OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12447, 2 September 1902, Page 2

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The monthly meeting of the Otago Coutral Railway League was held last evening, and attended by Messrs \V. Burnett (chairman), A. Bafchgate, H. ¥. Nec-s, T. W. Kempthorne, W. Barron, L. Oards, J. Jolly, jun., and L. D. Maegeorge. ,Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Raltray, I''clb, Tonkin, Howden, and Brown. A number of replies were received in answer to the following circular Bent by the Chairman on behalf of the executive of the league to the various local authorities interested : — Enclosed I beg to hand you a copy of a circular that speaks for itself. My league is willing to do its best for the Otago Central line, but feels that its influence will be strengthened by'the active co-operation of residents in the interior, who naturally should feel more interest in the active prosecution of the line than dwellers in Dunedin. The North Island M.H.R.'s and thoir constituents are making a determined effort, to divert the wholo of the proposed loan of £1,750,000 towards the construction of North Island railways, and the seeming apathy of the inhabitants of Otago is materially assisting them. May I, therefore, ask you to convene a public meeting of those interested in the construction of the Otagd Central railway, and pass such resolutions as may assist us to combat the arguments of the North Island M.H.R.'s, and secure to- Otago a fair share of the proposed loan. The Town Clerk, Alexandra, wrote forwarding copies of resolutions passed at a publio meeting, and intimating that copies had been forwai-ded to Mr Bonnet, M.H.R. for Tuapeka, soliciting hig assistance. The following are the resolutions: — (1) That this meeting of settlers in the Alexandra and ilanuherikia. districts respectfully urg-es on tho Government the great necessity that exists for pushing on the Otago Central railway to Alexandra, where it will materially assist in developing not only the dredging industry, but also the permanent industries of farming and fruit-growing. This meeting, believing that the G-overnment of the colony is desirous of assisting settlement work and securing quicker communication with the eeaboard for the people of Central Otago, would most respectfully urge on the Hon. the Minister of Public Works to place on the Estimates a sum sufficient to construct the railway to Alexandra, within a reasonable time. While it is gratifying to learn that a large area of land in the Matakamii district is being resumed by the Government for closer settlement, yet it Would be much more encouraging to intending settlers wero they assured of a Teady mea.ns of conveying their produce to the seaboard. . (2) l'hat this meeting views with alarm and indignation the efforts of the North Island members of the House to secure a disproportionate amount of the vote which the Government is placing this year on the Estimates for railway purposes. This meeting respectfully urges upon the Hon. the Minister of Public Works to strenuously oppose any injustice to the Otago Central railway, whicil is a work of eq'iwl importance to the North Island Trunk railway. , (3) That this meeting would respectfully pointed out to the Hon. the Minister of Publio Works thai the pastoral, agricultural, mining, and fruit-growing industries have received but scant recognition from the Government. We would respectfully urge on the Government to open up more land for settlement, and assist the industries named, which more or less languish for want of cheaper and quicker communication with the seaboard. Further, this meeting would respectfully point out to the Hon. the Minister that this year alone there have been planted out more than GOOO fruit trees on the new settlements on Earnscleugh, near Alexandra. This has been done by fruitgrowers in anticipation of the Government fulfilling its promises to have the railway finished to Alexandra at an early date. (4) That tho undue delay in completing the Otago Central railway is retarding the development of a very large area o£ auriferous country. Quartz .reefs are known to exist carrying payable gold, which cannot be profitably worked solely owing to the fact that the cost of carrying ' timber and mining plant is too heavy; likewise tho fruit-grower, whose produce firds a ready market in , the. large centres, has his profits swallowed up in the cost of carriage to the railway terminus. Tho Clerk of th© Vincent County Council wrote stating that a'telegram, had been sent to members representing the electoral districts in which tho county was situated strongly protesting; against suoh an injustice as mentioned in the letter from tho league. Resolutions would no doubt bo passed , at the next meeting of the County Council. Mr E. C. Cutteu, Mayor of Naseby, wrote that he would be glad to call a. publio mooting to pass resolutions as suggested, .but that, as far as'Naijeby was concerned, there" was ato eelf-interest to act as a spur in inducing assistance. The railway waS past them, now. and its effect considered by some to be if anything detrimental. He would suggest that the chairman and other speakers from Dunedin should attend the mfc-eting. ' Mr H. E. Stevens wrote stating that a branch of the league had been formed at Clyde, tire membership of whioh promised to be a strong One, and much enthusiasm was displayed. It wa<3 the intention ef tho brn.noh to mpet monthly about a week prior to th© meetings of the Dune-din League, and information aa to progress would be forwarded. ' The following resolution bad been forwarded to Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Bennet, M.H.lt.:—" It having come to the knowledge of this league that tho North iplfeilcL iriemberfl have mitde a. very strong attempt to get rnon; than a fair share of the loan monoy expended in the North • Island, to the disadvantage of th-o Otago Central railway, this ■ league respectfully asks the Government to gee that a fair share is apportioned to the Otago Central railway with a vicvf to pushing it ou to speedy completion. Tho future prosperity of Central QtagO depends more and more every year on the completion of the railway. The dredging industry, also mining, farming, and fruit-growing are all languishing for want of railway communication with tho seaboard." Mr Stevens also wrote that at a very wella.ltended meeting at Ophir the. following resolution had been pawed:—"'That the haulage over the range to the present terminus means a handicap of 30s per ton, and this moeiins respectfully ur<jds that a sufficient sum be placed on the Estimates for the more vigorous construction of the Otago Central railway." Mr D. Uriiuhart. Hawoa Flat, wrote- that nfc a public meeting hold on July 26 he was directed to forward resolutions to the following effect ns bearing indirectly on the Otago Central railway:—"That the Government bo urged to Consider tlip vital importance to the district of having the Ben-digo-Matakaimi road constructed without delay, and that ns part of the rood was now constructed and quite useless till the whole was finished, the Crovernmenfc be asked to place on the Estimates thfe session a suflicient sum to complete the' road. That the Olutha Valley was eminently adapted for stock-raising purposes, but the industry could not now be carried on to any extent for want of a market; this difficulty would be. rw.edicd by the construction of the Ben-digo-Matakamti road, which would place the furthest extremity of the CJlutha Valley within two days of the railway; that the cost of construction of r.he above road would bf> only, equal to or lea? than the cost of construction of one mile of railway, or otherwise would only retard the construction of onp miio of .railway, while conferring the incalculable advantage of bringing the railway 40 mile? nearer the' Olutha Valley settlers; that the Otago Central Railway League be requested to us© their influence in petting the Bendigo-Matakamii road constructed via Thompson's G-orge." It was resolved 1 to reply that the matter was outside the rcopo of the league, who. while in sympathy with the settlers, conld not see tlifir way to move in the matter. Mr T. Spain, the league's representative, wrote from Ida Valley that since hia last report practically no progress had been made with any portion of tho work. A few men had dribbled up, and the number employed was something between 150 and 200. Work on the Poolburn viaduct was hung up, but the cylinder* for the> Maimherikia bridge were being put down. Nothing in the. way of plate-laying had been started, and thoro would apparently be no further length opened for a considerable timo. Tho ehort

piece that the department wero going to layto the Poolburn Creftk would be of no use except to carry material for the viaduct. It would not even obviate the carting of bricks for tho tunnel. There was no doubt that tho Minister'* promise of opening to Alexandra in a ehort time would not be fulfilled, and it was also olear that the bridges were always the cause of tho delay. Ho would Kugge3t that every endeavour be made to get the remaining two bridges put in 'hand,- if not now, at all ©vents immediately the two now in hand wcro finished. Otherwise tho .°ame obstruction would take place at Chatto Creek Bβ ivae now hanging up tho line there, and exactly the same thing had occurred at Kokonga four years ajjo. It was-resolved that a copy of Mr Spain's letter and copies of the resolutions given above be gent to the City members and to Messrs Fraser and Bennet, M.H.R.'s. There wao no further btisiness.