CLUTHA VALLEY RAILWAY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 46, 19 November 1909, Page 5

CLUTHA VALLEY RAILWAY.

PREMIER REFUSES AUTHORISATION. IMPROVE STEAMER SKRYICK. WELLINGTON, Nov. 17. A deputation, consisting of Messrs Daniel Stewart (Balclutha), anil P. Mclnerney (Tuapeka Mouth), .Malcolm, Allen, and Arnold, M's.P.,' and the Hon. George Jones, waited on the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning to ask thai the line up the Clutha Vall.«y to Tuapeka Mouth be placed on the Railway Authorisation Bill this! session.

Mr Malcolm said the; eonstraction of the lino had the hearty support of all the Olago members, besides the Hon. R. McKenzio and Mr Laurenso'n. Mr Stewart said the League at Balclutha were well satisfied with the Oovermnent's proposal as to the 'i per cent, guarantee, nor were they interested in the extension from Tuapoka' Mouth to lioxburgh. The League wanted the Government to take over the steamer service now maintained by the Clutha liiver Board, and it with a railway service. This was quite apart from' the guarantee to bo given by the people. There would be £o,ooo or £(i.000 available, straight away of the River Board assets. The Board also had endowments producing, an annual revenue of £1.29!), and at 3jier cent, this represented interest oni £.-13,(100, which was about half the estimated cost of the railway. The proposal was that the Government should take over the'endowments.

Mr Melnerney said he was authorise^ 1 to say that the people,to be ben'lilted would give a guarantee quite apart from any endowment at all. They wanted tho Government by legislation to define the rateable area from which the guarantee could be raised if necessary, and rlhoy did not wain this area very large, so that there would be no grumbling. Mr Allen mentioned that much of the land was resumed estates, and present traflic arrangements wore inadequate, it was hardly fair to ask the country districts to pay the cost -of construction of railways costing £IO,OOO or £II,OOO a mile. Suitable railways could be built for £5,000 per mile. 'He was sure'the line would pay interest on the tost of construction if the latter wore reasonable. Mr Malcolm added that the TTOII. K. McKenzio had described the district as the finest stretch of country in the Dominion. We were making efforts to attract settlers, especially to the North Island, and we should attempt to keep our settlers in the south, which was sometimes thought to be going back. This district could carry live times its present population. Sir .Joseph Ward, in reply, saio lie regretted that (he (Government could not at present undertake the. authorisation oi this particular line or of many others. The Cabinet had been con-i'.lering forty-six applications for railways, which, if authorised, would run the country into an expenditure of £i].ooil.OOO yearly for railways alone. Hi roe routes had been .proposed for til is particular railway, the estimates for which were respectively £'.;i),500, £l-12,000, and £»IR0,0O(>. Th.i distance was twenty-one miles, giving, on the lowest estimate, a cost of £1,718 per ni'le. If the railway were authorised, it would mean curtailing expenditure on other lines, and ho thought it bettor to complete these than hold out tho hope of spending £i!00,0f;fl over a period on this line. The mere fact of those concerned offering 3 per cent guarantee would not help them to get the line any faster. He had no doubt about tho ability of the line to pay 3 per cent., but while the guarantee was a good thing to protect the country against possible loss, there was no particular virtue in offering a guarantee under such circumstances. He advised tho de.pusation to improve their river service, as this line v> as not likely to bo taken up in a hurry. It was a proposal to put a line between two others twenty-five miles apart and in addition they had a river service, whereas ! there were other places in New Zealand i where there was not a railway within 150 miles of the people. When the Government could not find enough money to carry on existing railways the deputation could not ov-coi any for this line. Ho, must absolutely refuse to put it on the authorisation this year. The, Government _ would not be warranted in doing it, and, even if they were warranted, they would have to hold it over or make other lines under construction suffer. !As to light lines, he favoured' thorn where practicable, but one of their defects was that having to keep special engines and rolling-stock would make a light line extraordinarily costly to run- Tt was no use laying down a light line with the probability of having to relay it in ten years. He mentioned that practically tho whole of the New Zealand railways had been relaid three times.

The deputation thanked the Minister and withdrew, after expressing the hope that if the lino could not be authorised this year it might bo at soma iutw date.