WESTLAND'S WANTS

Evening Star, Issue 12395, 7 January 1905, Page 6

WESTLAND'S WANTS

THE MIDLAND REQUIRES VIGOROUS PROSECUTION. TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION WITH THE BACK BLOCKS. HOKTJL'IKA, January 7.' Tho Premier, replying to a deputation last night, stated that it was necessary for him to return to Wellington, at once owing to important Cabinet duties, including the setting up of the land and other commissions. The Government intend to ask Parliament next session for a special grant to carry telephones to the back blocks. The Agent-General will be instructed to obtain an additional submarine mining engineer for the colony. Speaking on the Midland Railway, Mr Seddon said that it should have been completed five or six years ago. The colony had been retarded for years through delayp arising from the original contract. He spoke of the indifference of the Canterbury people to this great work, wliich would be of great service to the East Coast and to the whole colony. It Btood on an equal footing with the North Island Trunk. His .view was that the Midland lino had not had proper attention in the past, and he had no hesitation in expressing that opinion. He hoped for the early completion of the Staircase Gully section, but at the present rate of progress it would take four years to complete that section. He hoped that Parliament would provide the funds to complete tiat portion of the line within two years at most. The flow of traffic betweon the two coasts would surprise them. Dealing with prospecting, he urged-that the local bodies should set aside a portion of their goldfields revenue each year for the Fpecific ,work of prospecting, and asked the' local bodies to suggest alterations in the existing mining regulations in order to facilitate prospecting generally. Westland had a .great future in store when it unearthed ber mineral deposits. The Premier left this morning for Greymouth via Stafford, Goldsborough, arid Kumara.