THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRY-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 6,1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 6 April 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRY-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 6, 1881.

Ml. C. Y. O'Conhob, with Mr Martin, the Resident Engineer of the West Coatt, and Mr J. R. Browne, C.E.,reaehed Reefton on Vtooday e rening lasl, having completed their inspection of the route for the projected East and West Coast Bailway. Tbe party left Christehnreb on Tuesday, and followed the line taken by Mestrs Browne and Thornton in Norember last, until reaching the elevated, country lying in the neighbourhood of the Ada and Lewis Passes. Here careful barometric observations were made, and both Passes carefully examined. Nothing positive can, of course, be known of the actual data obtained by Mr O'Connor until the publication, of the Report which that gentleman will furnish the; Govern* ment, but it nay be accepted as a fact that the result of the inspection is quite confirmatory of the information gathered by Messrs Thorptpn and Browne. It is believed that Mr O'Connor will favor the adoption of the Lewis Pass as the most .advantageous one for railway construction. Its greatest elevation having been found io be not more than JttOO feet, bnt this cannot be regarded as conclusive until the readings of the barometer are compared with those at the sea level. \ For the rest of the ronte, no room exists i to doubt the . Complete practicability of the line for railway purposes, the grades i obtainable throughout being well within i the limit of easy construction and economic traffic; The weather was ont fortunately very unpleasant for the party, but beyond the discomfort experienced in travelling through wet bnsh country, no greater inconvenience was encountered. The party did not fall In with Mr Henderson, whose camp was situated some dis- 1 tance off the lipe, in f ho vicinity of the , Ada Pass, but one of Mr Henderson's men was met with, and piloted the party j down to Reefton. Mr Browne having] now passed twice over the country, sn,d had the fullest opportunity of acquaint- ' ing himself with its physical features, I and forming a reliable professional opin* ion, is more than ever convinced, not only of the dry practicability of the ronte for railway purposes, but also that the line is peculiarly free from great engineering obstacles, and this with the data already obtained will be taken as dissipathing the last doubt that may have existed, as to the feasibility of the scheme.. The pub* lieatiflu of |f r= O'Connor's report will, of course, add finality to all conclusions upon tbe su,bjeet r bu.t sufficient may already be gathered with which to rest satisfied that the point has in the. mean« time passed beyond the sphere of mere speculation. Belying upon the faith of the information already in their posses* sion, the promoters of the Railway Com* piny in Christchurch have been singularly vigilant during the past few weeks, and we understand that they have already received oo less than five different offers from Colonisl and Edropean syndicates to float the company and undertake the work ; one of the offers being from Brogden and Sons, and the other from Sir Julius Togei. From this it will be seen that nothing is now required but tbe sanction of tbe Legislature in order to give jthe project form and consistence. Tn t|iiai connection, we may remark that Mr Beeves, M.H.R., w.as in Wellington a few days ago, and had a conversation on the subject with several members of the Government, from which he gathered that they were warmly in favor of the work, and allowing for some slight modification of the concessions demanded by the promoters of tbe company, will be prepared at the coming session, if backed up by a favourable report frpm Mr 0. V, O'Connor, to recommend the undertaking to the House. All this is, of course, very satisfactory, an<J illustrates in an eloquent manner what can be accomplished by wisely directed agitation. When the

movement was first initiated it was iouked upon as almost too •ehimericalio be seriously entertained^- .thanks' to the perseverance of the ennireers, Me^urs Browne and Thornton, Mr T. S. Westdn,

Mr E. Weekes, and, other old enrnest friends of the West Cotst, nb%; resident in Christchurch, has braved all opposition, and in the course of a few months been ripened up to a stage when all doubt ap to^its nUhnate acoompiitbment seems at sn end. We ventured some time ago to express the opinion that both the Go.yernment jn»d.the,, ? r promote.rs of ,,, the I company would accept Mr O'Connor's report upon the line as conclusive, and we now learn that such is really the* case. Belyjnj^upon the^ccuracy of the work done by Messrs Browne and Thornton, the promoters have agreed to be bound entirely by the findings of Mr O'Connor, and theoHite^me; so far as we are permitted b divine, is quite satisfactory. With Mr O'Connor it was not a question i of deciding upon any one of a number of competitive routes. He was merely told that « company was prepared to ron« struct a line of railway between Chri«t« ennreiNhd Reefton via Maruia, and his duty vu nanowed down tp. nierely de>. eidine as to whether such a work was practicable over the irdicated route. In undertaking the duty then Mr O'Connor was relieved entirely from the unpleasant* ness of selecting one ronte as against a number of other conflicting ones and, as it were, sitting in judgment upon a host of rival claims: He had merely to pronounce, for the guidance of 4be Ministry, upon the practicability or otherwise of this one line, and as he is an officer in whom the Government rightly repose the most implicit confidence, bis selection was in every way acceptable to the pro* moters of the enmpany, and there is no room to doubt Hint /his r^eommendfttionj will be endorsed by the House/During a recent vi«t to IVellington, Mr Browne, on behalf the company, obtained a promise from the Government that the whole of the land along the line, likely to be beneficially affected by the construction of tfap ; railw»y, ahouldbe reserved from sale, no {hafr'dii^larße area, contain* ing in the aggregate some three or four million acres, is secured from monopolists pending a settlement of the con* cessions which the company will ask for the construction of the line. It will thus bi seen tnat the movement M being carried op not as a mere empty agitation but as one full of earnest intention, and by men who are thoroughly determined to accomplish their aim. , v ; , , >