LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH

Evening Star, Issue 14535, 10 December 1910, Page 14

LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH

SATISFIF-B WITH THK YOTI

STBAKiHT TALK

The presentation yesterday afternoon of ;i resolution expressing satisfaction with the vote put on the Kstimates lor the prosecution of the Lawrence-Roxburgh line led to some straight tiilk from Mr M. Cohen. Th: meeting was one of the Lawrence-Roxburgh League, and the motion proposed by .Mr A. .Morit/son was - '■ That this meeting, while expressing thorough satisfaction with the appearance of a substantial vote on the year's Public Works Kstimates for the Lawrence-tteau-niont line, would call the attention of the .Minister of Works to the urgent necessity for undertaking the construction works at the Beaumont, and concurrently with the lesiunption of work at tTm Big Hill tunnel. so that there shall be reasonable probability of the railway being can"i;d on Jo the ' Beaumont on or before March .d. 1912." .Mr Cohen seconded this motinii. in order to give expression to a few words that should, he said, he made public. Me would emphasise the fact thai the League's greatest enemies were certain members of the Assembly who sat for Olago. but blocked every Ota go wurkju which they wen- not personally interested. On a recent Friday iii the House the spect.'u ie lian been witnessed of three Olago membei.- oppo-nng the line, not becaiiM' it should not be'iTuilt. but because it ''id let go through the electoral districts they represented. This spectacle had I" en :iu object of ridicule throughout the Dominion. Let this want ot unanimity be contrasted with the absolutely solid front shown by Auckhiud when they waiu-cd anything, and it must be admitted that Otago had sonicthing to learn from 'Northern neighbors. There had been a time when the people ol Otago and their representative; stood shoulder to shoulder, and if they only ■V'\ so now Otago would assuredly get a justshare <if Ihe appropriations for public works. "Let me lmiind people. - ' continued Mr Cohen, "that the pieseut P.nliarnent are passing away, and that our greatest d.ing-.T will lie that we may have a House inimical to Otago district, and a Minisliy partial to the North Island." Mr Cohen proceeded to deal with the work itself. He said that they should .-tend shoulder to shoulder, and insist upon the desirability of putting the tunnel through, and also starting the earthworks at the Beaumont end. 'Whatever the future held, their present goal must be Beaumont, if this work of tunnel-making was given to contractors ias he understood it would be/ thef" should be some reasonable prospect of the tunnel being built to enable the railway to reach the I'.cati'noiit by the end of the next financial cear. Some of the .Bid.ooo \oted would'be anticipated, so that they Iced not expect the whole of it this taiancial year. But the lion's share of it should be spent before the olst March. If (hat were done (and the Minister oi Works had given an assurance which the speaker accepted and wished the people of Hunediu to accept) they should be stilished. If they could induce Mr M'Keur.ie to have the earthwork prosecuted at the same time as the tunnel, then their agitation had been productive of good results. Mr Muritzson said that plans for the tunnel were already out, and had gone to Wellington for approval. He looked to see £4.000 spent by the end of .March, and be was sure that the tunnel could be completed in twelve months, remembering that on oiie occasion the Government had done a tunnel seven chains long in seven weeks.

AHei' expressing hi* sense of the League's to -Messrs Cohen rind Mm-itz-m>:i. the Chairman (Mr (1. L Derutiston) sail! that he agreed with what Mr Cohen had said about certain Otago meniliei's. He thought that the position was dm- to unworthy electioneering tactics. The resolution was carried unanjmous:y, and it was decided to send a copy to th* Prime Minister.

.Mr Motitzson then moved, and Mr Paterson seconded—" That this meeting heartily thank those Otago members of the Legislature who have consistently supported the prosecution of the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway on tha succeas of their efforts, and cheerfully acknowledge the unswerving support of the Press of Dunedin in demanding justice to Otago in the allocation of the Dominion's public works expenditure." Mc iloritzson referred to the opposition offered by the members for Clutha and Mntaura, who. he said, had gone out pt their way to do the line Lara. Mr

Morit/.son referred finally to the work | done by the Duncdin and country papera to got tlm work prosecuted. ! This resolution was also carried, copies '■ to bo pent to Otago members. j The Chairman then took the opportunit. ' 'it' thankinir Mr Tanibl.vn for the enthttsia,sm and energy lie had put into his work as lion, secretary of tho League- a . sentiment in which several others of thove ■ present concur; ed.