h ; s visi' was but too well known. I 1 was a well known fact hpre that Mr Gordon's est- « mate was qnite doub'e what tbe cop' would be, fet th<> Government had in the facp of that report, allowed their promt" e •o remain in ahevanee. Tt had been sieged that, all this had been premeditated, and that the fl.'ures wpreitfli'pd purposely to furnish a nro'ext for delav he (the stipaleer) would not go «o fir a* to endor-ie that imr-ressinn. as he eonld hardly believe that any Government would resort to siieb a subterfuge. He liad e.. fl lenei* that tbe Minigtrv w^re bona tide in the ; r promise, and all that w s reqni ed to SM-nre its fulfilment «a«t to show that the representations of the r'eputufion were sound, and that the inhabitants here «rerp quite willing to accept subs dy upon the original estimate, and readv lo provide the balance necessary to carry out the work. Cf this assurance were given by ibe public, he felt sure the Governmeri would adhere honorably to tbeir promise,

and more than this could not be in reason isked (Cheers.) Mr M'Gaffin said there was little need for hitn to prolong his remarks. The present situation of the ease was pretty well understood by everybody. There was no doubt whatever that the Govern ment had tiven a distinct promise of •issistance of £ for £ up to the amount ol £11,000 — which was tak.*n as being hall the total cost o- the tunnel. Mr Gordon, the Government engineer, had endeavored lo show that the work would cost nearly lour times that amount, but, men here who were quite as competent as Mr Gordon to estimate such work, from the fact that thousands and thousands of feet of tunnelling had been driven here, st 11 held that Mr Gordon was far too high. There was no doubt whatever that Government had given a p'omise ot as*istanep, and thpre was r.o doubt thev would carry i» out. if thev were assured tbat thev would not be asked to go beyond the orteinal es'imafe. The visit of fhe Minister would piesent a fitin* opportunity ol laving the whole facts before him, and he ( he speakei) believed implicitly that tb** money would be forthcoming as promised. (Hear, hear.) He had much pleasure in moving the following resolution :— " That a deputation from tbe Countv Council and hoth of the member* for thp district bp a-l'pd to interview the Minister of Pubic Works on his a rival, and '•ring b 'fore him 'he qupsti >n of a sub** -*idy to the proposed low !ev<*l tu npl. re nindirig 'dm that he find his colleai/u' « •.are promised to subsidise the w *rk i>ou<>d for turned on the estimate furnished bv the depu'ation which waited ,-n th-m in Wellington, and endeavourto obtain from htm a pledge that sue'* r>m 8» will le earned out by the Government." Mr D ivies seconded the resolution. He said as to the importance of the subj ct they had met to discuss, up'*n that point they were all agreed. So far as the umber of claim* workpd, commenciny al \n'lerson's and fi fishing at th-Plceis ind Inglewo-d lines, they were all aWar** that a la*ge amount of work tad been done in the upjer l*r*yels, but the gronnd 'iad never been tou-hed at a depp level ; and the same remark woul I ap*. ly t<* many, if not all 'he other lines of reef -d the dtstrot. Looking at the question in this light then, unless the proposed Low Level Tunnel were driven, the old systeni of compmies putting in short tunnel*would be continued, and those presen* knew to their sorr*w the cost of tunnel** hrough blank gro md. By the driving of one main tnnne! at a deep level all companies along the line would be relieve I of the necessity of putting in separate tun •iels, and thus an enormous saving ol oth timp and monev would be effected, and claims won'd be more quickly brouglr into productiveness. (Hear, he>r.) In order then that the work should be undertaken it wis necessary that the Government should -ssist it. and besides c"oin«j thi-< nNo grant protection for a certain area along the route of the tunnel. This latter wonhl. no doubt, be granted a< a ■scatter of course, so that the q-jestion of rap-nns wis tbp one d'fficujtv which stared thero in the face. Government had given a promise of assistance, but Mr Gorton's estimate of the woik I eing so largely in i-X'*e«s of the amount furnished by tie deputa ion, nothing had yet bepn done. That thp engineer's esttmntp errpd on the side of exaagpration, all pme'ical mpn here wpre thoroughly sa'i«fied, (hear, hear), af'd to make tin's clear to the Government wis the du'y now to be per» ■ormed. It w»s not neeessary that tbey ■ihonld ask the Government for immedi o^e pnytnent of the full am -tint of the •iuh-idy promised, as a small vearly "ra* t w >nld answer e quail v wpII ( Hear, heir.) These conditions beng fu'fi'lpd. it would next remain for the inhabitant-: to perorm tbeir part in assisting the floating of the company by which the work was to bp carried on. There would have to bno half-and«half measure-*. Evpry mSn n the district would be requ '•ed to Con>P fi-rward, and if that were d'-ne the worlt won'd sonn be under wav. (Hpar, hear.) Mr M'G-affi.i poin'ed ou f that a large, amount of correspondence h*id already pissed between the Government and syntlempn in town with r»f*?rence to 'hp undertaking, and an unqualified prnmt-e of assistance bad bpen aiven in black a*-H white, and there could be no doubt what ever that that promise would be fu fi !p-l so soon as the whole facts were repre sented. Mr Connolly wou'd like to see thp movpmpnt fake a definite shaop. Whv n >t oncn a share list at oncp an 1 fl »it th<* '■omp-tny right off? Tbis wonld fpstit'v heir eirne^tncss in the matter, and b<» he mpans of hurrying up the G vern'ient. and getting tbe lunne' under whv us early as possible. (H--ar. hear ), Mr Cohen thought that as the visit of •he Minister of Public W* rks was s«> • ear at hand, it might be as whl! to await '••is arrival before launching tbe scheme. tVrtain stipulations would no doubt accompany the Government grant, and it w uld be well to ascertain what thev were bp r ore I'ving anv proposals before the publ'O. H quite concurred howevir j in the advisability of losing as little time is possihlp in commencing tbe work, ('fetr, hear.) The rpso'ution was then put and carried unanimously. A votp of thanks to the Chair closed the meeting.