THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14416, 5 July 1907, Page 6

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

The important deputation which waited iVpon the Acting-Minister of Railways yesterday represented Canterbury, Westland and Nelson as absolutely at one in the desire to see the Midland Railway completed. There was nothing of the " stand-and-de-liver" attitude that provincial deputiona have occasionally adopted', but Mr M'Gowian could see for himself that the members of Parliament and their constituents were very much in earnest in asking for the completion of the line. It really does not matter a great deal whether the Arthur's Paes tunnel ia constructed by contract or by co-opera-tive labour, provided the State obtains value for the money it spends, but there is a good deal to be said in favour of committing the work into the hands of a reliable and experienced engineering fixim, whioh would have at its immediate command all the necessary plant. At the came time, the Govemment'a engineetrß should be able to estimate a close approximation to the actual cost of the undertaking, and if the lenders received are greatly in excess of the estimate it would probably pay the State to employ experienced engineers and do the work itself. Whether the tunnel is constructed by contract or by co-operative labour, it would be a wise development to " harness " the Waimakariri to obtain power for* boring, and the State could subsequently use the clean power for working the tunnel traffic. Mr M'Gowan has only temporarily taken charge of the Public Works Department, and he could not speak as confidently as ir he had had control in the past, but he freely confessed his belief that the line would have to be carried through. Still, he was less encouraging than the deputation might fairly have expected. All the provinces have willingly granted priority of importance to the North Island Main Trunk Line, and it can never he said that the South Island has displayed any jealousy or attempted to delay the progress of the Auck-land-Wellington; connection. But the North. Island line will be completed within two' years, and while it must have the lion's share of the railway vote this session and the nest, the Government must not be allowed to neglect the claims of the Midland line. The position of this line is unsatisfactory, and must remain so until traffic is running through from coast fo coast. At present it is like a horse "eating its head off" in the stable. There is no "paying point" at which it can be left uncompleted. The dead less has been reduced by the extension to Broken River, and will be still further reduced when the line reaches Cass, but having made up its mind to construct the road, the .State should, in its own interests, push it rapidly to completion.