MIDLAND RAILWAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 66

MIDLAND RAILWAY.

QUESTION OF COMPLETION REPRESENTATIONS TO THE PREMIER. A BIG REPUTATION. Tho Premier on tike 38th. ult. received. a large deputation from Canterbury and Westland on the. subject of the Midland railway. The deputation comprised:— Messrs A. R. Guinness, T. E. Taylor, G. Laurenson, H. G. Ell, T. H. Davey, W. W. Tanner, J. McLachlan, W. Flatman, J. Colvin, W. Parata. R. McKenzie, Sir W. J. Steward, M.H.R.’s; Hons J. Marshall, J. Holmes, and R. H. J. Reeves, M.L.C.’s. Canterbury delegates Messrs H. Quane, A. Kaye, H. A. Adley (Canterbury Chamber of Commerce); W. H. Cooper, T. Gapes, and J. Hadfield (Christchurch City Council); E. C. Brown, A. G.. Howland, and J. H. Hopkins (Canterbury Industrial Association and Employers’ Association); J. O’Halloran (Farmers’ Union). West Coast—Messrs J. Mandl (Mayor Of Hokitika); J. A. Petrie (Mayor of Greymouth); J. A. Murdoch (Mayor of Kumara); E. J. Scantlebury and W. Irving (Inangahua County Council); J. Hargreaves and J. Marshall (Grey County Council); D. J. Evans (Westland Railway League); J. Grimmond, H. A. Baucke, and J. Duff (Westland County Council and Borough of Ross); and Atkinson (Westport Borough Council). Mr T. E. Taylor briefly introduced the Canterbury delegates, and added that there would have been a much larger gathering of Canterbury members had the deputation been fixed for any day but a Monday. As it was, many were absent in the South and elsewhere. Mr A- R- Guinness introduced the West Coast delegates, many of whom, he pointed out, were old friends and constituents of the Premier. The delegates represented the whole of the public bodies from one end of the Coast to the other. The. president of the Canterbury Industrial Association wrote expressing the opinion of the association that the immediate prosecution, of the line was urgently necessary in the interests of the industries and commerce of the country. Despite pessimistic opinions to the contrary, it was almost certain that the line would pay. Mir W. Devenish Meares, a delegate from the -Christchurch City Council, wrote apologising for absence. The Canterbury Trades and Labour Council, while unable to send a delegate, wrote expressing unqualified approval of the objects of the deputation. The Northern A. and P. Association (Rangiora) also wrote covering a resolution by the association supporting the immediate construction of me rau Way. Mr H. Quane (Canterbury Chamber of Commerce) said it was well known that no one had the interests of this railway more at heart than had the 'Premier. For twenty-five years past the undoubted opinion had reigned that the connection of the East and West Coasts was absolutely necessary. It had taken an enormous amount of engineering skill and a large expenditure of money to take the railway to Staircase Gully on one side, and to Otira

on the other, and it was absolutely necessary now that it should be taken right through as quickly as possible, in order to make it reproductive on the capital already expended. The Chamber of Commerce was unanimous on this point. He ventured to suggest that the tunnel through to Otira should be let by public tender as a separate contract, to be completed in a specified time, so that both sides of the line might be progressing simultaneously. Mr J. A. Petrie (Mayor of Greymouth) said the general features of this undertaking had been so often discussed that he proposed to confine himself to one or two special ones. It was the general opinion that outside of coal, gold, and timber, the Coast had nothing left, and that the land was comparatively worthless. This had militated against the construction of the railway. But there was a wide extent of valuable agricultural land upon the Coast when the bush was once off it. He instanced a block of 30,000 or 40,000- acres, partially cleared, a portion of 'which, when offered .for sale a few months ago, had been withdrawn at £lO per acre, which was offered for 3000 acres of it. This was only a small portion of the land available for settlement. Further south it was expected that a block of 50,000 acres would soon be fully settled. There had been thirty and forty applicants for some of the sections of this block in a portion that was thrown open a few months ago. With regard to coal, on the Paparoa ranges a seam of coal had been discovered which was identical with the South Wales smokeless coal now in such great demand in the East. He quoted comparative analyses of the Welsh coal and the Paparoa coal to show their identical quality. There were 60,000,000 tons of the coal in sight, which could be delivered by rail in Christchurch at a greatly cheaper figure than sea-borne coal. One trouble with the five and a half miles tunnel to Otira would be the smoke nuisance, but this could be obviated by using smokeless coal. Mr J. O’Halloran (Canterbury Farmers’ Union) said that the union was of opinion that the railway should, be pushed on as speedily as possible. They wanted timber and coal from the Coast, and as much of the gold as they could get. They wanted to be independent of the sea-borne trade, and therefore they wanted “that bole in the hill.” If that one work were undertaken, other things would right themselves. They should not he dependent upon a sea-borne trade in Canterbury when their requirements were at their doors with only a bit ox a range between. “There are people born on the Coast who never saw a green field or the sun shining on it because you haven’t made that hole in the hill, sir. If you don’t look out, someone else will do it, and you won’t get the honour of it.”

Mr J. Mandl (Mayor of Hokitika) said meetings held on the Coast had continually urged the speedy prosecution of the railway works. The Premier knew the isolation they suffered from, and the time had arrived when they should be put in touch with the civilised world.

The Premier: Canterbury. Mr Mandl: Yes, Canterbury . I don’t say we’re not civilised, but we’re isolated, sir. It was a well-known fact that the line would be a paying one. Figures proved this, and the population of the West Coast, which now numbered 25,000, had resources at their hands including millions of acres of agricultural land and timber, coal and gold. His district wanted the tunnel let as a separate contract, as it recogn

that Governments might change, but once the contract was let it would have to he completed. If the line were only made in sections, the loss of revenue would ho considerable. If it were completed in five years, it would cost £1,491,000; if in ten years £1,692,000, the loss in interest being £201,000; and if in twenty years £2.,206,000, the loss in interest being then £174,000. If it were constructed at once it would begin to earn revenue at once. Tbe Coast had 2,000,000 acres of arable land, 2,000,000 acres of pastoral land, had won £25,000,000 of gold, and had last year exported 800,000 tons of coal, whilst the export of timber from Greymouth alone last year had been twenty-six million feet, twenty-two million of which went to Canterbury. It was estimated that the earning power of the railway would be £30,000 to £40,000 per year. Canterbury alone took 130,000 tons of coal a year, and nearly all this would be sent by rail, without extra handling, and with less depreciation. With all their isolation, they had exported produce to the value of £700,000 last year. With the line through, their population would be doubled and trebled, and the passenger and tourist traffic would be greatly in creased.

Mr A. G. Howland (Canterbury Employers’ Association) said through communication with the W ost Coast had been wanted long enough. The first sod of this line had been turned twenty years ago. If the Premier could complete the line in five years, he would confer a great benefit, not only upon the West Coast and Canterbury, but upon New Zealand as a whole. His association was unanimous in. hoping

that the tunnel would be let as a separate contract. “I hope you wis give us the West Coast railway, and we’ll all pray.” Mr J. Grimmond (Westland County Councd) emphasised the views of previous speakers. With the railway through, timber could be carried for 3s 8d per 100 ft, as against 5s Id seaborne, and coal at 11s 9d a ton, against 16s. From the West Coast point of view their isolation was intensified by the fact that it was impossible to get boats into the rivers except at Westport and Greymouth. The railway would tap country which could supply the colony’s failing timber supplies, produce unlimited c-oal, and open up vast stretches of agricultural land. Mr W. H. Cooper (Christchurch City Council) said his Council had passed a resolution approving speedy construction of the line, as a good work from every point of view. He was glad to hear of the Coast’s possibilities in the matter of land settlement. If they could get coal to Canterbury by the line at 4s per ton less than seaborne, that in itself was a strong argument for its construction. He hoped tbe Premier, in his wisdom, would advise his colleagues to get the work completed as early as possible. Mr T. H. Davey, M.H.R., apologised for the absence of Mr G. Witty and Mi’ C. A. C. Hardy, both of whom were in unqualified sympathy with the movement. Other speakers pointed out that 180,000 people (comprising Canterbury and Westland) were represented by the deputation, and all were united in urging the Government to complete this railway, so that the East and VV est Coasts might be connected. THE PREMIER’S REPLY. The Premier, in reply, said he was pleased to see unity amougst people whose interests were identical, and he hoped, that this unity would be to the advantage not only of the several districts represented, hut for the good of the whole colony. Looking back ever a quarter of a century, there was one thing he regretted, and that was that the' line was not completed years ago. Another matter for regret was that other lines which were commenced after this one, and whose importance did not transcend the importance of this, would be completed befoi'e this connection was made. It was a misfortune that ever the construction of this line was handed over to a private company. He could, look hack with pleasure to the fact that he was drawn into it, but it was always against his com-mon-sense. He recognised that whilst other railways were being made by the colony, it would be a mistake to bring in a private company, and if this line had been continued under the public works policy initiated by Sir Julius Vogel, the line would'have been completed years ago. The company put back the construction of the railway by ten years. Canterbury, Westland, arid Nelson members were showing very good sense in joining hands in this deputation. He did not hesitate to say that, taking into consideration the revenue received from Canterbury and Westland, it had a stronger claim than any part of New Zealand for expenditure on public works. \ He thought they would live to see people making the round trip—from Canterbury to Westland, through to Nelson, and thence by ferry boat to Wellington. (Hear, hear.) The deputation was only doing what had . been done for Auckland and for other parts of tbe colony. They asked him to represent to his colleagues the necessity there was for more expedition being used in the carrying on of the Midland railway. Very well, he agreed with them, for lie thought himself that it ought to be gone on with more expeditiously. (Hear, hear.) Going into detail, he thought it was not generally known that there were four points at which work was proceeding at present — Nelson-Tadmore valley at one end, Reefton-Inangahua junction at the other, and the Otira Gorge and Springfield ends. If they were to construe this railway as other railways were construed, it would mean four different lines and four different votes, but it

had been all proposed under the bead of “ Midland railway,” and tbe fact that there were four different points of construction going on made the total amount very small as compared with the amount to he done. However, these works would be proceeded with. He might tell them that the intentions of the Government in respect to tho tunnel wore these—a contract had been let to Mr O’Connor for the necessary bridges, which would bring the lino right up to the mouth of the tunnel. Preparation had also been made for calling for tenders to form the tunnel itself, subject to the approval of Parliament, and the conclusion the Government had arrived at, whilst not questioning the policy of constructing public works by the co-operative system, was, that this was a class of work that, ought to be let as a whole to contractors to do. (Hear, hear.) The Government was having plans prepared, and haying investigation made, so that when the conditions of contract came to be settled they would know where the electrical power was to bo derived from. With all due deference to Mr Petrie, the working of the tunnel would have to be done by electricity. He was sorry his colleague the Minister of Works was not able to be present; the fact was, be was putting on tho finishing touch to the. Public Works Statement, and he was, with the approval of his colleagues, in a position to forestall tho Statement by stating that the tunnel would be constructed by contract. Next year it was hoped that the journey between Christ church and the West Coast would be done in a -day. If not before tbe opening of the Christchurch Exhibition, then during the time it was opened it was hoped to have the North Island Main Trunk finished to two points, so that people could get as far as Wellington, overland from Auckland, take the ferry boat to Lyttelton, and in a day from Christchurch reach the West Coast. There was only a certain amount of public money available for works, and there must be fair allotment. While there would be for all the railways a fair allocation, he thought, in view of the small expenditure on the Midland railway during the last few years as compared with the expenditure on the Otago Central and North Island Main Trunk lines, if there was a little more spent on the Midland railway the most fastidious could not complain. We were pledging the colony’s credit- for a million ; we had £600,000 transferred from the Consolidated Fund, and there was £BOO,OOO over from last year, so that he was not as anxious regarding the Public Works Estimates as some members of the House were. He was glad to see unity with respect to the Midland railway, and he would say that the Westland, Canterbury, and Nelson provinces had always been liberal in their views in the matter of expenditure of public money in other parts of the colony. The question was what was for the good of the colony, and in view of what the people of Westland and Canterbury were entitled to, he did not think that it would be asking too much to get the tunnel through and the communication made within the next six years. (Hear, hear.) It was estimated that the tunnel could be put through in five years, but there were difficulties that might arise, and if it was put through in six years it would be well. It all depended upon money, and he hoped the colony would keep faith with the West Coast-, Canterbury, and Nelson. He believed the line would be one of the best paying lines in the colony. (Applause.) The delegates, before withdrawing, expressed their warm thanks to Mr Seddon.