Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS GAZETTE Cromwell, Monday, April 16, 1906.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1984, 16 April 1906, Page 4

Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS GAZETTE Cromwell, Monday, April 16, 1906.

The fight for the continuation of the THE railway from Clyde OTAGO is now beginning in CENTRAL earnest, and it will RAILWAY. be necessary for all at this end to put in strenuous work, till the House meets, by agitating in every possible way to gain support, and to obtain a sum oia the estimates for the pushing on of this most important work, not only to this district, but Otago and the colony as a whole. At a meeting of the Otago Central League in Dunedin last week Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.R., who has so ably represented Dunedin for a number of years in Parliament, came straight out as an opponent to the further continuation of the line from Clyde, and we doubt very much if he is acting in the best interests of Otago, and Dunedin in particular, in opposing the pushing on of this line to Hawea as soon as possible, as we are confident that the line will be a paying one, and indirectly will be the means of opening up land for settlement, and act as an inducement for tourists to visit New Zealand. The different attractions at Wanaka and Hawea would be equal to anything, in this far famed country, to attract thousands who are flocking here. As to the contention of Mr Millar, "that the line would not pay," the chairman (Mr Burnett), who is a sound, practical man, and one who knows what the country is capable of, made an effective reply to Mr Millar, by remarking " that it would not pay to make another section had been heard ever since the beginning of the line about every section, and yet as a matter of fact every section had paid." As to the statement of Mr Millar that " to his own personal knowledge there was nothing to repay the line beyond Clyde," we fail to see how he can know much about the resources of this part of the district, as he has probably only paid a visit with the party that rushed through with Sir Joseph Ward a couple of years ago ; they only came from Queenstown, and never went near Wanaka or Hawea. We have had the cry for years from opponents like Mr Millar, that the line would not pay axle grease to Omakau, but as Mr Burnett said, every section has paid, and we are equally sure it will keep on paying as each section is finished. As to the cost of the section from Clyde to Cromwell being .£200,000, it is generally considered that half that amount would be sufficient, and in any case when it reached Cromwell, the cost from here to Hawea would be very light, therefore the average cost over the forty miles would not be a heavy one. Apart altogether from these side issues, what about the promises made to the settlers who have taken up the land so many years ago, on the statements placarded all over the district by the Governmen then in power ? " that the railway would be pushed through in a few years." That is over 25 years ago, and now it is talked of hanging it up at Clyde. The farmers at Hawea, and in other parts of this district, have been leaving purely through the difficulties of getting a market for their produce and an opening for their children who are growing up, and there is consequently no inducement for them to remain in the district. It is almost certain if the railway is continued from Clyde, that the valuable reefs that are known to exist at Bendigo and the Carrick would be developed, as it is well-known the large amount of gold that has been won from the reefs worked at these places has only been from a very small area, and it is only reasonable to assume that with the opening up of one of the reefs again, further|capital would soon be forthcoming to prospect and develop others, and with a few reefs at work there would be a great revival in mining generally. There are many other industries that would also be started, as we have forests of timber at both Hawea and Wanaka, fruit growing, and thousands of acres of beautiful land only waiting for the railway to be pushed through to be settled on. But at the present time, when only two shillings a bushel is offered for wheat, equal to any grown in New Zealand, for that is the best price they can get at Hawea Flat now, surely there is something wrong to allow settlers to be left in such a position, after the way they had been promised before taking up the land, We still have faith that the Premier will be on the side of the back block settlers, and he has been through the country from end to end and knows the great possibilities of the Lakes district. If he will only stand to us at this end for the continuation of the line, with his strong personality, we are sure ho will be able to keep it going steadily on, and that it would be a great boon for the colony we are certain, for there is everything here to make this district one of the finest parts of this great country, as we have the climate, water in abundance, land, and the great lakes of Wanaka and Hawea, as a beauty spot alone, should be one of the greatest assets the country has. ; j ■ ■■»—>————■■■