Wm R Howley
MHA for Placentia and St Mary's
Feb 4 1910

To the Honourable the House of Assembly in Legislative session convened:

May it please your Honourable House:

We, the inhabitants of St. Mary's Bay, including Peter Rivers, Holyrood, Gaskers, Point La Haye, Path End, St. Marys, Couts' Pond, Riverhead St. Mary's, Mall Bay, Branch, John's Pond, North Harbour, Harricot, Tickles, Colinet, Shoal Bay, Admiral's Beach, Mussel Pond, St. Joseph's, New Bridge, Salmonier South Side, Mosquito, Mother Rix, and Salmonier South Side, numbering in all between five and six thousand residents, beg to approach the Legislature on the following all-important matter to us of the construction of a branch line of railway from the trunk line to the Riverhead of St. Mary's.

The distance to be covered by rail would be about thirty-five miles, and the country from two or three standpoints most accessible, but the question of route may be left for future determination.

At the recent general election the people of St. Mary's Bay, by an overwhelming majority, accepted and approved of the policy of progress set forth in the Manifesto of the People's Party, and the whole country are awakening to the fact that a new era of real progress has been ushered in.

The principal plank in the policy of progress of the People's Government is the development of the resources of our country, and this development cannot be successfully proceeded with except by opening up speedy and up-to-date communication throughout the country by railway extension.

St. Mary's Bay, being one of the principal bays in the Island, has a right to a share in this new scheme of development and prosperity by reason of the number of settlements it contains and of its large population. Hitherto, and up to the present time, this great bay has been almost isolated, notwithstanding its proximity to the capital, the fact that it has the best fishing grounds in Newfoundland, its magnificent undeveloped resources, and its superb, unrivalled scenery. This bay, endowed by nature with such advantages, riches and beauty, may be said to have been the sport of political neglect. Its people had lived alone slowly and painfully, almost in despair of ever having their rights recognized, until the formation and advent of the People's Party, which sent new hope thrilling through their veins; and the railway policy foreshadowed was eagerly grasped at, not alone by the people of St. Mary's but by the people of the whole north, and they swept the candidates into power by astonishing majorities.

Salmonier and St. Mary's can lay claim beyond question of doubt to some of the best fishing grounds, and also some of the choisest agricultural and timber lands on the eastern and southern parts of the coast of Newfoundland. The magnificent river-valleys at the head of St. Mary's Bay are simply mines of undeveloped wealth of forest and farm land, and Salmonier is far-famed and well known as a veritable sportsman's paradise. It possesses not only the famous Salmonier River, but the great and little Barrisway Rivers, North Harbour River and Mussel Pond River, all of which are teaming with the finest of salmon and sea-trout.

The development of these splendid resources would be incalculable, and not to speak of its agricultural capabilities and the benefits to its trade and business generally, the tourist traffic to Salmonier alone would justify the building of this railway. If such splendid resources were in any other country they would be veritable gold mines.

Now that our brothers of Trinity, Heart's Content, Catalina and Bonavista, and also Fortune Bay are receiving benefits of railway extension, we would call upon their representatives in the House of Assembly to support the prayer of this petition. We have been contributing our share of revenue for the past twenty-five years for the upkeep of railway privileges for the more favored districts of the country, and we call upon the representatives of these districts also to support us in this appeal. And, lastly, we call upon all the Honourable Members, both Government and Opposition, to support the prayer of this petition, which is humbly submitted for their favorable consideration.

Dated at St. Mary's, this 14th day of January 1910.