A RAILWAY WANTED.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5669, 17 August 1905, Page 2

A RAILWAY WANTED.

AIARLBOROUGH RKQVEST. SOUTH ISLAND AIAIN TRUNK LINE. A deputation representing the Marlborough Land and Railway League. Ihe Blenheim Borough Councß. the Pictou Borough Council. the Blenheim Chamber of Commerce. '.lie Blenheim Agneulumil and Pastoral As.-ocia.licm. (lie Wairau Road Board, the Relents Road .Board, the Spring Creek Road Board, the Onmka Ruud Hoard, mid the Awntoro Road Board interviewed the Premier and the Hon Mr Jlall-Jones, Mini-tor for Public Works, last night, in reg trd to the extension from Sodden of tlio South Island Main Trunk lino. Tho Hon Air Mills introduced the denotation.

Air R, F. Gonltor, on behalf of tho Land and Railway Loaguo curd the public bodies of Marlborough, thanked tho Government for its progressive land policy in that district. J'ho policy had been a great and decided success. He had never known the province in a more jjrosporous condition, and it was due to thp Government’s policy of land settlement. Now that tho Flaxbonrne matter had been settled, the extension of tho railway lino to that place should ho pushed on us soon as possible, and they had come to ask for a large vote to be placer! on the Public Works .Estimates for the purpose. Mr R. McCollum argued that tho work ■would be for the benefit of the whole colony. The agitation for tho lino hud been discontinued two years ago at the request of the Premier. Tho foresight which led Mr Seddon to make tho request had been justified. They had wailed faithfully, and now they came to speak again. The Flaxbourno settlers were amongst the finest bodies of men that the Government had placed upon tho land. It would be good policy to ■ push on tho line. Ho could as-uro the Minister for Public Works that there would ho only one or two bridges required, and there was only one bad cutting. Air G. Edwards said the opening up of tho Clarence Valley would be of groat advantage to settlement. It would carry a great many more sheep than at present, and was a wonderful country for fruit-growing.

Air G. Gunn stated that as a resident of the Seddon district, bo know how difficult tho present conditions were for tho settlers. of Flaxbourne. They looked for a lino from Seddon to Blaxhourno at the earliest possible time. He thought two years should seo the lino at Flaxbourne, if vigour was shown in construction.

Air Gillen spoke of the bad state of the roads from Seddon to Flaxbourne, and said lie was satisfied the Government would not have acquired Flaxbourne if it was not intended to remove disadvantages to Hie settlers. Air Rutherford, AI.H.E., said no money had heen expended on tho Seddon section of the South Island Alain Trunk lino for the paso two years, and it was time some was spent there. ,Ho know tho necessity for it. Tho time would come when they would have a through line. He pointed out the great possibilities of the fruit-growing industry in Hie Clarence A T alley—the bulk of which was Crown land. Mr Hall-Jones recognised the importance of what the deputation had advanced, but the Government was doing a lot of work at Cheviot on the line, and lie would be very foolish to say that work should be stopped there and more work gone on with at the other end. He suggested that those uiging extension should follow the example of tho Central Otago people, and .ask for gradual extension. They •should get the line to Flaxbourne first. Tho Government had been pushing forward tho Alain Trunk line step by step. Ho wanted to see the work go ahead reasonably this year, and at a quicker rate next year. It was all a question of finance, and it was going to cost over a million of money to make both ends of tho lino meet. That would have to be spread over a few years. To carry the line to Flaxbourne would cost something like £35,000. Ho hoped to have the work done with reasonable speed. Tho work had been started, and the number of men employed would gradually he increased. _He would bo glad to see the- line right through. Air Seddon said there had always bee.i a good and kindly feeling between himself and representative men of Alarlborough. Air Alills was most persistent, and in connection with the present deputation had worried him considerably. He (Air Seddon) recognised that the people of Alarfborough ha-1 a claim upon the Government, seeing that they had stood by and allowed tho Government to get Flaxbourne at a reasonable price. , When a community had shown such a patriotic spirit it was the duty of tho Government to help it with a needed railway construction that had been voluntarily shelved for tho Government’s benefit, _ When tho allocation of money was in hand this year he would not look with disfavour upon any fair proposal made by tho Minister for Public M orks in connection with the deputation’s request. Recognition must he given to the fact that increasing population must be provided for. That part of tho colony between Cheviot and Blenheim was country that could take a lot of settlement—it had great possibilities. It would bo good for fruit-growing, and the Government must do something in respect to stopping the importation of fruit to this country to a large extent.' Ha did not want settlement to' go ahead without roads in the future as it had done in tho past. That had entailed groat hardships upon the first settlers, and they had been penalised to a degree almost appalling.