OTAGO RAILWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13210, 17 February 1905, Page 4

OTAGO RAILWAYS.

The most important point about the opening of the Heriot-Edievale section of tho Tapanui branch railway is tho fact that it materially facilitates the transport of fruit from the Toviot district to tho seaboard by reducing the distanco it lias to bo carted before it call bo railed to market. When work was first commenced 011 this section a rather acrimonious controversy was carried 011 respecting tile route, and there are a good many who still hold the opinion that the district- would luve bob much better served had the extension been carried on to the Jloa Plat Estate instead of diverting it in tho direction of Ike's Junctiou. Hut tiie Government adhered to its decision to take the line to Edievale, which, in the fulness of time, has become the terminus of an important branch railway. The expected diversion of tho Teviot trade from the Lawrence branch to the Tapanui branch will 110 doubt stir the Tnapelca people into activity, ahdiagitation for the construction of the authorised extension of the Lawrence line will not be lacking in the near future; Last session Parliament authorised the carrying of the Lawenoe branch railway through to Beaumont, and when this section is completed tho Roxburgh traiiic must revert to the old route, for the railage to Duliedin wolild then he only 73 miles as compared to I'lOi via Edievale. The saving of 37i miles must be a consideration if it is correct, sis Sir Bennetts, of Roxburgh, states, that it costs twice as much to. land fruit 111 Duiiediii front Roxburgh as it does to bring it over from Tasmania'by steamer. The Hon. the Minister at the opening cel'einony at Edievale felt constrained to vindicate Ills position and the position of nis Department on the subject Of the Otago Central railway, and apparently is satisfied in the knowledge tlmt during his 1() years of office as Minister of Pubiio Works ho has carried the Otago Central along at tho rate of six.miles a year. While conceding "a Considerable measure of personal industry in the administration of his Department to Mr HalUJoiieSj we do nbt- think tlie record of six miles of railway construction per annum a particularly striking oiie, and; iiild the Gbveriuiidiit .expended anything j

liko the actual amount voted for this line from year to year, instead of adding 60 miles'to-it in 10 years tho Public Works Department might liavb ridded at least 100. On the subject of the Manuhcrikia bridge, the Minister assures us that plans for it.are in hand, and that there will be no dchiy through the lino having to wait oil bridge construction. That may be so, particularly if the progess of the line is as tardy in tho future as it has been in the past; ..but on several occasions we had the distinct undertaking of Mr 1 Hall-Jones that the line was to have been in Alexandra by a certain date, • and had the track work been pushed, forward with this end in view the time required for 'tho.construction of the Manorblini viaduct and the Manuherikin bridge, would certainly have prevented the Minister keeping faith with the people of the district. But apparently sis miles per annum is all we cau expect from tho Government iis far as the Otago Central railway is concerned, awl it is a very simple calculation to estimate how long it will be before the platelayers get into the town of Alexandra, which is still some 16 miles aWay from tho terminus. Tho Minister claims to have done more for the Otago Central than any previous Minister of Public Works, and, while this- may be true enough, it must bo remembered that he has had a much lGiiger lease of the office than most Ministers who may liavo been at one time or another entrusted with the administration of the Department of Public Works. We have no desire to disparage Mr Hall-Jones, for, as we liavo already stated, we fully recognise the zeal and conscientiousness lie displays in the performance of his duties, and we can quite believe, as lie suggests, that if lie had the funds lie would procccd witli railway construction much more vigorously than he is able to do at present. But the welfare of Otago is bound up with the development of tho interior, and it is of vital importance to us that it should be opened up by means of railway communication, so that far-away Bottlers may not be handicapped as they are at present. The people of this province are, therefore, quite justified in seeking by every means in ijlieir power to intluenco tho Government to give special attention to the requirements of Otago, and it is only by being persistent that they can show that they are very much in earnest in the matter.