A FULL STOP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 578, 5 August 1909, Page 5

A FULL STOP.

. '« fr- ' THE OTAGO (Er^BAL-RAILWAY. PROPOSED EXTENSION. AN EMPHATIC MINISTERIAL "NO." (By Telegraph.—Piwra Association.) Ounodln, August 4. A deputation from the Otago Central Railway League waited on the Hon. R. M'Kenzie to-day to urge the claims for. the extension of the line. Mr. W. Burnett, after welcoming the Minister, said ho was sorry to say that strong, able-bodied fellows who should bo settlers of . Otago were now leaving for tho North Island and Australia. They were thu9 losing tho. finest asset they could have. What they wanted was that settlers-,and farmere should I hare facilities for bringing produce to market. There.was no doubt about tho fertility of Central Otago. Signor Bragato it:would be'the finest fruit-growing'district, land one of the largest. wine-producing districts in'the world. , :. , ■_. Mr. Talboys referred to the potentialities of the district, especially where .'. irrigation was brought to bear. Whenever, land was thrown open for settlement, then?''was a large number of applicants, which Bhowed they had confidence in it. At present the people were hampored'by lack of railway communication to Wanalia. • The difficulty, tho Government ■ were not inclined' to face was tho fourteen-mile stretch from Clyde to Cromwell. From Cromwell to Wanaka it was pretty plain sailing. ;•■ ' Mr. Sidoy, M.P;, reforred to the largo area of country affected, and said ho thought tho Minister would recognise that sooner or later, it would hare to bo opened' by railway' communication. The Minister said ho had known tho district for. the last forty years; and if they postponed construction of tho railway Until they had irrigation 1 in full swing he'might look at the matter from the deputation's, point of view. He was riot prepared' to; say any Government would be justified in ax-, tending the railway at present. It had been extended to tho .full" limit, further than it, should have boeui to tho disadvantage of the taxpayer. He had no intention of advising any Government' to'extend the railway any, further for years to come, because they had other railways in Now Zealand, - and, jo, Otago, that should bo constructed before thoy extended the Otago Central lino. Mr. Sidoy'said that it should be "extended in future. Ho concurred with. thatj probably when thoy had i\bout 6,000,000 poople in' New Zealand and 1,000,000 in Otago—that' - would be about the time when thoj.Gpvcrnment would be justified in extending the lino. Soino people reckoned that the railway should finish at Hokitika," and connect with tho West Coast system,'but.nobody, in his sober .senses would say ' that. the railway' ought to be extended to connect with the West Coast. 'Tho.first tiling was to create . a revonuo to justify extension.'. Until .there wore some means' of revenue ho,was. quite, certain tho extension would be an .injustice to the'rest of tho country. "As. regards irrigation, the Government had'two proposals under consideration. One'was a gravitation scheme, and the- other'" an bydro-olectrio scbelno. They were going into the details- • of both schemes, to see which was moresuitable. If the irrigation "scheme were, completed, then it'. wo hid bo the proper time to advocate extension.. Mr. Sidoy said tho commercial aspect of tho lino was not one that ought to determine tho Minister's decision. " Thoro was tho question of tho settlement' of tho land, and the indirect value 'to' be" got'from tho increased value of the laird; and thoro'were many' other considerations that'ought, to weigh with tho Minister'in putting the railway into the country apart'from present return. ' ■•"'•'" . ■ Tho Minister: Who is going to'pay for it? , ,i,i'Mivt]B.uniett:-The increasedavalue of.-lau.d I will, pay" for it. ~, ' ".. •..-,'» . Mr. "■ Sidey': Yes, increased' capital . Value of the. land and increased returns through tho'. Customs. He went-on to state .that the Otago Central had paid better suioo.it had been completed to Clyde than, it'would havo done if it hod been-left halfway. . Mr. Bathgate held that the Otago Central country generally, and more, especially tho Upper Ciutha; was'of such a nature that the railway must go hand in, hand with sett'lement. Population was decreasing in ' the Upper Ciutha Valley now, and would | cbntinue to do so unless facilities • for getting produce to tho market were afforded. I The Minister said with all duo deferonce I to the opinions expressed ho knew something |pf the Otago Central, and also something i of; the requirements of New Zealand m the way of railways. He was not going to say this railway should bo extended when ho was sure it should not,be. Let them provide means of settlement, and K«t por/ufoliou there first, to provide traffic for tho railway, and then they would bo justified in asking tho Government to extend the railwav. In conclusion, ho said he did not think'there was anything to justify any Government in extending this lino for th« ' next ten or fifteen years. FROM SrX TO ONE. FURTHER STATEMENT BY HON. Br " /, M'KENZIE.. (By Tclesraph.—Press Association.) Dunodin, August i. A deputation from-tho CatJins-'Bahabopa. Railway Leaguo waited on tho ;Hon. B* M'Kenzie to-day. It was oxphuned that tho leaguo had no complaint with.regard to lira progress made,' but it thought there should be Further autinorisation, so that ttoo Government would not bo onppkd as to tho . completion by want of money. .. Mr. M'Kenzie said there was no- tear of tho Government being crippled. Mr. Malcolm was proceeding to state tno» this, lino was tho only Otago lino now in course of construction, but. tho. Minister said, "Wo have six, but we are going to stop five of them in two or three months, and you are quite right in saying there will be only one then.". . .., ~ Mr. Malcolm:-1 was not thinking of duplication works. '. ,' ...,, ■ ..... T , The Hon. R, M'Kenzie: Neither, was 1. Later on, Mr. explained that Itlho other five works referred to wouldprobl ably •■bo finished before Chnstmas. lh?ro were now about 500 men on the Catlrns line and tho Ciutha ond would probably be finished in about.two years. ■ treliminaa-J provLion for authorisation had bben made already. All Otago's railway troubks I wSd be fixed up in about six months wrth tiie exception of the Cathns Lino, and when it came down to that one thoy would be | abo to have good understanding.