The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1911.

Evening Star, Issue 14633, 1 August 1911, Page 4

The Evening Star TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1911.

Wb shall be glad if Mr A. Moritz son’s representations hare Otago Railways, the effect of inducing the Public Works Department to increase the number of men engaged on the construction of the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway. Unemployment, though happily less acute than has often been the case at this time of the year, nevertheless exists to some extent in Dunedin and the neighborhood, and there is no reason why the difficulty should not be met in the way which was suggested in our issue of last night. At the same time it is satisfactory to have the admission of Mr Moritzson (who keeps a vigilant ay© on the work) that there is a fair amount of activity in the Big Hill tunnel as well as on the Beaumont side. Of course, when our correspondent refers to the vote of £15,000 “for the current year,” it has to be remembered that this sum was allocated to the Law-

rence-Eoxburgh lino for the financial year 1910-11. The unspent portion would lapse on March 31 last. The Government, however, have power to continue operations with a certain limit, anti doubtless a fresh vote will be placed upon tho Public Works Estimates next month. That vote, we think, should bo rather larger than £15,000 —say, £15,000 plus tho amount unspent last year—but, whatever the sum, the main thing is that all tho money should be utilised. When the present Minister of Public Works was a private member he used to protest against the habitual underspending of the votes passed by Parliament, but it cannot be said that any great improvement in this matter has been observable since ho entered the Cabinet. Now that tho stupid blunder of discontinuing operations has been rectified, the lino ought to bo pushed forward to Beaumont as rapidly as possible; and then tho Otago members must be ready to do battle for the further authorisation to Roxburgh. The annual meeting of the Catlins-Tahakopa Railway League was characterised by a prevailing note of almost jubilant satisfaction. Indeed, some people might be inclined to say that tho optimism was almost too pronounced, and that there was some ground for Mr Rattray’s reminder that tho time has not yet come for celebrating the completion of the line. We hope that the cheerfulness of the League will bo justified by finding a record of full expenditure of votes both for 1910-11 and for 1911-12. When long-deferred expectations are at length realised, and ‘ ‘ the iron horse goes “down the Tahakopa Valley and “ brings back butter and food and “timber”—those millions of feet for which tho north is starving—Mr Fea may be sure that the patient and tardily-rewarded settlers will “ some- “ times say a kindly word for the mem- “ hers of the Catlins-Tahakopa League.” Before leaving the subject of the provincial railways, wo may just say that it is a moot question whether in 12 months’ time or so it will not be proper to take into renewed consideration the condition and future development of the Otago Central lino.