OTAGO RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 592, 21 August 1909, Page 7

OTAGO RAILWAYS.

ANOTHER DEPUTATION. ' • " TOO MANY LINES IN HAND." (liy Tolccrapb'.—l'reng Asaoelallon.) Dunedln, August 20. ■The Hon. It. M'Kenzio mot a deputation of Dunedin residents this morning in connection with the Lawrenee-Koxburgh railway.. In introducing tho deputation, Mr. J. F. Arnold, "M.P., said the people held that tho question of routes sliould not now bo introduced. Experienced men knew very well that if the Government could get members to fight over a question liko this, it was the best oxcuso they could get for hanging it up for a number of yoars until tho Government could boo their way to undertake it. The deputation and' thoso they, "represented thought the question of route was settled' onoo and for allj and that tho Government should stato its intentions as to the lino, eo that the people interested would know whit eourso to follow. The wonder was wliy the lino should have boon constructed to tho present point if it was not going to pay when completed, because, the Government had surely nisde inquiries before commencing. If the Government were short of funde they should say eo, in regard to this line as well as'.otbers, ana sny'that it,was intended to ston in the meantime, hut that it was intended to eventually go on. The o-tlier speakers wero Messrs. A. Bathgate, A. .Moritason, .ajid W. J. Tonkin. The last-named spoke about' the fruit-growing capabilities of tho district, and said everything in regard to development depended on the railway. . ..-■■' The Minister said the speakers for the 'deputation seemed to imagine that it was the duty of the Government to construct railways if they had been authorised, no matter what the result wonld cost the taxpayers. They might have had Governments like that, but they would find it difficult to persuade this Government to act in such a way.' The deputation wondered how: the La-wrenct-Roxburgh 'work had been reduced Tho speaker had been chiefly responsible for the rate. of expenditure, and! the railway had not yet beon stopped. There wero ..still fifty men on . the .■ works. Personally he .thought it was premature to make' any railway at all. The present position was, that tbo fruit export from tho Roxburgh; and Beaumont districts last year was 1240 tons, 1190 of. which went to Edievalo tnd 51 to Lawrence at. present.. Any other business on the line would be' very small indeed- compared, with that of other railways. As for Otago railways generally, there wore three sections just at' finishing point, and another that would be finished in twelve months. The trouble was that they had been making railways. ahead of public requirements, or, at least, extending them ahead of those requirements. He had no hesitation in saying that when a railway was made tho L&wrence-Beaumont-Roxburgh route was i tho best, jand within the next few years it should be pushed on to Beaumont. He was not responsible for the position, but he should have said the route tip Clutha Valley would have been the -natural w»j of opening tip that part. It was too late,' however, to think over thoso matters now. Hβ had no, doubt the line would be < continued, but whether it would be continued this year or not be was not in ia position to say. to-day.' , The' reason it was stopped was because they had t<lo many lines in hand, and there was no urgency in this case. , It. there had been, it would not have b««n stopped. It was simply stopped because too.many lines were going on. The Government had. , to curtail expenditure and reorganise the staff, te enablo thorn to. oarry, on raihray construction and other public wbrks that had to be carried outi-The report he got was that the population of tho district would have to bo multiplied four times, and/the produce eight times before the railway would pay. •• Personally, ho was satisfied when the railway was mado'it would be made by way of Bdaumont. There was too much money spent on it to divert it in any. otheT direction. . When they made a frailway they expected a reasonable return. Take Auckland province and compare it with'Otaco and Canterbury, and they would find thoro was a ereat deal in the grievances of tho Auckland press, the representatives of the people, and tho people themselves. ;He recognised, after. travelling all oyer New Zealand, , .that in connection• with railway construction, they-had certainly-a-legitimate grievance in Auckland. They had a country that would support a railway in many' directions, -and it would' tako sonio ■years beforo they could get railways'there. In conclusion, the Minister said the stoppage tvas not-intended to be permanent.