The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 12874, 25 July 1906, Page 4

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1906.

Tnn Premier was not in a very complaisant mood yesterday. His utterOtsgo anccs were unnecessarily orIlailiTayß. ocular, and the deputations that waited upon him had no cause for effusive gratitude. No doubt there is apt to lie a resemblance between the average deputation and the daughters of the horse-leech: “ give, give,” is the invariable cry; and a Minister does well to stand on tho defensive, provided that he does not turn a deaf ear to reasonable representations, Mr Hall-Jones did not sufficiently observe the proviso yesterday. He overdid the defensive part of his duty and allowed caution to get the better of generous boldness. We have already commented npon the unsatisfactory character of his reply to the request for Government assistance in the matter of Dr Hockcu’s library, but we take occasion to say again that the people of Dunedin will have ground for serious complaint if the Ministry do not promptly adopt a more rational attitude. Nor can it be add that the Premier quite fulfilled fair expectations in dealing with the subject of railway construction in Otago. True, we are not disposed to take exception To the general trend of his remarks on the position of the Otago Central Railway. The irreconcilable enthusiasts of the League tried hard to induce him to promise that the work of construction should be continued beyond Clyde without pause; but he was too canny for them, and they had to be content with a reminder that “ before the hue “got to Clyde there would bo plenty of “time to consider what to do afterwards.” We could wish that the Premier had frankly told the League that Clyde must be regarded, as a terminus for the time being—at least until appreciable progress had been made with ib© formation of other Otago lines. It is true that some of his words pointed, more or less vaguely, in this direction. He reminded the deputation that a great deal of money had been spent on the Otago Central, while anxious settlers in other parts of tho province had been bearing hardships in the forlorn hope of securing railway communication, and lie asked whether these settlers did not deserve some consideration. Timber was being destroyed in the Tahakopa Valley for want of railway facilities, “ and that part of the Gatlin River line had got to be finished.” So far so good, but Mr Hall-Joncs was not courageous enough to state the logical conclusion in so many words, though we are convinced that the Central Railway League will have to face that conclusion in due course. With due respect to Mr Jolly, who declared that “the “opposition to the extension of the line he“yond Clyde came from a very small por“tiou of the community,” we believe that a preponderance of public opinion in Dunedin favors the policy of temporary cessation we have suggested; and it. may be observed in passing that the advocates of the opposite policy are driven to making exaggerative statements regarding the necessities of tho Hawea settlers. The Catlins folic would be happy if they were half as well off. The Otago Central Railway League must not suppose that the opponents of their view arc lacking in devotion to the general cause of provincial progress, or even in knowledge of actual conditions. ]t might be wished that the members of the League, in their turn, would take the Premier’s counsel and recognise “ the claims of other parts of Otago to more consideration.” Tho pity is that Mr Hali-Jones did not speak still more plainly. Unfortunately, in spite of what he had said to the first deputation, the Premier gave rather cold comfort to the Patlin River Railway League at a subsequent interview'. The League’s case was presented in a very convincing fashion by Mr Thomas Mackenzie, Mr Chisholm, and other members, Hr Mackenzie emphasising the point that “for every pound expended on this line “there was a greater prospect of immediate “return in the way of interest and scttle“ment than there would be in any other part of the Colony.” The League recently passed a resolution urging the Government to place a sum of £75,000 on the Estimates in order to further the energetic prosecution of the line. The Premieriwill not hear of this request. “A grant of £75,000 was out of the question alto- “ gather. The League would not get anything lilce it. They would get son|c“thing,” etc. Now, to he candid, we did not expect £75,000. Two-thirds of thab amount would be a reasonable grant, but Mr Hall-Jones's words—“not anything like it”—seem to point to a still smaller figure. This is not a satisfactory prospect, and we hope that the Otago members of Parliament will make representations calculated to secure a more liberal provision. If there is to bo a pause in Central Otago, there must be concentrated activity at Catlins. On no account must the Government be allowed to take the pause without the compensating activity. Perhaps, before the year’s votes aro allocated, this part of the Colony may be more effectively represented in tho Cabinet than is tho case at present.