Mr Bennet on the Otago Central.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 17 September 1903, Page 4

Mr Bennet on the Otago Central.

Speaking in the House on August 28th, Mr Bennet, M.ttß, made the following remarks anent the Otago Central Railway:— " There is another matter to which I just wish to make reference: that is, a remark of the honourable member for Wairarapa with reference to the Otago Central. He insinuated that it was a politicnl railway, and said it would have been better to have made railways to tha back blocks somewhere else. I might, say, in the first place, it is not a political railway, It was started at the time those now on the Opposition -side of, this House were in power. That was twenty-two years ago. Therefore the honourable gentleman cannot blame the Government* so far as that is concerned. So far, however, from being a political railway, I consider the Otago Central will be 6ne of the best paying railways ih'-Jbhe colony, and no railway in the colony has assisted more to open the back blocks. If any one will go and see the possibilities in that country he must admit that the railway was not taken by the route it should have been, but it is past that stage now. It will open up millions of acres of virgin land, which only wants a little irrigation to make it equal to the best land in the North Island. Some time ago a number of members went up there on a visit of inspection, and were invited to go to see a farm, a description of which was supposed to be overdrawn, but time would not.per-, mit the party to go. The owner took up eight hundred acres of this land, which is supposed to be completely valueless, and with irrigation it was wonderful what he had done. Last year he sold about twelve hundred lambs at 14s 6d on the ground/ to go to the Burnside Freezingworks. He has also a hundred head! of cattle, and is a breeder of horses. He was asked what he would do if he had a bad winter, and he replied that he had 200, tons' of clover-hay. Now, this was land that any one would scarcely look at before. There are hundreds of thousands of acres of land, of that quality tapped by the Qjbago Central Railway, and before long we shall find settlers there cultivating that land for grain and everything else. Whea I passed through that district about thirty years ago there was no settlement of any kind, only a shanty here and there at some of the creeks; but since the railway has been made it is getting settled all over. And the. •Minister of Lands will bear similar testimony. It was a perfect 1 surprise to me. Ido not think, therefore, that one can say the Otago Central will be a failure, and if it is a political railway it was not the fault of the present Government. The honourable member for Master ton, Mr Hogg, made some reference to the Obago Central, but I do not think he has- ever seen the line, nor do I believe him to be a good judge if he did see it. Two or three years ago there was a railway in his distriot that he asked the Government to make a deviation upon at a cost of about £500,000, but I think it will be time enough to do that when other districts are as well off as his own."