OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11574, 7 November 1899, Page 2

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The^ regular meeting of the committee o! the Gtago Central Railway League was held in thft Chamber of Commerce last evening, when 'there were present—Messrs W. Barron (in thfe chair), J. Carroll, *J." Jolly, jun., G. Howdien T. W. Kempthorne, T. K. Harty, and Tf. Brown. An apology was received for ''absenije from Mr A. rßathgate.

Mr Sligo wrote under date October 18'-that he and Mr Scobie Mackenzie waited on'the Minister for Public /Works to obtain information, concerning' the 'position of the work-on the Otago Central line: .-' The Minister informecjl them that the Government were. anxioiis to push the work forward as rapiuly as possible, and desired-to fully utilise the .vote Af the session—£6o,ooo. He mentioned that <50 extia carpenters,.etc., had been sent up; that the Ida Valley section was being taken, vigorously in hand, and would ; be prosecuted with despatch. That most of the culverts were put in 'hand,' and the majority, of them Eearly finished; and that the new vote Should go a: long way towards putting through the Poolburn-Gorge work, etc. The Wedderbiirn station building, lie said,' was not yet in hand, but; would be attended to, in time to enable the line to be opened to that place when completed.'1 -The Eweburn bridge contractor would not complete his work"; to; contract time, but would be some months behind. Finally the Minister informed them: that he had riot full information as. to the1 present position of the works, but would send at once and obtain the latest and'fullest particulars; and would supply them later oil. ;lhe Government made the most of the excuse" for the short spending of last year's;:votenamely, _the uncertainty1 about the •reservoir at Ida Valley, arid the; possible change''ofroute for the railway, which it Had now been decided should not take place. - The; Writer hoped that further and more precise information promised would soon be available, r ; This further information, fr was mentioned ,' had- not yet been received; and the secretaryalso stated that he had it on very gobd'autho-: rity that the culverts in the Ida Valley were barely started; so that'the .Minister must'have b'een-miataken in his statement. • - The Chairman said that at last meeting a committee was appointed to drawutfa series of questions to be submitted to the candidates for Parliament, asking them what course; they proposed !t6 take in"'regard to the railway. These questjbns, he read. After some amendment the questions and an introductory' circular to accompany' them were approved ~ix> the' following; form:—>*'•• :-'■ ' ?•'"-':.'. '■->/•_"

The council of the Otago Central Railway" .League respectfully beg to bring under your notice, as a candidate for election to the House of Representatives, the question of the expenditure of money voted for the Otago Central railway. Already Ihe votes unexpended ■ ana lapsed would more than complete the whole lino (last year over JE22,000 lapsing out of £10,000 voted). All Governments have been to' blame in this connection, and as the council of the >ague are of opinion that the continuation of such -a polipy ahould not be tolerated longer, we shall be glad to receive from.you in' due course answers to the questions on the ac-" companying slip. It is, we feel sure,' quite unnecessary to point out on this' occasion .the importance of forwarding the construction of tho Otago Central railway line, as whatever 1 opinion may have been held before, it has now * I become a necessity for the help and advancoraenl.not alone of "the settlers, to whom'it was pro- - .mised over 20 years ago,-but of. the mining'" industry, which has entered upon a new era ! by reason of the already great development Ie dredging, ivhich give's every promise of permanency and still further extension.

Are you satisfied with the treatment that the Otago Central railway has received at the hands' of tho successive Governments that have been in office since its construction commenced? Do you approve of large portions "of the votes for this work being allowed year after year ta lapse? Will you support and insist upon the rapid completion of .the railway to" Clyde," so that it may be open for traffic ■within the next two years' 'Will you pledge yourself that, if elected' a~ member of the House of Representatives, you will bring pressure to bear upon the Government with a view to the construction of the rajiway, being vigorously prosecuted; and, with'that object, make it a' condition of your support" that ample financial provision be made for the work? '■ '

It was unanimously resolved that the' foregoing' questions and the accompanying circular be print 3d, and conies forwarded to all the Otago candidates for parliamentary honours'; plso to 'the branches of the" league and to' municipal officials in localities tapped by the line.