CATLIN RAILWAY LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 12418, 3 February 1905, Page 7

CATLIN RAILWAY LEAGUE

At yesterday’s meeting of the Executive (Mr Geo. Fenwick in the chair) the Secretary (Mr J. B. Waters) read a copy of his letter (already published) to the *Prcmier add the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, and a reply from the Under-Secretary of Public Works stating that the League’s representations regarding the necessity for pushing on formation works and providing employment for those in the district requiring it would receive the earliest consideration of the Government. But as nothing had been done, he again wrote to the Public Works Department asking what steps were to be taken, but he had received no reply so far. o£e following letter from Mr J. Cooper, of Batanm, uhder date January 31 was read:—" l !! reply to your letter of the mst, wishing to know if there are any signs of progress on the new section, I am very sorry to have to report that there has been nothing done to it further than the flying survey that Mr Dobson did when he started here at first.* Mr > tewart, who was sent here to fill Mr Dobsons place, started out at the M’Lennan River, and is still there. As far as I can ascertain, he seems to have some t,Ti n-n a S rade westerly from Table Hill Saddle up the Mlennan River to get through Mouat’s Saddle, the difficulty being the broken, and rough country to go through. But I think—now the route is decided upon from the Gatlin River terminus as far as Table Hill Saddle, that is a distance of somewhere about ten mues it is a great pity that we cannot get another section started, as it wou’d nxv to the settlers up the Oatlin River and Houipapa in getting away posts, props, firewood, eta, where, as now, owing to the condition of the roads, they nave to abandon such ideas and look for a living elsewhere. There aro a lot of settlers here now out of work, and T am sure they would all be pleased to see the line go ahead, so that they could get employment nearer home than'goin" elsewhere to look for it. The road works in this district are very poor for the workmen, as there is only a few chains of metalling done here and there, and when the least rain falls they arc knocked off because of the cutting up of the roads, and usually the vote for such works is eaten up before the work is nearly completed; hence the impassable roads' That your League will be successful in getting another section started ns soon as possible is the wish of the settlers in this district.” Mr J. Craig, of Owaka, writing on January 31, said: I have to report that there are no signs of further progress bv way of starting the bush-felling for a further extension of the line. I trust that repeated representations will be made to the member to commence the bush-felling work. The _ prospecting indications of good coal being found near Owaka are very satisfactory, and in the near future this branch line has the prospect of an increased traffic through this find, which fact should give greater encouragement to the members of the League to vigorously push for a further extension.”

Mr Craig forwarded several samples of the coal, and one piece appared to be good, hard, black coal, hut the other samples crumbled easily. In reply to Mr. Moss, the Secretary said he had drawn the attention of the Mints ter to the fact that if the next section of the line were not commenced now no work could be done before the end of the winter.

■Mr Fenwick said it seemed to him that the League &hould not cease to remind the Government of the urgent necessity there was for proceeding with the formation and construction works. The line was being treated with almost contemptuous indifference by the Government, and the same procedure was being adopted in regard to the Otago Central, after the Premier’s definite promises at Omalcau. The secretary' should write again expressing the League’s disappointment that no steps were being taken by the Public Works Department to take advantage of the summer weather to prosecute this work.

On the motion of Mr Moss, it was resolved to write to the Public Works Department regretting that no intimation had yet been received of the Government’s decision in respect to prosecution of formation work on the line.

It was also decided to write to the City and Clutha parliamentary representatives and Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R.. requesting them to individually press the matter upon the attention of the Public Works Department.