OTAGO'S NEEDS.

Evening Star, Issue 13003, 24 December 1906, Page 5

OTAGO'S NEEDS.

".it Roxburgh on the cveranc of the X'th inst. Mr M. Cohen gave an address on the above subject, under the auspices of the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway League. The local AtJienajum was well" attended, considering that it was the lato business, night, and Mr John Bennetts (member of the Tnapeka Council) presided in the unavoidable absence of tho mayor of tho borough. Mr C'ohpn prefaced liis remarks by saying that his original intention was to have delivered his address on the above theme, having special reference to tho aucstion of acquiring land for closer settlement, to the people of Miller's Flat on the previous Saturday, but an important engagement prevented him from carrying out that axrangemenU In tho interval it was agreed that it would be better if he made Roxburgh his objective, and he willingly consented. He had to thank tho Miller's Flat residents for temporarily releasing him from his engagement to them, but ho purposed carrying it out before he left the colony, as he was desirous of meeting them face to face. Though ' Otago"s Needs and How They Should bo Met* was what, he intended to speak upon, ho tliought bis address would bo more fittingly entitled ' Otago's Peril, and How to Avert Tt." Those who read their 'Hansards' and the daily papers were familiar with tho discussions in the House towards the close of last session concorning Otago's treatment in respect to railway appropriations. When the Public Works Statement came down and tho allocations were published, the fooling throughout- Otago was unquestionably one of dissatisfaction and indignation, and that feeling was voiced by tho Dunodin papers when they declared that this provincial distrirt had not been treated with justice. -And be trusted, before resumiug his seat, to convince his hearers by tho weight of solid, indisputable facts, that tin* allegation of

—Unjust Treatment of Ot.'igo—hid been provod to tin 1 very hilt. It was th>'. great misfortune of this provincial district that it had never been able to confront tho Treasury benches with a solid phalanx like. Auckland, which moved as on© nan whoa anything .ifTci'tii'ig the F.ir North was threatened, .'r with the deter- j miration of Canterbury in relation to the Midland Railway, for instance. There was at iho outset of the last session some pretence on the part of the (),ago members to speak and act unitedly for once, but the performance p.ovor r.\':>pd expectations. When the Public Works proposals were debated then? was, it was true, sonio measure of outspokenness ;:> ;o the manner in which Otago wa.s beitt'j treated, but was the criticism sincere or convincing? The numbers for C'lutha. Bruce, Dunedin Nortli, Dunodin South, Caver-sham, Waikouaiti, Mount Ida, and Wakatipu took a hand in the debate, but the only ones who could br said to havj appreciated the gravity of the situation were Me.-'srsThos. Mackenzie (whose wholesome criticism was deserving r,f commendation I. Sidey, and Jas Allen. Wakatipu. cheeped by the Ministerial pronouncement of an intention ;•> perseverewith the construction of the. Oi;igo Central till Hawea was reached, endorsed the Ministerial proposals, and discountenanced abuse of the Minister of Works and the Government: while Mount Ida was similarly complacent, and for the same reason. Otago's protest had boon ineffective, because it was not whole-hearted : and as it was of do use to cry spilt milk our people must confine to rankle under a sense of injustice, and endeavor to make the most of the existing situation —see that the appropriations sanctioned by Parliament were fully expended during the current year. There was apparently no difficulty in doing that in Tespect to certain railways. Why. then, should it be impracticable in respectto Otago railways? When the session was over the Premier hurried to his constituents, in order to put before them and the coUmv the Ministerial answer to the complaints of the people of Otago. Primarily, said Sir Joseph, it was an " astounding craze" on the part of the two Dunedin dailies, as if the note of discontent were heard in Dunedin alone, to assume that tho rJcvemment were in any way hostile to this province; and he proceeded to show by an imposing catalogue of figures that —All-round Justice—was the motto of his Administration. The rremier'e contention was of a threefold nature. First, that the Government had provided the abnormally large sum of £2.200.000 for expenditure on public works during the current year; second, that a. vigorous and progressive public works policy had been undertaken; and thrrd, that "Otagi was receiving more money for public works than any other district in New Zealand." Figures, as they knew, could be made to prove almost anything, and in this instance a great mass of figures had been imported into tho argument for the purpose of showing that the Dunedm Press were lost to all sense of national considerations, while the Otago members were Twice encouraged by the aforesaid wicked to" gird at a Government who SMaktag tie money at their disposal co round crraitaMy- Tiic f* ° £ T equitable allocation could only be properly tiled br instituting a complete comparison of all the allocattons to each P™™"" rliSriet But Sir Joseph had not vouchSfcdto do that. Hehad tickled the ears *f a audience with al re«tal of figures that, if they prowsd anything, showed tbat —Otaao was the Curly-headed Boy—„f New Zealand To think other- „ 3« to "do a gross injustice to tho for to' say contwngrossly unfair" to the angels wto mastered bo" beneficently to the pro- **?? 1 ?» n *ffid TbeTwcre invited to bftS-wKe' assertion

-"Otago Was Bomg \«y W«H. K-n the people of Otago were painfull} ■when U» F*«>P , of diminishing conaaooa of oss «* ffieS'powers of propopulation, and ot i« ant ~. I ,w rce to tire ES&o- due >m no «*« wooer .in jh£i * Jfc m S^r ,S of Estimate „ ; ffilr cot dawn ; the Civil &m« had Ktait to an all-wood 10 per cent r Auction in silaries: and <apewlihad to be. wrioudT ambled.- I hose 4ere davs of national bumdiation. and heroic reimvlios (for which tho name M Sir H. Atkinson wntiM always be gratefully remembered) had io be resorted to. Ihe financial credit of tho colony was saved, and its financial equilibrium restored. >or fhonld it be- forgotten that, when m 1900 the ooontrv awoke from its lethargy and threw off the vote of Conservatism, changiiiT ectirelv the incidence of its taxation, and revolving to ptuwie a policy of selficTianco in regard to public wte. tlio expenditure on railways, roads, etc., imder the late John BalUnce. wholly and cotjiplv met out of revenue. "With the passing of Ballance the colony reverted to a. poller of borrowing for the contraction of its railways, for tho opening tip of its -undeveloped 'interior, for the con&trnction of Toads, for the promotion, of schemes of State Socialism, and for tie. acquisition of -private lands on which to sefctlo oar landless people. In his (the speaker's) opinion, ft was

—A Wise Departure,— had been, amply supported by events. The population had substantially increased ; a wave of prosperity, which had never rolled back, despite vaticinations of croak•re and political Jeremiahs, had swept over the land : our national assets and our private wealth had been enhanced; the productiveness of the- country had been etimuiated in divere directions; and in every wav the recourse to judicious borrowing had been justified. The Premier was only repeating a truism when be said that "a pounUr should not so in for a larger

amount of borrowed money for railways aixl roads-than its present population warranted." and he fixed -the limit of our borrowing for thee© purposes at ono million, sterling per annum. A judicious resolve; but was it invaiiablv acted on! In 1902 the colony had not gained hugely by accessions to her population, yet it was deemed prudent to exceed the limit of safety by three-quarters of a million, for in that year the Ministry brought down a Loan Bill for 1J millions. But —Circumstances Alter Cases, — for we wore then, on the- eve of a General Election, and the- temperament of tho constituencies had to bo studied scientifically. To prove that Otago (including Southland) was still the pampered pet of tho colony, the Premier had chosen tho decade from 1895-1906, and on a recent occasion had shown that in theso ten years Otago had received £1,012.428 (of which £816,540 was expended on railwav construction), while Southland obtained £385,919 (including £208,874 for her railways).' Thee Sir Joseph elaborated, and showed that during the financial vear ended March 31, 1895, Otac-o received £50,185 (of which £39,446 was° .spent on railwav?) ; in 1906 she received £127.036 (£108,843 being for railway*) ; while Southland obtained £30,514 (£l3 108 for railwavs) in 1895 and £27,840 (£7 029 for railways) in 1896. What was the object ia pitting Otago and Southland asraiiwt one another, or in choosing a term of v-ears that did not fairly illustrate the point at issue? The Durcdin Press had been accused of

—Distorting the Facts. —

Well lie had no intention of doing fo, nor did he dcsiio to put the Ministry iu any falso position. Ho was a Liberal by conviction; lie was well-disposed towards the Ministry as a whole, for among them wc.rcinanv of Ins personal friends; he had for vears advocated nranv of the planks of the 'vlinistorial programme; and ho yielded to no one in ins Tcspect for the personality and admiration of the business capa"*? and administrative capabilities of the Premier himself. But none of tho considerations would cloje his mouth against giving utterance to the convictions of lus nuixl, arrived at onlv after mature and exhaustive •reflection. It" was with the deepest regrt-t that he found Sir .Joseph and himself at variance on this issue, but there was no possibility of bitterness or rancor being imported into the discussion, so far as ho was corcerned, and lie felt sure that whatever tho outcome mieht bo their mutual fcelmgs would undergo no change. Sir Joseph, as bead of the Administration, would pursue tho course he deemAl right in the interests of the colony ; lie for his part would continne to battle for

Otago Receiving Her Just Due.— Th» Premier's position would luivo been understandable if his figures had made comTM.ri<or.s between tho several provincial districts, and he would have been more convincing if they had dealt only with the period covered by the resumption ot the borrowing policy. He had himself searched tho Blue Books and produced figures obtained therefrom to show how- the various provinces had been dealt with, smoe 1900 in the matter of railway construction, lhe public must form their own conclusions, tor he preferred to let the subjoined figures s]>eak for themselves, merely Tomarkmg that they were official:

Tho outstanding features of this return were (1) tho scrupulous closeness of expenditure to allocations during tho year preceding a General Election—to wit, the" years 1902 and 1905; (2) tha excess expenditures over allocations on rkw Xorth Island Trunk, the Midland, and West Coast Hues; and (5) the proportion of expenditure to -votes on the Otago lines in general. In 1902 the railways in the Auckland district absorbed only . £4,450 short of the fall appropriations, while in 1905 their were £4.120 in excess. In 1302 tho North. Island Trunk was only £3,000 below the actual vote; in 1905 it ■was £11,900 short, bat for seven years tho expenditure ms within 75 per cent, of the gross appropriations. In the South Idand the Blenbara-Awaiere section was specially fortunate. In 1902 its expenditure exceeded the vote by £3,800, and in 1905 it was within £I,BOO of tho allocation. Out of a total grant of £286,000 during the seven years an expenditure of «£216,350 was a. remarkably good showing. Tho Midland line was not m great favor apparently till three vears ago. In 1904 and 1905, however, it came well up to the appropriations, ana last year the vote was exceeded by £17,700, with substantial contingent liabili-

' ties carried forward to this year's vote. In Weetland tho figures stood out so eonspicuooMy as to require no explanation ! whatever. Otago and Southland, for. a- time | were comforted with huge appropriations, ; but tho expenditure was rarely over 50 per cent of the appropriations, except on tho | eve of the. General Election of 1902, when I there, was a big spurt, followed by a huge ! drop in tho succeeding year. There was aj decided improvement in 1904 and 1905 m respect to expenditure, but we had to be content in both years with diminished votes. Last year the combined vote was £133,000, of which a trifle over 50 per cent, was expended. On the Otago Central there were big outlays in front of both General Elections but the average of expenditure to allocations had been 60 per cent, during tho seven years, while on the Catlins lino the outlav had been under 50 per cent. Nothing could" illustrate his argument better than to contrast the treatment of the Catlins with tho Hokitika-Ross line. Both traversed virgin bush country, tapped sparsely-settled districts, and, each was urgently required for the encouragement of settlement. South .Westland had better roads than Catlins, but the former was riddled by quick-rising and dangerous because unbridged rivers. But without railway communication both were veritable terra "incognitas, because the settlers were completely cut off from obtaining markets by sea carriage. On the Catlins line the expenditure during the last four years had been £25,530, out of a total appropriation of £53,000; -while, on the Hokitika-Ross lino £7,250 (out of £10.000) was expended in 1903; £27,070 (£IO,OOO voted) in 1904; ,£17,200 (£15,000 voted) in 1905; and £17,090 (£20,000 voted) in 1906, but there were also £7,000 of contingent liabilities. Thus in threw years the Boss vote was exceeded to the tune of £13,610, while Catlins was underspent by £27.570 in four years. Furthermoio, in 1906 the Midland was charged with £18,560 of contingent liabilities, Otago Central with £3,780. Catlins with £3,240, and the Roxburgh line with about £9OO. So much for the railway votes and tho manner of their expenditure. Let tliem now examine the matter from another standpoint, viz : —The Distribution of Co-operative La!»r. — During 1905 the railway works of the colony absorbed 30,803 men,; this year (with a. month to be counted) tho number had risen to 51.397, but," of conrsc, there were, some new lines in hand. But as tho table subjoined would show the main increases were on the Northern Trunk and Midland :

—A Kc\v Railway Policy.— Tho Premier told tlio colony that it -was making a mistake in. trying to make too many Tailways at one time. Tliat w.'is no new idea with Sir Joseph ; ho had preached that doctrine on many platforms, but while Mr Seddon lived there was no chance of giving effect to it, because tlio late Premier differed widely from his able lieutenant on this vital point of policy. Mr Soddon's opinion was declared frequently and emphatically >n favor of making railways as fast as the finances of tho colony permitted wlwTever they were calculated to piomoto settlement, for a-fter all tho railway was only a superior form of macadamised road. Six Josephs star was now in the ascendant, and he was in a position to dictate tho future railway policy of the country. Reading between tho lines of recent Ministerial delivcrajices. Sir Joseph contemplated only three arterial railways, and in his opinion their relative order should be: Northern Trunk (to be completed in 1908); the Midland ; and the Otago Central. It was as clear as the noonday sun that tho expenditure on tl>e Northern Trunk -was to proceed at the rate of at least £250,000 a year till completion, and thero was to be no slacking off in expenditure on the Midland till that stupendous work—tho Otira tunnel—was begun. But onoe begun, when would it end, and what would bo tho bill for piercing those 7Jg miles of formidable country? It would take years to tunnel through the Southern Alps "at that place, and the cost ■would bo appalling. Then (if the Ministry had really made up their minds on tho subject) the Otago Central was to be continued to Ha-wea. at a cost of £400,000, but unless the people of that locality agreed io a lighter form of construction there was not much comfort for them in tlio Ministerial Teply. If they lvope to hear the sound of a railway whistle in the Hawca Vallev before the "close of another decade, they "have to accept either a 2ft gaugo or the present oft 6in gauge with 40lb ra ; ls. If the line is extended beyond Clyde, tho answer to the Minister should bo prompt and unequivocal—the standard gauge or nothing. But will tho rest of tho colonv submit quietly to a cessation, of work on all other lines wliilo the Northern Trunk is being hurried to completion, while the Midland is winding its tortuous length hundreds of feet below tlic bed of the, Otira, and while Cabinet is evolving a plan of winning Wakatipu over to tho Ministerial fold? He (the speaker) trowed not. The load of taxation—high though it -was —was borne without grumbling or resentment onlv because tho people believed that the Public Works Fund -was applied to its legitimate purpose of developing the country, regardless of provincial considerations. If'the new railway received concrete shape, and that belief was destroyed, then assuredly thero would arise in every part of the colonv which was looking forward hopefully "to tho prosecution of its pet line, or which was preparing to move Parliament to put its lino in tho Authorisation Bill, a 6haTp and clear demand for a substantial reduction of taxation. Furthermore, before so radical an alteration of policy was determined on—for it involved a complete reversal of theTailway construction in vogue for tho past thirty-five years—the feeling of the country should be ascertained. That thero were" nineteen lines under construction at tho present time was wholly tho fault of the Government, on whom must rest the entire responsibility of having induced Parliament to authorise each and every one of them. For his own part, he was'prepared to affirm that some tf tho branch lines would prove more remunerative undertakings than somo of the socalled main lines. Parliament, in its wisdom, had restricted tho railway expenditure in Otago this year to £90,000. Because thev bad lwid the hardihood to suggest that "this was tantamount to a breach of faith, inasmuch as they were led to expect that the average of the. provincial allocations would bo maintained, the Premier told them that they were proceeding oa "a false and illogical basis." Ho vas not there to bandy words with such an exalted personage, but if lie were .so tempted ho might use equally strong terms. There was a clear-cut understanding in the early part of last year that if Clyde were made tho present terminus of the Otago Central there would be such a transference of Otago allocations as would ensure a vigorous prosecution of the Cathns and Roxburgh lines this year. In tho Budget, which foreshadows the matured mind of tho Cabinet, emphasis was put on tho determination of Ministers " to prosecute tho remaining lines with more vigor." But how was lliit possible, in the case of tlio Otago lines, if the allocations were .£40,000 short of the previous year's, and each vote burden*' 1 -with heavy contrnge-nt liabilities ? How v ' will the moiety of £IO,OOO allocated to Catlins carry that lino in the-direc-tion of Table Hill, and what prospect is there of tho Big Hill being pierced with the- residue of the cation, especially if the ratio to votes of tho past few years tained? Those in. the room knew th> history of the initiation of the Roxburgh line, and from that very platform \t bey bad hoard tie late Premier announce that their lino should be pushed on with all reasonable epoed. Furthermore., son;., of them had a day later heard Mr Seddon encouraging tho settlers at Beaumont to extend their orchards and plant out new ones, because in two -=t6.ts the railway would be at their doo. The settlers were doing their part of T contract, for the fruitbearing area, .1 only at Beaumont, but throughout of lbc Molyneux, had been enlarged. ' JFwas for tbo

5,258 5,524 Ministers were committed to the completion of the North Island Trunk by the end of 1908, and the anxiety to accomplish that feat was responsible for the subordination of all regard for equity, as far as the rest of the colony was concerned, so long as that promise was unfulfilled. But was not this policy being pursued too far. It was notorious thai the bulk of the unskilled labor that reached Wellington by the oversea and direct steamers was forthwith drafted to the North Island Trunk, and that navvies being dispensed with as the Otago Central approached Clyde were .."so freely provided with passages to the N- (-.; The parliamentarians in T> -«nedin \j, -being besieged with npplhooru- in the c . it.V who wanted work in the iusi-:hborhot' oi their homes, in order to &• ' themselves tho expense of keeping up two establishments, and fearing that the cost of living in the North wpnld yield them but a bare living wage. There was not apparently a sufficiency of work for all these irxm on tho railway works in Otago and Southland, but there did not seem to be any trouble in providing for them in the. North Island. Tho completion of a main arterial trunk like the Northern Trunk was certainly very desirable as a national undertaking, but wo might be paying too dearly for that cake. If the lino were completed to-morrow, would it be a remunerative section ? Would it open up for settlement larger and better tracts of country in the South that men were ready, willing, and eager to cultivate if they got a, footing on tho land, and the productiveness of which was unquestionable? Great stress was laid on the potentialities of this line as a, quick distributor of mails, but unless the much-belauded San Francisco were capaolo of extensive improvement it did not seem feasible thai the South Island, if indeed any large portion of the North, would bonefit_ by the despatch from Auckland of special mail trains, which must bo run at night if any distinet saving of lime was to be effected over the present method of distribution. And the cost of running c

night mail service through that kind of country could not be contemplated lightly. Yet a third factor in the consideration of the problem they were discussing that evening was the distribution of

—The Votes for Roads,— and again the official figures wero instructive. Last year in the North Island there was expended £303,392, of which the three land districts in Auckland province absorbed £143,026, Hawke's Bay £37,713, Taranaki. £36,839, and Wanfanui £42,901. The South Island received £211,967, of which £60,829 was expended in Nelson, £15,229 in Marl borough, £48,995 in Westland, £15,361 in Canterbury, £40,851 in Otago, ana £30,702 in Southland. Wcstl. nd and Nelson between them accounted for £109,824, or just about half of the entire South Island vote. Yet we wero complacently informed that Otago was bein;r better treated than any other provincial district in the colony. Tho negation lay in the simple fact that on this year's estimates for roads Auckland figured for £140,000, while Otago had to cry content with £40,000, with no certitude that more than the average expenditure of 50 per cent, of the allocations would bo sanctioned. —Otago's Parochial Spirit.— Because the people of Otago ventured to assert that they wero not being dealt with on equal terms with other parts of the colony, they were twitted wih being naiTOw-irunded "and parochial, and with being animated by a "provincialism that was nothing short of disgusting in the nostrils of the self-respecting citizens" in other parts of the colony. The tannt came with ill grace from a district that was being spoon-fed just now from the Consolidated Revenue. The Premier, in his statement of tho votes credited to Otago, crowded every available item into his "cataJogtio, but be was not at trouble to explain in several instances Otago had set an example to the rest of the colony in supplying funds for the prompt execution of works of philanthropy and for the spread of education —works that might have been indefinitely delayed if they had been wholly dependent on votes from tho Consolidated Revenue. Quite true the Government (and Sir Joseph in particular) had mode ready response to our calls for grants-in-aid for these humanitarian and beneficent objects, but it was nevertheless a patent fact that in Otago the sources of private benevolence and public philanthropy remained ;ts responsive as of yore to any deserving or legitimate appeal.

Government to Do Theirs.— In all probability the Minister of Works would pav a living visit to tho district shortly after the New Year. Mr HallJones was bringing pressure to bear on the officers of his own department to have the line to Clyde ready for opening at the end of February, and after opening that section and hearing the views of the Cromwell and Hawea Flat folk as to the extension of that lino he would work his way homeward via Roxburgh and Miller's Flat. "Now, they might be a little sore with the Minister over this year's allocations, hut apart from that they must recognise that no previous holder of the Works portfolio had been such a steadfast friend of Central Otago as Mr Hall-Jones, who had pushed on that lino as far as the means at his command permitted, and who had kept faith with tho pubfio in opening sections for traffic as expeditiously as possible. The opening of the Alexandra section was a case in point, and there was every reason for believing that the Minister, with his engine and excursion train, would bo at Clyde sharp on time. 'The Minister was susceptible of coaxing, and as he was likely to come among them in the best of humors they should press on iiim gently but firmly tho proprietv of redeeming Mr Seddon's promises. There was surely £12,000 yet available out of tho £20,000 appropriated this year, ami if that were so, and an early start made with driving the Big Hill tunnel at both ends, that work—tne only difficult one on tho whole route—would be well in hand before thefinancial year closed. It was confidently anticipated that the tunnel could be (built for £IO,OOO, bot it would be safer fo allow a tritle for unforseen contingencies. Even if tho available veto were not sufficient, they should boldly ask the Minister to exercise tho powers in that behalf conferred on him, and anti cipate next year's vote, for were ho to do so it would* be the first occasion in our parliamentary history when an Otago railway vote had ever been exceeded. By putting this work in hand at once, and by attacking both ends simnltaneonsly, the Beanmotit section wcmld abraorb all the surplus labor from the Otago Central, as tho men could work almost uninterruptedly during the winter, once a fair beginning was made. He had taken up so muoh of their time with railway matters that there was an all too brief quarter of an hour left to him for reference to < —The Land Question. — He much regretted this, because the settlement of tho people on the land was quite as important as railway-making; indeed, if he were ever in a responsible position ho would strongly counsel settlement preceding railways. Our pisin of first building a railway and thereafter setting out in quest of suitable areas for providing homes for whose lalbor was the vcrj life-blood.

of tberdistrict was 'radically First •fix ia contented and 9°•the 'land, and take your with convenient speed. Trel J slowly correcting past and the Land for Settlemc^HHV-" 9 Paying a potential part i^HV' n <> maintaining tho prosdH^^^F'. c ,. "tony.Whilst what was eminently respectfl, the area of been too restricted. had been expended in in various parts of the loading expenses was £4,408,394. with 58 properties, Otago coming . second while th 14 ° f th ? their location 7^^^^^H^^H|^hH s : ( acres >. Taic-^^H^^^^^H^H^J^^A. the Land Purc^^^^^^B^^^^^Wommended Go^^^^^^^^^^H^l^^Hp^' (6,130 .Logan's (962 Ashley I 4^B^^^^^^|^|^^^Bn Totara, in Waitald acquired in 80,000 acres, ~"' n chase increased acres. The acquisition of tive,. and the plorod, the several advantages, a successful loaded was likely to to the col fhat to the Be- 4Wient. ment wot JW'O the ford's), ir *■ latter the V' is the is™ xtirely the case when over, it lies well, for agriculture, and weU and sell well, for to a railway and is f Clifdcn carries more than any land of the and woald in every property for the State T ho point ho d'esired to of land acquired for closf WKtBf nsat - J n or jaccnt to the basin True, the I*ondi Purchase wero offered, but rejected (more's the ]>ity!), Moa Flat, with the result that a syndicate had stepped m and disposed of the ostate at a- profit variously estimated at from £40.000 tb £BO,OOO. Indeed, the manner in which the Land Purchase Board performed their duties excited one's curiosity, since mo<ro than once they had rejected suitable properties which had afterwards to be acquired by tho State, but alwaj-s at an enhanced cost. When speaking" in that room on a memorable occasion scarcely two years ago, he had urged the desirability of acquiring two of the runs in the neighborhood for the purposes of closer settlement. He referred to Teviot and Hun 199, comprising 4,755 acres, wool^-I—i' in on March 1, 1912,

and runs 199 a: ""' 850 acres, in March, 1925- U. ,n the otW hand, comprising 2i, __ . _ "?, would fa in on February'2B, ' Teviot was ai especially desirable property, as it commanded Lake Onslow, which was destined oae of these days to play a most important part in the electrification of our railways and in supplying motive power for all industrial enterprises between Coal Greek and Lawrence. That grand source of electrical power ought to be in the hands of the colony without delay, and no doubt the Minister of Works would have his attention pointed to the desirability of acquiring it. As emphasising the necessity for providing suitable land- to appease —The Earth Hunger,— he mentioned that on his way tip ho had been interviewed at Miller's Fiat, and told that there was a keen desire in that locality to have suitable land tlirown open for close settlement and for workers' homes. That bad been confirmed since his arrival in Roxburgh, for lie had learned in the township that men bad been striving in vain to secure land on which to establish, permanent homes for themselves. There were over eighty men employed on the dredges alone, and as the industry was not a fleeting one many of the men, seeing years of employment ahead of them, were desirous of acquiring a home for their families. (>no man had offered as high as £4O a quarter-acre for land near where he worked, ;. but tho owner evidently bcEoved the railway Was going to enhance values greatly, | as" he refused to part wit hj a foot, and it was stated locally that not oven could land be obtained for a church. Yet some lof theso workmen, possessed as tiiey were of spare cash, were anxious to build comfortablo homes, and if they could not do so the district was likely to ioso them. At present they were squatting an the rail- ! way reserve, but when the railway advanced up the valley they would get notice |to quit. No wonder that we were losing I our population. It was high time that tho Minister of Lands stepped l in and brought to Miller's Flat the advantages of the Land for Settlements policy, and of tho Workers' Homes Act. On his journey up ho had once been struck, as every observant traveller must bo, with tlie wanton waste of rich agricultural land at Island Block. Here was one of the finest pieces of arable land in tho whole country»i<!o being washed away, whfio men and women wero unable to secure a foothold for themselves and families. It was .

—A National Crime, —

yet no attempt was being made to stop tho mischief. If they were striking it rich that fact may offer some excuse for what waa going on, out as it was common property that those operating at the Block were doing nothing more than pay wages, it was heinous that the work of destruction should continue. Tho Legislature had been invoked to supply a remedy, but it appeared to be quite indifferent to the extent of tlie evil, which was not confined to this part of the country. In eonchEkm, he referred to the loss of political influence on the port of Otago through the operation of tho eensua lb w*« row known that Otago would have two membera less, and that tho rearrangement of boundaries would bring able and experienced parliamentarians into conflict with each other. There wn no occasion for these frequent and worrying interferences with the electorates. The statistical information was so accurately ganged by the Registrar-General's staff that the Census might be well made a decennial affair, and so eavo the country £60,000, and relieve the parliamentarians from a lot of unnecessary worry. If the exodus of people from tho South continued during the next five yeara at the same rale as' during the last census period, it was certain that the North Island would grow so strong politically that it could dominate tho situation, so that the outlook was anything but comforting. Tho people of Otago had a right to expect the Government to devise measures that would stem the rush northward, and that could best be done by vigorously prosecuting our railways, settling the sons and daughters of our own fanners on tho soil, and bringing vast tracts of Crown lands into profitable occupation- In the last-mentioned connection nothing would do so much to giv« hope and courage to Central Otago, which at present was in an exhausted state owing to tho long drought, than the initiation of the irrigation works foreshadowed by Mr Seddon, The value of .'irrigation to that part of the province was universally . acknowledged, . and there were object lessons at the orchards of Mxs Pcrriarm (Cromwril) and Mr Wilson (just beyond Ranfurly). Private enterprise well directed had shown the way, and it was the duty of the. Government to step in at once and devise measures on a scale that would convert the bnrnt-up plains of Central Otago into veritable oases. It would be a better investment to suspend railway construction in Central Otago for five years, and devote the money to irrigation works on a scale that would give relief to every farmer and Be.ttler in the district, for the long dry spell of this year might come on us quickly again. If he had. put before them and the people of that part of Otago matters that would give them thought, . and led to energetic action, he was for Iris troubhv

He had only one purpose in view—obtaining for Otago her -just Am in. regard to railways and close settlement, -which he regarded as prime factors in the work of successful colonisationMr Andrews moved-^-That this meeting earnestly enjoin the Minister of Public Works, aa an act of justice to this part of Otago, to expend the full measure of this year's Public Works allocation on the iiawrence-Rox-burgh Railway, in order to fensnre the vigorous and early completion of the lino as far as Beaumont; also, that this meeting strongly recommend the Minister of liands to secure suitable land in the Molyneux Valley for the purpose of closer settlement, so that railway construction and settlement of our own people on the soil may proceed concurrently.

Mr F. Daw (Miller's Hat), in seconding the. resolution, said that the thanks of the people of his district were duo to Mr Cohen for his clear exposition of affairs of supreme interest to the dwellers in the Molyneux Valley. What he had said about the oarth-hunge.-- was absolutely correct, and he had not exaggerated in the slightest when he referred to the impossibility of obtaining a foothold on the soil in that particular locality. Why, at Miller's Flat the working mei had tried in vain to make homes for themselves. In his own case he had offered £4O for a quarter of an acre, and his offer had been scornfully rejected. They could not even get a section on which to build a church, and they had been forced to "squat" on the railway reserve. When the railway camo near them they would be obliged to vacate, and the chances were i that they would have to seek pastures new. INo wonder that the people were leaving tor the North Island, and the exodus would ■ontinuo ff ; steps were not immediately lion to throw open land in the vicinity Br closer settlement and for workers' Hones. HjTho motion was carried 'Hfith -acclamation. ■Mr Jas. Hazlett, being called on by tho ■tirrman, said lie could endorse what Mr Krhen had said as to tho causes that had Bsvenled the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway Jfrcm being built wore than twenty-five years ago. Ho had himself moved in two different sessions of tho Provincial Council with tie object of having tho line put in hand, and on the last occasion was defeated by an unholy combination between Dunedin, Lawrence, and PaJmerston men. This lino should bo vigorously pushed on, because it would not only give an immense impetus to the fruit-growing and coal mining industries, but would also prove ono of tho most remunerative feeders in Otago. Mr T. Andrews proposed » vote*of thanks to Mr Cohen for his instructive address. Tboy had received much practical information that evening, and matters had been presented to them in a way that must cause them to think. Mr Cohen had bc*m of great assistance to the district in tfte past; ho and tho paper he controlled w*re tho proved friends of their railway; *nd by coming to them that evening at consideiable personal inconvenience he had placed tho district under an obligation that would not soon be forgotten. Mr Waigth seconded the motion, which was carried nem. con. —Social. —

At the close of the meeting some forty gentlemen met in one of the anterooms of the building, where supper was laid and a couple of hours spent oonvxnally with song and toast-making in honor of their ■ isitor and in recognition of has <f ° rte *<> 'promote the material advancement of .he Roxburgh district. Mr John Bennetts occupied the chair, and Mr B. Hart the vice. The toasts duly honored were:— Our Guest"; "Local Industries," responded to bv Mr- Craig (for coal) Mr Birch "(fruit), Mr Orchard (farming , and Mr Waigth (raining); and "The R<hW/ Mr Craig, alluding to the- extent of the coal depute at CoSl Creek, said that when the railway would be in operation he wouM bo in a position to land the. best hgnrto that had been found in Otago in the hands of MtaHers at from 18s to 18s per. ton and there was an inexhaustible supply actually in efght; whilo Mr Birch by way of illustraUne the growth of the local orchards, said tLt 230 acres of new trees had been planted this season. That increase would bo trebled as soon as the railway made its appearance at Beaumont. Some Capitol ™ were contributed by Messrs Orchard, Sete, Chancy, W. Manuel, A. Maaael, X°c£ig and Waigth; while Mr Chancy made an efficient accompanist. The commnV before separating, wished their guest C y vovigo and a speedy return to watoh £er The interest* of the Lawrencc-Lox-bnrgh Eallway. ______

NORTH ISLAND. PROVINCIAL DISTRICT OF AUCKLAND. Year. Voted. Expended. £ £ 19C0 41,090 18,500 19G1 65.0CO 52,860 1902 70.000 66,350 1903 85,000 48,250 19-04 55,000 51.830 1905 50,000 34,120 1906 76,000 59,200 422,000 330.910 TARANAKI. For 7; vears 99,000 66,160 —North Island Trunk — 1900 70,000 46,500 1901 130,000 110.000 1902 ... 160,000 157,000 1903 ... 250,000 113X00 1904 ... 200,000 175,300 1905 ... 150.000 139,100 1906 ... 300.000 224,000 1.260,000 965,400 SOUTH ISLAND. PROVINCES OF MARLBOROUGH AMD NELSON. —Blenheim-Auratere. ■ — Year. Voted. Expended. £ £ 1900 _ 15.000' .„ 15,400 1901 50,000 33,700 1902 45.000 48,800 1903 ... ' 60.000 32,600 1904 55,000 28,000 1905 25,000 23,200 1906 45,500 34,650 286,000 216,350 CAOTERBUR1". —Midland. — 1900 60,000 _ 55,300 1901 79,000 45.270 1902 .-.. 100,000 66.500 1903 „ 100,000 39.500 1904 70,000 54.060 1905 60,000 58,000 1906 ... 100,000 117,700 569,000 436.300 WESTLAND. 1900 1901 2.000 Nil 1902 2.000 471 1903 14.000 8,250 1904 20.000 46,600 1905 25,000 24,450 1906 42,500 32,040 105,500 111,811 OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND. 1900 74,000 38,200 1901 „. 117,000 66.500 1902 ... 117,000 105,050 1905 „ 121,000 49,500 1904 86,000 61,070 1905 66,000 55,890 1906 ... 133,000 70.340 714,000 446.550 —Otago Central. — 1900 60,000 31,300 1901 ... 100,000 61,400 1902 ... 100,000 94,000 1903 ... 100.000 40,700 1904 _ 70.0C0 48,100 3905 50.000 45.240 1906 _. 100,000 58,530 590,000 379,270 —l>a wrcnce-Rosbnrgb . — 1906 10,000 999 —Cailins-Wahnahaka. —- 1905 15.000 5.800 1904 10,000 6.920 1905 8.000 4.220 1906 20.000 8,590 53,000 25,530 Voted. Expended. £ £ South. Mand ... 1.357,000 . 852,349 North Island — 1,781.000 . _ 1.062,470

—North Island.— 190S. 1906.' Qrabamstown ... . „ ... 524 997 Helensville ... _ 889 2,881 Paeroa-Waibi ' . . ... 1,576 121 Gisborrte ... ... . . ... 430 1,208 N.I.- Trunk ... .. . ... 15,105 22,215 Stratford ... 356 1,084 Mount Egmont .... 504 .1,010 19,384 29,616 —South Island.— Blenhcim-Waipara ... 2,264 3,074 Midland ... 4,861 8,328 Weatponfc ... ... — 581 Ecefton .. 61 — Hokitika-Rass ... 580 1,854 Coal Creek ... 294 13 Blackball 540 1,081 8,590~ 14,931 Otago Central ... 2,747 2,646 Heriot Extension ... 155 — Ratlins 356 1,380 Roxburgh — 905 — 593