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BLYTH TO GLADSTONE RAILWAY
EXTENSION.
TO THE EDITOR.
Sir—Ib it possible that our legislators are
,'going to let this little sum slip opt of our reach
; for ever?. Such appears to be ,the case with
Ahia Blyth extension to Gladstone. A short
.rgnme ago a series of- articles appeared in the
JBcgister, "Our Inheritance in the Hills,"
. showing, what immense wealth we are in
possession of in our Mount Lofty Ranges. i
Slow, Sir, what about the Government land in
*he Never Never Ranges, part of which forms
the Bundaleer Forest? Ib not some of this
land equal to the much-prized land, of which
you have so admirably called attention to
an the past? I think it is, and only waits i
development. Here, then, we have 40,000 j
.acres of Crown lands almost as Nature left it. !
Supposing this extension was taken through
thisland, and computing Gd. per acre as the
increased value of the land in its primitive
state, this increase would pay interest on
£25,000 borrowed for railway construction at 4
per cent. There are also mineral deposits on
•his land. Then again there is the timber in
the Bundaleer Forest, which has been planted
by the Government, daily growing into value.
tFhis, too, must he reokoned as a great
feeder to the railway, which would pass just
outside the fence of the forest alluded to. Are
the people of this colony going to let the
jnoney that will be required for this line be
.spent on private property, as is the ease in ex
tending to Gladstone, when the oountry will
not be served so well as by extending to
Jamestown? Such seems to be the idea of
members of the Lower House. Mr. Lake has
admirably described the benefits to be gained !
by extending to Jamestown. I hope he will
yet demand a survey, and if need be another
Commission to look into this national work.
The Hon. J. H. Angas, when the Bill was i
before the House last time, advocated this
route. I also called attention through the
.columns of the Jtegieter.to it at this time. I
Suppose the people to the west see that their
claim is not so good from a national point,
hence only a few witnesses referred to this
route during the sittings of the last Commis
sion. Hoping you will find room for this at
an early date,, so that the Upper House may
get prevent a great waste of public money to
enefit a few private parties, that will have
increased value added to the land instead of
the country benefiting,
I am, Sir, Sc.,
Oke of the Nine who favoured
Jamestown.
F.S.—I am well acquainted with the land
referred to.
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