EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 233, 19 September 1911, Page 6

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

DEPCTATi* >\ AT \\ Ei.LINi ;T< »N EAKLY .START AT NAPIER END VKGED. [ 'IV IK t KC. c. ICI I r KI"1A 1.. i i (Own • ’< irrespondvnt.) Wellington. Sept. IP. An important deputation wvted: on the Prime Ministrr «•:■! the H<>n. McKenzie to-day re~p< .e* tig the ; East Coan Railway. The deputation : comprised Cranby. McLcr-, nna, and Williams. of the Nwpicr' Chamber of t’on., Mr. D. Whyte. < f Ha stings. ilmi G: e b<frne. i T. Bain, of DanneGrke. Haydon. <>f Palmerston North, and T< w-h y arid; Pilcher, 'f W elhngton.

Mr. Visor Brown, introducing' the deputation, rxp! i:m >1 that the deputationists did not wish to raise | the question of route. Mr. Cranby explained that their desire was to get ns much on the esti-; mates as possible, anil have a start ; made at th - Napier end. The who'i country het .*.■».> Wellington and Ni pier, he deelv d. was in -upport of the railwav. Mr. Hay don. chairman of the , North Island League, said the depu- ■’ tation wished to follow up the work i of last year’s representations. He ’ emphasised the importance of the ■ line for the development of a large area of land w!. : --h was nt r> -<nt isolated from the rest of the Dominion. They wanted the Gov -t , to make a bona fide start Tv,

work—to not only pface a consideral le sum on the estimates, but mak ■ a start with the work. Mr. Tewsley explained that the deputation <Te= ; red to have the Southern < rd of the Napier-Gisborne lire authorised this session, the Northern srction having been authorised last year.- They also desired a definite sum- s av £.iO.W>. for either end. Mr. Bain endorsed the importance of the line on behalf of the D.annevGt'e Chamfe r of Commerce. Mr. D. White represented the view of t!.' - Gisborne ( I.amber m support of commencing at the Napier , nd. As Hastings representative. Mr. Whyte stated there would be no

diversion in the camp on the question of route ns to the southern end of the line.

THE PREMIER SPEAKS HIS MIND. THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS CRITICS. Sir Joseph Ward, replying. saw he thought he had made it quite clear last year that Government proposed to go on with the railway from the Napier end. and really dm not know what the deputation had come to ask for. Government always kept its word in a matter of this kind. He did not propose to divert from what he said last year. («>- vernnient was already doing its utmost to commence the railway at Napier and proposed to take authorisation this session. The question o» route must be decided by the Government.

Speaking on the question of rail- , ways generally. Sir Joseph dcclarcu j that if they looked at the views ex-: pressed by the Opposition journal aij Wellington they might come to the ! conclusion that Government, unless it had a great deal of courage, woulo be deterred from making any railways at all. Every effort was being made to damage the Government. | arnl to deter the country from going j on with the construction of public ; works. There was a complete ignoring of conditions pretailing in connection with the completion of the Main Trunk and the insinuation was mad> that the country was going to the dogs. That was published broadcast and was done , deliberately to destroy the financial j position of the Government to allow | another party to come into powrr. I In a paper that was supposed to I voice the views of the people and that | was distributed in financial quarters [ in London the Government was sub- j jeeted to violent abuse, ami most contemptible tactics in connection with the pubi'e undertakings that it was carrying on. Personally he did rot care, but he thought it ».i« time that people took notice of what was going on. In no oth.er country could they find the cry of stinking fish being so raised, and the carrying ent. of a policy so detrimental to the count, \ a-' a whole. It was idle ami futile, -n i a>e« where it was a matter of life and Heath to have public facilities protided, that such a wretched system should be adopted for political purposes.