THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

Evening Star, Issue 9471, 16 August 1894, Page 1

THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

I It is very clear from the report of the interview with Ministers on Tuesday that there is little hope •of the construction of the Otago Central Railway being pushed forward with accelerated speed. As much as can be expected is that it will " drag its slow length along," as during past years, and may bo completed in another quarter of a century. The Premier, who is also Minister of Public Works, is manifestly hostile; whilst the silence of the Colonial Treasurer at the interview is somewhat ominous as to his views upon the subject, since the susEicion cannot be avoided that he w«rid not e inclined to go out of his way to facilitate the communications of the interior of Otago with the port of Dunedim The members representing the provincial district in the House, wo arc pleased to note, display a general inclination—we wish we could say determination—to forward the line; but, on the part of several, it is evident they hang upon the Ministerial lips, and are in deadly apprehension of giving cause for offence, whilst a distinctly discordant uoto was struck by Mr Larnach, who resurrectionised the Heriot extension, and thus put arms into the hands of Mr Seddon which ho was not slow to use. The advantage of the extension of the line to the Teviot is not of course to bo denied ; but it is not of such urgent importance as the carrying forward tho Otago Central, nor does the work stand at all on the same basis, as having been authorised years ago, and money appropriated for it, which has unfortunately been devoted to other purposes ; whilst settlement has proceeded on the strength of these appropriations. It requires "a strong pull, a long pull, and pull all together" on the part of our members and the whole community to get the Otago Central proceeded with; ami if energy be directed in favor of different projects, however excellent each may be, the result assuredly will be that little or nothing will be accomplished. We are unable to arrive at any other conclusion than that the intention of the Government is to " dilly dally" and dawdle with the Central Otago railway construction, just keeping it going as a means of employing cooperative butty-gangs and staving off the "unemployed" trouble. It is signiiicant that, whilst under the newly declared financial policy millions are to be borrowed, not a penny of the money is proposed to be devoted to public works ; whilst we have the word of the Premier himself to the effect that he would not care if £5 further was not expended on railways! In his treatment of and attitude towards the deputation on Tuesday the Premier made it very evident that he feels quite secure of the support of those Otago members who have been hitherto loyal—even to the extent of servility—to tho Ministry. If he did not treat their representations with the indifference of contempt, it was something very near it. Under all circumstances, we have no confidence that these honorable gentlemen will demonstrate a "stiff back" on the question. History is likely to repeat itself in the "enemies" of Otago being those "of her own household." There will bo protests possibly against insufficient appropriations for the line, but no action of a kind likely to influence the Government will bo taken. Mr Seddon will laugh in his sleeves at the protests, fully realising what they are worth, and proceed in his own way. Were $lO matter not of such vital import to this city and district it would be diverting to consider the lengthy reply of Mr Seddon, as fully reported in our issue of Tuesday. After fencing all round with the arguments adduced, he stated, "as showing the earnestness of the Government," that they had*actually authorised the expenditure of £9,000 to complete the formation on both' sides of the projected tunnel just beyond Hyde, "as recommended by Mr Ussheb"!" What earthly use this expenditure will be, except to furnish a few co-operative contracts, wo are at a loss to conceive. The want of the tunnel effectually stops the way, and there is further the Taicri to be bridged—a work for which considerable time must be required to provide the necessary material. The £9,000, as a matter of fact, is to be expanded for purposes practically political; and the Premier had the audacity to affirm that the authorisation of this expenditure was a complete " answer to tho statement that " the Government were not pushing on the "line at a sufficiently rapid rate"! Tho Minister of Lands, possibly quite satisfied with tho mischief he has effected by his speech at Hyde, posed, it may be noted, at the interview as a sort of friend of the line, admitting that a number of settlers in the districts through which the route is projected had taken up land on the understanding that it would be completed within a reasonable time. Soft speaking from such a source naturally engenders suspicion his "fine ..words" are likely to "butter no parsnips" ! He persists in his statement as to the extent of land available _ for small settlements, and is at least disingenuous in regard to the large areas held under pastoral lease, which, he declares, cannot be brought under agricultural occupation during the currency of those leases. He is, of course, perfectly aware that tho Crown can resume such lands, if required for settlement, at any time on giving the statutory notice ; and that in the majority of cases no compensation is legally required to be made in consequence of the determination of the lease. His estimate of 50,000 acres immediately available is, moreover, entirely under the mark, and does not include a* all the country above Alexandra, which is especially suitable for mixed farming and for fruit growing. We have frequently pointed out, moreover, that Mr M'Kenzie and his colleague the Premier ignore altogether the resources other than purely agricultural of the far interior. They would seem to have no other idea in their heads than planting communities of impoverished peasants here, there, and everywhere, -and this they are pleased to call " settling the country," as, indeed, it would be in one sense. The Premier did net refer to the Betterments Bill now before Parliament, and intended no doubt to be passed. Since under this measure freeholders and occupiers of Crown lands under lease or license will have to contribute pretty smartly to the construction of railways which increase the value of their property, the favorite argument of the public money being expended for their special benefit falls to the ground, whilst the Treasury will be relieved to the extent of their contributions. All lands traversed by sections of the Otago Central not yet constructed will come under the Bill.