On the Construction of a Tyrolean Railway

Tyrolean Railway.

Since the clamour of war has faded along the banks of the Tisza and Maros, since the last surges of battle have broken against the mountain gorges of Transylvania, and since no bold march of Görgey nor victorious campaign of Haynau any longer draws our attention to the valleys of the Carpathians and the marshy plains of Hungary, our gaze turns once more to the tranquility of our native mountains. This occurs with all the greater relief as the eye encounters no battlefield here, need not dwell upon the ruins of destroyed cities, desolate fields, and depopulated steppes, and not every foot of ground is a reminder of crushed prosperity and wounds that will ache for years. And yet we need only take a map in hand to awaken concerns of no less serious a nature, seeing new trade routes rising all around our borders that threaten to sever the vital nerve of our prosperity. There is no need here to repeat what has often been said; necessity speaks more eloquently than any disquisition, and the present raises its voice more loudly than ever to remind us that we must be vigilant at the right hour for our own good and that of our descendants.

The plan to connect Munich and Salzburg by a railway via Rosenheim is near realization; the Bavarian government has already had its engineers complete the preliminary work and has called for the submission of the detailed project. In Innsbruck, the significance of this step for our commerce has been understood, and the grand citizen committee occupied itself in an extraordinary session with measures to avert the consequences that must arise for our land were we to look on idly at the enterprise's progress. It was resolved to strive by every means toward the establishment of a branch line from Innsbruck to Kiefersfelden, connecting with the Munich-Salzburg railway, and to approach the government to take up the necessary preliminary surveys without delay and have the construction executed at public expense; should the government, however, not be won over to this, the project is to be undertaken independently with the widest possible participation of private enterprise; finally, South Tyrol, Venice, and Verona are to be informed of this resolution and further measures, so that the same paths and means may be pursued here to bring a railway from Bozen to Verona into being. We do not hesitate for a moment to state that this appeal must be acted upon promptly and that the hand extended to us from the north of our homeland must be grasped, in order to labour jointly toward the realization of the work. The very same reasons that prompted the Innsbruck citizen committee to subject the matter without delay to serious consideration in the name of the city and indeed of the land, must also move South Tyrol to follow this example and do its part to ensure the most effective success. It is now called upon to demonstrate that it possesses the right comprehension of its specific as well as the general territorial interest, that it understands its task and the demand of the hour, and that it will not lag behind its Tyrolean brethren in activity and vigilance for its material welfare. There is no need to point out here how vital it is that the efforts of both parts of the territory dovetail and assist each other in reaching their goal, how equally both share in the entire undertaking, and how much its success and prosperity depend on their concerted action. It is likewise superfluous to indicate how closely this question is bound up with all other interests, how necessary a railway is for our connection with Italy, and what a beneficial influence it must exert on the removal of tariff barriers against our German neighbours, thereby securing long-sought improvements for our wine production.

For the present, it is not a matter of examining at length the ways and means that are to lead to the goal, nor of debating whether construction at private or state expense is more advantageous, and how these funds are to be raised, but solely of awakening general public interest in the enterprise, prompting the government to take the first necessary steps, and entering into contact with those individuals and corporations already active on behalf of the undertaking. Once the idea has gained practical footing and favour in public opinion, once the cooperation or at least the approval of the government is assured and agreement reached on the main outlines of execution, the funds will not be lacking, and further joint inquiries and deliberations will reveal the most expedient path by which success is to be achieved. The primary necessity therefore proves to be that all those in South Tyrol who are interested in the idea unite in a committee and devote their combined efforts to the measures indicated above. We are convinced that whatever is undertaken in this direction will meet with the most widespread recognition and an increasingly active participation, and that the sacrifices made for this great work will find their reward not only in the consciousness of a patriotic act, but also in the most advantageous success.