SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 253, 20 July 1920, Page 6

SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS

"CINDERELLA" PROVINCE COMPLAINT FROM MARLBOROUGH INVIDIOUS COMPARISONS A -request for the early completion of the South Island Main Trunk line to connect the short length of Marlborough line with the main South Island railway system was mndo by a deputation of the Marlborough Progress League and representatives of .local'bodies in the district, which waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works yesterday. The reqnost was supported by Cantorbury and Otago members of Parliament. Mr. 11. M'Callum. M.P., introducing the deputation, said that they belonged to a district through which the last portion of the South Island Main Trunk fine was to run, a line which had been projected by Sir Julius Vogel in 1870, and they h'ad come to urge the early completion of tho line. It was not their function to put their line before any other line in the country, but they did ask Hint the Government should do justice, to the requirements of the district regarding this small portion of line. For Through Traffic. Mr. E. H. Pcnney, chairman of tho South Island Main Trunk Railway Eengue, said that he was appearing as a member of this deputation for the "n"th time. All that tho deputation claimed was thnt the line should be remembered" along with the other Main Trunk lines of the Dominion. There was no doubt about the impression in the minds of some people that this line was going to be a kind of dead-end railway, but this was not at all tho case. There were great areas of land along the route which were capable of development for soldier settlement, and he mentioned among them the Clarence Vnlloy. He urged principally as the justification of the demand for tho railway that if it were completed the South Island would be connected with tho North with a ferrv service which would really deal with the needs of the country. Marlborough, ho said, was a kind ot Cinderella province. They wanted tho Government to find the glass slipper, and . put the province on an equaTTry with other provinces in the Dominion. In thf> meantime thev would ask the Prime Minister to repeat his promise of a year A"o—that- he considered the line to be a°Main Trunk line, and that so soon as construction on the line could be commenced, it would be continued to completion. Other Ministers of Publio Works hnd told them in previous years that they would finish the lailway. Costs of the Gap. Mr. S. Andrews (Kaikoura) said that in the. interests of the viiole country the hue should have been finished long ago. U'hcre hnd been a time, when the Prime Minister was in the cold shades of opposition, when he had been p-escnt as a member of a deputation to urge the completion of this line, lie lelieved that the Prime Minister would curry out his previous promises, and help in the cilorc to have this lino j.ushcd tiuough. H<* believed that the people of tho country were beginning lo realise that the chief need of the present was to concentrate on the lines at preseut under ccngtnustion—that a great waste of money and effort was involved in tfco arrying on of a number of lines which could not be operated until <omp'wted. Tho main reason to be urged ior tho (.ompletion of this line was that it would he used for through traffic by people from Auckland to tho Bluff. Tho country to be opened up by tho line was some of the finest agricultural and pastoral land in the Dominion. Marlborough 6'hecp were accounted to be of the highest quality, and periodically when drought* occurred in Marlborough, drafts of sheep had to be driven to Canterbury. A long drive of sheep entailed great lota to the owners of them, and it was not in the iutorests of tho country that, losses of this description should bo made. He was sure that the lino would pay for itself from the surrounding

country, apart altogether from tho national questions involved. Mr. Massey: What is tho length of tho gap ? ifr. Andrews said that the gap was of soino eighty miles, but there was a distance ot easy construction between Wharanui and Kaikoura that should be pushed on at tho earliest possible moment. As to some of the other portion, admittedly the construction was difficult, and this had held up construction. No detuned survey of this had been mado yet, and he would suggest that the Government send some of its engines to make this detailed survey in order that the peoplo concerned might know exactly where they were. A Vote Unexpended, Mr. W. J. Girling said that last year Sir William b'raser had promised them that a substantial sum would bo provided on tho Estimates for this line. They had been rather disappointed with the vote of .£15,000, but they would have been more satisfied if even this amount had been expended. Not a penny of it hud been expended. They believed that there were many linos in the North Island being built, hundreds of men bciug employed on somo of them. In these conditions they could not accept the Btattmenf tbat there wero no men available in the country for railway construction. Tho probabilities appeared to bo that there would bo men available shortly for these works, and in view of tbis they asked that tho Government would inform them as to whether they considered this lino of sufficient importance to push on with it. Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., supported the claims of tho deputation. He said ho understood that the Government could not satisfy everybody, but the Main Trunk lines of the country should havo first call. While not a penny of the

if 5,000 voted for this railway last year mul been expended, hundreds of men lint been emyloyed on other lines, and two-thirds of the men had been employed in tne Auckland province. Mr,' G. Forbes, M.P., said that he had been interested in the agitation for this lino and in its' construction from Waitnrn northwards. What they wished was a definite pronouncement from the Government as to the policy to bo followed in connection with the lino. Thoy had noted that Mr. Coates had 6tateil that he intended to classify tho lines of the Dominion-, and to go on with them according to their importance. He hoped that in doing this Mr; Coates would not forget the importance of this line. An Aucklander's View, Speeches in support of the demand for the railway were made by Mr. G. Witty and Mr. T. K. Sidey. Mr. H. Poland, who was present, was called upon as an Auckland member. Mr. Mnssey greeted bis announcement with "hear, hear," but Mr. Poland would have nothing to say about the- railway "I bave como hero entirely for information," he said. "I know that you in the South Island have always in the past defeated tho demands of the Auckland province to get justice, and I havo come hero to-day to get inside knowledge as to how you havo dono it. I am very pleased that I accepted tho invitation to be present hero to-day."

Mr! M'Callum: But you support the railway? Mr. Poland: I have quite an opMi mind nt present. Mr. M'Cnllum, in a final word, asked Hint the unauthorised portion of the lino srnuld 'bo authorised as soon as possible!.