, 1875-12-25

sessing as it does as fine and healthy a climate as
any in the world, would be visited annually by
thousands of persons as a health resort If it
only had decent railway aud hotel aocOmoda-
ton. Every visitor to the island comes away
with q catalogue of grievances. The difficulty
and cost of travelling from one part to another
is a frequent subject of complaint. You may
take a trip from Kingston to New York for
less expense than would be incurred in going
from one end of the island to the other. There
is, however, one feeling of thankfuIness in the
breasts of returned travellers at their having
ridden on the present Jamaica Railway, and
have been spared to come nome again, safe and
sound, to tell the tale. And yet the Govern
ment look on with the calm indifference of the
Sphinx. Money is wrung from the taxpayers
which they can i'll afford to pay-rivers are
damned up with costly engineering works,
which the first food from the mountains sweeps
merrily away-and useless expenses are incur
red on every side. But a safe and reproduce
tive work like the railway is regarded with =
blank Indifference. 1t is true that now and
then representations are made which the Gov
eminent are compelled to answer by giving
reasons or what pass as reasons in the official
mind. These reasons are formulated in a
report of the Select Committee to whom the
subject was referred some time ago. The
committee consisted Of the Governor and one
or two officials, and the report was published
at the time in the Jamaica newspapers. A
search 10 the newspapers has brought the pre-.
cious document to lIght, and it will be interest.
ing to see what the arguments are against the
railway. AS a specimen of reasoning to order,
as we'll as q good example of official English,
the report deserves an honorable place in the
archives of Jamaica. When the future histori.
an Of the CT lights upon this piece of
FEELINGS may be better imagined
th~ eI Macaully once til d to fathom
tu~ mad Of rs New Zealander, who Is
to sit one day upon a broken arch of Lon
don Bridge contemP plating the ruin of St. Paul's.
But the feelings of Mapaulay's prophetic savage
will be commonplace compared with those of
the New ZeaIarri0 who will r%uefully sit on
one of the broken slams of Rio CObre with the
report of the .Seleu, Committee On Railway
extension in his hand, 1t requires, however,
O vivid pen to set forth the sentiments of such
an individual under such circumstances. 1t is
only possible in this sober column to examine
the report by the aid Of contemporary facts
and knowledge.
The Select Committee Object % the grant of
a Governmont guarantee on two grounds 81.
That if The pubic revenues are not called upon to
provide fer any deficiency of profits it is a
proof that the guarantee was not necessary
and 9, that il the guarantee do cost the public
something it is a proof that the public have
incurred the loss upon a commercial Speculation
without participating in the right to any posi-
bic profit rh8refrom. THERE'S No doubt that
this is beautiful logic. If thing don't happen,
it is Objectionable; if it does happen. it is
equally to be deprecated. Putting aside the
elf-contradictoty character OF thess statements
Of course they are absolutely unsuitable.
They are worth examining, however, a little
closely. 1t is { difficult to believe that the first
objection can be seriously entertained. The
guarantee is valuable, and indeed its principal
function consists in this, for inspiring conf
dence on the part of capitalists in England in
al undertaking to be carried out ia u distant
colony. If no money were claimed under it, a
proof would thereby be afforded of the sound
ness of the enterprise, which could never have
been tested or vindicated but by the moral
support such a guarantee would give. With
regard to the second objection, any expendi-
ture of public money for purposes of this kind
might doubtless be called a Commercial specu.
lation." If the Government itself constructed
railways it would be with a view to-
their profitable working, and there would
be the liability to loss of a practically
indefinite extent. In the case of a guarantee
the liability would be precise and definite. Auy
amount paid under the guarantee would not be
q loss to the country, for production and trade
would be stimulated, the revenue would expand,
additional labOur would have been introduced.
The greater part of which would permanently
remain-the industry of the population would
An nro~n1I -kL~- ---Il I- n -: