PICTON-CHRISTCHURCH RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 251, 17 July 1920, Page 8

PICTON-CHRISTCHURCH RAILWAY

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. (From Our Special Correspondent.) „„ Blenheim, July 13, . Iho urgency of the need lor completing tho Koutu Island Main Trunk railway between Picton and Christchurch will be the subject of a largo deputation to tho Minister of Public Works next Monday morning. Three provinces -Manuorough, Wellington and Canterbury—will be represented, and possibly Otago. Tiie Marlborough Progress Cornnutteo has sought the aid of neighbouring provinces in this matter and endeavoured nl6o to get a symposium •of opinion from members of Parliament. Up to date, thirteen members have expressed a willingness to support the pushing-on of tho line, of which only SO-odd miles remain to bo completed, while there have been no refusals: This section of the South Island Trunk Lino has hung fire for so long, that tho general public imagines there must be insuperable engineering difficulties to be overcome. It is like the odium which attaches to a house that is said to bo haunted: once an individual appears who is bold enough to break down the superstition, tho matter is soon -cleared up. The individual in tin's ease, it is considered, should be Iho new Minister of Public Works, who is young in the political as well as persona] sense, and so should be free from prejudice and superstition. While Marlborough lias been the moving spirit in tho present agitation, the building of the line, as Mr. T. K. Sidey pointed out in promising his support, is essentially a national matter. At present the trunk railway system of New Zealand is incomplete, and has been incomplete for fifteen years, by SO miles, a ridiculous state of affairs when it is remembered that at its northern end is the port of Picton, at present little more than a landing place, but capable of expansion into one of the finest ports in the world: and at its southern end the city of Christchurch.

Another objection put forward by nion of other provinces is that 'his line would open up no land. On the contrary, between Whnranui. the present railhead in the north, to Clarence River, less than half-way across the incomplole portion, no rf«s than 4U.D00 acres of leasehold ami, freehold land will be brought into touch with the . world. Travellers along tho coast road cannot see this land which lies along the Urn, Kckerangu, and Clarence Valleys. Tt is there, nevertheless, and will carry scores of settlers when nroper communication is provided. The whole ennso of Marlborough's backwardness is lack of proper communication. The belief here is that the building of this 80 miles of line will be like turning n key in a lock, and opening not .one door, but half-a-dozen, for where there is a trunk railway branch roads and proper steamer services must follow.