WAIAU SETTLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 14061, 16 May 1906, Page 9

WAIAU SETTLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Waiau District Settlers’ Association was held on Saturday, when-’ there was a record attendance, and Mr D. D. Macfarlane ' presided. The report and balance-sheet for the year ended March , 31, showed—Receipts £4B 13s 7d, and expenditure £6l 14s 21d. Ten new members had been elected during the year, the roll number now being 57. With regard to the proposed extension of the north line of railway - to Waiau, the Association, had kept the agitation going during, the year, and the- way had been fairly well prepared for making a - positive stand for the authorisation of the line during the coming session. The chairman, in moving ;fh© adoption of the report and balance-sheet, spoke at some length on,the useful bees of the Association,-and the prospects of the line being extended; to Waiau. Of late he had. met a considerable number of men of commercial standing, and many experts who had travelled over the Cheviot-Kaikoura and the Culver-den-Greenhills-Kaikoura routes, and found that there was a concensus of opinion in favour of the inland route, since it would open up a large area of ■ country suitable for closer settlement. This was admittedly the cheapest lino to construct, and ho considered that it was the only sound route by which to take the main lino. It would be considered bad policy to run the trunk line along the seaboard through extremely rough, country, and leave a large tract of inland country, suitable for mixed farming, without railway communication. * - • Mr Chaff ey seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balancesheet, which was carried unanimously. The following officers were .elected: — President, Mr D. D. Macfarlane; vice'presidents, Messrs A. W. Rutherford, M.H.R., R. A. Chaff ey and W. Fitzpatrick ; treasurer, Mr L. C. Coakloy; secretary, Mr W. 0. Richards. Correspondence was read from the

Young New Zealand Land Settlement Association (Kaiko.ura), stating that the Association had resolved to appoint, two delegates to act with the AVaiau delegates, as a, joint deputation to Mmisers during the coining session of Parliament, regarding railway extension. Representatives from the Rotherham district addressed the meeting, stating the wishes of the Rotherham settlers as to the course tlie line should

take through that' district. The speakers stated that the Rotherham Residents’ Association was prepared to send two delegates, to act with the AVaiau delegates on the joint deputation to urge the authorisation of the extension of the line. It was resolved that the Association should co-operate with the Kaikoura and Rotherham delegates, and that six delegates from the Association should go

to Wellington, Messrs D. D. Macfarlane, R- A. Cbaffey, W. M’Alpine, L. Grant, W. Fitzpatrick and W. 0. Richards were selected as the Association’s representatives.