THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 72, 29 March 1892, Page 4

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

(lfi'om the Ohristchurch Press.) The Minister- of Public Works was waited upon tho other day by Mr 31. M. Taylor, and requested by that gentl emaa to take steps to in- ; duce the Midland Railway Compan y to go on with the extension of the line from Springfield. The Minister, in the course of his roply, as reported by our contemporary, said that it was quite .rue that the line was not nearer Canterbury than it was when tho contract was signed, "ijjud that seven years out of the " contract timo of ton years had expired, whilo a third of the work was not tinished. But imtil the termination of the contract timo, said Mr Seddon, tho Government could not interfere in any way. The Minister considered that a groat mistake had been made when tho original contract was changed. Had tho Company, he added, been obliged to take the land along the line as it waa completed, as provided in the first contract, in all probability the line on thin side would have been nrado as far as Cragiebtirn. As tho public of Canterbury take a keen interest in tho progress of this undertaking, we propose to state briefly a few facts which may enable them to understand tho actual position. In the iirst place wo would ask, What has the present Government done to facilitate the progress of the work ? Not merely have they done nothing whatever in that way. they havo in reality both directly and indirectly seriously delayed its progress. The present Minister of Public Works kept back the construction of tho line to Jackson's for many months through pure obstinacy. lie refused to sanction the deviation, threw every obstacle in tho way he possibly could, and only yielded at last when he saw that Canterbury and Westland were threatening a violent agitation which might prove disastrous to hie Government. But his hostility had tho effect of greatly delaying the progress of the line at a time when employment was scarce, and when its vigorous prosecution would havo been an immenso boon to a large number of workers in this part of New Zealand. Nor has Mr Seddon's obstinacy been the only difficulty the Company havo had to contend with. Wo venture to say that but for the financial proposals of the Government, which have caused a regular panic in England, and frightened financial men from having anything to do with Zealand schemes, the Company would by this time havo been in a position to go on with the whole of ' the work with the utmost vigour. , The proposal embodied in the Land and Income Assesment Act, to tax debenture capital has made it quite impossible for any Company, relying on raising money by debentures, to go upon tbe London market with any prospect of immediate success. The position of the London money market recently has been sullicient harassing without the difficulty being intensified by the deliberate action of the New Zealand Legislature. But these troubles havo notoriously been enormously multiplied, as far as New Zealnd Companies are concerned, by tho legislation a well as by tho speeches of Ministers and their HUpporters. We venture to say that had the Government of this colony been content to pursue a policy of building up, instead of pulling down, had it refrained from making alarmist attacks upon capital, the position of the Midland Company would havo been very different at the present moment. The Company would, in all probability, have had the whole of the capital at its disposal to complete the work, instead of having to wait, as it must now do, till confidence at Home in tho good intentions of the colony haa again been established, Eor whatever delay that may occur we must blame the present Government. By their action, they aro postponing the vigorous prosecution of a line for which the people in this part of New Zealand have been waiting for years. But for them a very large . number of men might, at the present time, bo busily engaged in the construction of the railway, and earning a comfortable living for their wives and families. Of courso the presont Government aro not responsible for all tho delay which has occurred. There was delay also over the final settlement of the contract, and for that Sir Robert Stout, a member of tho same party, was mainly to blame. That gentleman, in the course of a speech, which was duly reported, declared that the land to be granted to tho Company was perfectly valuoless. This statement natural ly raiaed suspicion at homo of the bona fides of tho Government of the colony, and led to a request, that the original intention of the colony should be given effect to in such a manner as to make it clear that the Company would actually receivo £1,250,000 worth of land for the building of tho railway. After much negotiation the late Government succeeded iv satisfying the. demands of the Company. But to do so the system of alternate blocks had to be abandoned, and a further clause inserted in the contract giving the company tho right to select, within the area, additional land, provided the land set apart in the first instance did not return to the Company the money specified. Even since Sir Robert Stout has declaimed against the concession, and charges the late Government with sacrificing the lands of the colony to the Midland Company, while in reality ho was himself mainly responsible for tho creation of. tho difficulty which led to the concession. Mr Seddon says that a great mistake was made, when tho original (contract Avas changed, and that had it been adhered to the railway would have reached Craigieburnbyuow. Tho fact is that if tlto late Government had insisted on ad- ■ hering to it, after what Sir Robert ' Stout said, the whole scheme would have fallen through. It was J the ex-Premier's blundering which , rendered the new contract necessary, < and which caused the Company at that time to miw^an opportunity of ■ raising all tho capital it required for ] the vigorous prosecution of the ' work. Tho people of Canterbury j in fact, have to thank both the present Government and Sir Robert Stout fov whatever delay has hitherto taken place in the prosecution of the Midland railway. « A DBINK FOR THE GODS." co b id the great Prophet— Mnhoniet, when taltinr bis cop ol coffee under the fig tree, if you would enioy euoh, drink Grease's AI Colin;. Bold only io t and 2 lb tiaa. AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN asye if tlj pablio would drink leea tea and more OoiI<« Share would be a great many leas Bufnteni tfrora that troublesome oomptaint— indi^ $<>», Ore*M'fl hi Gcilee to tbe heel, floia Seijr ia I KoA t lb, tins, nillllfiflfniiniiii in Mmi ■miiiiiiiiiiwi