WAITEPEKA DEVIATION.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 149, 18 May 1877, Page 6

WAITEPEKA DEVIATION.

' TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — 1 am told that Mr Tewsley is reported to have said at an interview with the Governor's delegate, that I was "the means of preventing an appropriation for the gap in the line of railway between Clinton and Balclutha." I need scarcely say, that there is not one particle of truth in this assertion, and that but for the circumstance - that- it has been made by tlie : Chairman of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in his official capacity as such, I should treat it with silence, as I do the thousand and one other misrepresentations of which I have been the subject, on the part of those Avho have a senseless down upon the Provincial system (with Avhich I have been associated) and all its Avorks. I may say that in the interest of the Southern Trunk Rafhvay, 'and in the interest of the majority of those Avho have to pay for it, I have always been, and am still j of opinion that the line should have gone as originally intended, by Waitepeka instead of Four-mile Creek. I cannot conceive how anyone' who knows the-re-lative position of ' the tvvo districts could arrive at any other, conclusion, and lam inclined to think, that had Mr Tewsley been on the ground with the Minister o£ Public Works and myself when "we •visited the locality, his common sense would have led him to agree with me. The assertion on the part of the Colonial Government that the delay in proceeding with the, link' between Balclutha and Clinton has been OAA r ing to the efforts of those who desired to carry it by AA'ay of Waitepeka, is a miserable subterfuge, patent to all Avho will take the trouble to look into the case. It is a pretext utterly unworthy of. Avhat ought to be the spirit of the men who govern this Colony. We are told by His Excellency's delegate that this "link in the. chain " cannot be proceeded with until there is a new appropriation. This certainly is heAV to me, and how to reconcile it with the. fact that the money was appropriated nearly two years ago, is, I confess, beyond me. (See, 'Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Act, 1875).; . Not only so, but there is the further fact that on the 17th August, 1876, the/then Mnister, of Public Works, in reply to my question, stated that * the Government had decided to construct |the line by the Four-mile Creek-r~(See Han.sard, vol. 21,, page 382, which I should" be be glad if you could extract for the infor-i mation of your readers) — being, I presume, the result of, his, visit to the locality. V The truth is ; that. the delay in; regard to this " missing link " has not been caused ,by. any .action, in ; the interest of Waitepeka, but must' in point of fact be attributed to the. unworthy jealousy, which New Zealand jCehtri-dism ..has all. along rnani-. f c sted towards Otago in general, and Dunedin in particular — jealousy •Avhich has

nevermisled 'ah: opportunity-'-"of "Hecr^ng' 1 and .retarding the progress of the Province" * -j and pfthAvar ting the efforts, of, those who, have been' endeavouring to promote its interests. -. . i i- I-do not for a moment suppose that His Excellency's,, present,; delegate 1 has any sympathy with the past action of Central- < 7 .ism ill relation; to Otago,. and I can-only; ■■] regret that' he should endeavour to ac- ( .countfor tbe delay in the "missing link" .. nOAV 'ih question by shifting 1 the responsi- ' bility for that delay frOih _ie shoulders of his colleagues to those' of .their political;; opponents. , V i Even though,-backed up by the Chairman of the Dunedin Chamber of .Com-, merce, it is a very far fetched way of get-. . ting out of the difficulty, andAvill not bear investigation. —I am,'&c", - ■J. Macandrew.