MR WESTON THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1583, 5 August 1885, Page 2

MR WESTON THE RAILWAY QUESTION.

The following is from the report which appeared in tho Chriftchu.ch Press of ft meeting hpld at Linwood, near Clirisiclinreh, lust Friday:— Mr Weston did not think he would lip railed upon to address thp meeting. He had conip to listen to those who were specially informed upon the subject. He had J>ppn much pleased by Mr Pereivul's remarks, which had thrown anew light upon or at any rate had initiated a new departure in the discussion, in stating pmphatically that, sooner or Inter the Govprnmpnt would have to make the line. Bnt he thought that if they could get it made now by a Syndicate on snch easy terms as were otleivd, it would be bettor to do that

than to wv.it In- O v. rnment action. It was now four and a half years gince he came to Chrisichn^li. and addressed at the Oddfellow^ Hill a very large meeting on thr. subject, an.l sine then, nnd»T the gnidanoe of Messrs Chrystal anc Meares, the C nnse had been growii g in p ib!i c favor till it had leached its ,„> •s-nt proud position, ;ind if all th*- men in Canterbury were true j to themselves and their families they j would insist on their meml-ors standing shoulder to shoulder to «ct the terras ofiered accepted. No one who had not lived on the West Coast conld have any idea of the enormon3 wealth hidden there. They had silver, gold, iron— everything bnt population. It wa<* often askrd what use could be made ot the land Wtween Canterbury and the Coast. When he was working at tta»i Bill under which the railway was nowproposed to be made, people told him the railway was not worth making because the land was worthless; yet now that the contractors were willing to taker the land in payment for making the line, these same people said it was to valuable to give away. What use was there in arguments like that? They should sell the land f* people like these contractors, who would Wring population upon it History showed that people- always settled along a mil way, even on tio barrenest land, and the railway onr« made, not only would population increase, hnt the land would be added practically to the area of Canterbury, and Christchurch would he the premier city of New Zealand. [Applause.] It had been said that no good would result from associating Nelson wifh Canterbury in the project, but in his Opinion the assistance, of Nelson was an immense blessing, and would result in getting the. railway made. A syndicate snch as Meiggs Brothers would rather »ake a line that connected two centres than one that terminated in the heart of the country. Moreover, the association of Nelson secured thun that political support for their project which, as they all knew, was so valuable, in the House of Uepr* s *ntatives. Canterbury, Nelson, and Westland united were a power in Parlhtuent, and conld almost insist npon the railway being made, and he felt certain that by that day we -k the resolution would have passed both Houses. The discussion in the House yesterday on the Sin Francisco mail service he considered > very good move. The Northern members had now got their subsidy, th^ir angnr and surprise would have cool**d down, and they would »■* that while the North had itsTmnk Railway, they had no right to deprive Canterbury a id the Coast of thnr much ne<del com* mnuication. There w?is no doubt that | Wellington felt a little sore al»out it. i He had nothing to say againn Welhngj ton, for he had during his stay tat re | received many and g;eat kindness. Bat j it was time that Wellington lvnefittedl by theliade with Nelson and the West Coast, and this line would deprive it of much of that. It was easy to under^tatd also that Auckland would be a little jealous, for though the North Island was givutly blessed, and was developing with rapid strides, yet tlie Middle Island was a country of nueqiiall-d resources, aud he felt snre that in fie struggle, for supremacy it mnst ulti-» mately pre\ail. The difference in Canterbury, if the ?esolution was passed, would be something wonderful. Trad« would increase, and land won Id attain its proper value, which at preseut it was in many cases, below. Money wonld be brought out for investment, the population would increase, the ports would I'd filled with vessels, and a degree of prosperity would be experienced which it was now impossible to realise. Nor would Canterbury benefit alone. He had been on the West Coast, and lie was so impressed with its resources that he felt snre the line wonld largely benen't the whole colony. [Applause.]