Railway site meeting

On Wednesday morning, June 23, a deputation consisting of the Hon. G. S. Kingston, Messrs. H. E. Bright, M.P., Jolly, Bowman, and Priest, waited on the Commissioner of Public Works (Hon. John Colton) for the purpose of presenting a memorial, praying that the site fixed on for the Mintaro Railway Station should not be altered, as had previously been prayed for by memorialists from Clare, &c. The Hon. G. S. Kingston, having introduced the deputation, read the memorial, remarking that if the proposed site was altered it would be a great inconvenience to many persons living in and around Mintaro. The memorial was as follows :— The Commissioner of Public Works—We the undersigned, inhabitants of Mintaro and the district of Stanley, &c., having become aware that a memorial has been forwarded to you to the effect that the proposed site for the railway station near Mintaro is not the most convenient for the settlers in the neighborhood or of the residents of Clare, beg respectfully to call your attention to the following facts :—That the site already fixed on for the railway station near Mintaro is the most convenient for a large majority of the settlers in the neighborhood, and of the residents of Hill River and Clare, without even including the population of the rising township of Mintaro ; that, should the Clare settlers be inclined (which is not at all likely) to send their traffic in the direction as named in the memorial which has already been presented to you, signed by them and others, the road from Clare to the site already fixed on near Mintaro is very far superior to any road they could take to a station from two to three miles north of this site, and not at any rate more than one mile farther, if that, and the Clare settlers would have the additional advantage of being able to convey more bulk on this road at one and the same time ; that the majority of the Hill River traffic will be nearer to this already fixed-on site, and have a far better road ; that the road across Farrell’s Flat to a station from two to three miles north of the already fixed-on site is well known to be very bad, and in winter time impassable, and should a station at any time be placed at that distance from the already fixed-on site, a road of not less than two miles would have to be made across the Flat to the station ; that the Farrell’s Flat settlers alone would be benefited by any such change as contemplated by them and that in a very slight degree, except as to the value of their property, by forming a township, which we believe to be their chief aim ; that the inhabitants and trade of the township of Mintaro would be seriously injured by such change, as the road from the township to the already fixed-on site is a good one, and available to Clare, &c., as already mentioned, whereas the road from Mintaro to a station two or three miles north is very bad even in dry weather, and almost impassable in wet, and farther in distance than the site already fixed on; that a large trade at present existing in the Mintaro Slate Quarry, and which will be considerably increased by railway transit, as also the other trades of this township, would be most seriously affected by the change of the station. And your memorialists can (looking at it in an impartial manner) for the reasons above adduced, only see that a portion of the Farrell’s Flat farmers alone would benefit from this contemplated change. Your memorialists therefore respectfully request that Mintaro Station to remain unaltered. And your memorialists will ever pray, &c.”
[Signed by about 243 persons.]
Mr. Bright and the other members of the deputation followed, pointing out that if the site for the station was removed as asked for, it would compel many farmers to cart their wheat some distance north to get it south; and also that the site fixed on was the most convenient for the majority of the settlers at Mintaro and Hill River; that the road across Farrell’s Flat was impassable in winter, and that if the station were removed as asked for, an additional two miles of road would be required, the cost of making which would be very great; that the road to the station, as proposed, was a very good one, and available for the inhabitants of Clare, whereas the road from Mintaro to the station, as proposed by the other memorialists, would not only be impassable in winter, but would be farther in distance than the site already fixed; and under these circumstances, and seeing that great inconvenience would arise if the proposed change were effected, the speakers urged that the site should remain as already fixed on. Mr. Priest handed in a list of 130 farmers who would have to use this station. Mr. Bowman, on behalf of the Trustees of the land, the site of the proposed station, said should there be a demand for additional buildings they would be willing to erect and let them to the Government at a reasonable rate. The Commissioner of Public Works said the site had been fixed previous to his taking office but no doubt the Government fixed it so as to give the settlers all the benefit they could, and he should not alter it, excepting he saw that it was necessary, and would benefit the greater number of settlers residing either north or south. The line was constructed for the benefit of those resident in the north, and the Government were anxious to give every facility for the cartage of grain, &c. After hearing the statements which had been made, he could say that the site would not be removed unless he could see that the alteration would be better for the settlers, and he thought that as he saw the matter at present it would not be removed, for the feeling of a whole township would be considered in preference to that of the inhabitants of any smaller and rural township which might be got up. The deputation having thanked the Commissioner for the kindness with which he had listened to them, withdrew.