THE LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13250, 5 April 1905, Page 5

THE LAWRENCE-ROX-BURGH RAILWAY.

MEETING OF CTPRESENTATIA'E ' CITIZENS.

DEPUTATION TO PROCEED TO ROXBURGH.

A meeting convened by Mr E. Tamblyn on behalf of the Lawrence-Roxburgh Bailway League was held, in tho Chamber of Commerco yesterday afternoon, when thero were present—Messrs It. M. Clark, president of the chamber (in the chair), H. D. Bedford, M.H.R., J. A. Millar, M.H.R., James Allen, M.H.R., D. Eeid, M.H.R., W. Gow, C. W. Rattray, G. Fenwick, John Moloney, D. E. Theomin, L. R. Wilson, J. H. Nimtno, J. M. Gallaway, ,T. 13. Waters, P. Ban',' A. Moritzson, T. S. Culling, L. Harris, — Patterson, E. Tamblyn, and several others.

Tho Chaif-man said the meeting had been called for the purpose .of endeavouring to forward the interests of the Lawrence-Rox-bugli railway. It was needless, at. that meeting, to point out the advantages that would accrue to the city and the province from tlio construction of this lino. Some effort on the part of Dunedin citizens was urgently necessary; if no effort was made, and Dunedin considered it could do without the trndo pf the Lawrence-Roxburgh district, it would show a remarkable apathy. 110 then road apologies of absence .from Messrs .Toliii Roberts, C.M.0., G. L. Denniston, .T. I' 1 . Arnold, M.H.R., M. Cohen, and T. Mackenzie,- M:II.B. Tho following letter from Roxburgh, addressed to.Mr.L. B. Wilson, was then read to the meeting: — Dear Sir.—The Invercargill people are determined to do all they possibly can to get the Eilievale section pushed on to Roxburgh. A large number of influential men have decided lo.conle to Roxburgh on the 11th April, and a public meeting will be addressed by several of them. * They are advertising in tho local paper, and aleo circularising the district, with a view to having a full "meeting,"when they will be prepared to fully discuss the pros and cons, iind they hope to'satisfy the residents here that railway extension connecting with Invercargill via Waipahi will be more to the advantage of this district than tlie extnnsion from Lawrence. Mr .Tack, the secretary of tlio local branch of tho Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway League, was deputed to wait 011 a few gentlemen ill Dunedin and talk over matters with thorn, with a viow to establishing a brunch of our letsgue in Dunedin. The feeling of members of the league here is that we should not throw in our lot with the Otago Central League, as lias been suggested from Dunedin, but rather that we should endeavour to secure llin assistance of prominent business men in Punedin to from a branch of our league there. I necdmot point out to yon that it is ot tho utmost importance that somo immediate steps he taken to discounteminco the attempt of the Southland people to deprive Dunedin of the trade of this district. The loAguo here intends to hold firmly to the decision to get the line from Lawrence. At the same time we think we should receive some encouragement from Dunedin, otherwise we may find that it will be easier to listen to the wooing of the Southland people. If some, tiling is Done at nnce it will largely nullify any atfeinnla of the Invercargill people to capture this dis'ricl. You can understand that many of the people hero are ready _ to be led either way, and it would be a pity ii we l&st all Ihe ground gained from the recent visit of tho Hon. the Minister of Piiblio Wo'ks to this district, when he could plainly see that we were practically unanimous in favour of the Lawrence extension.

Mr Tamblyn sit id ho. had called the meeting at the request of Mr Bennetts, chairman of tlie LauTonee-Roxbungh Railway League, who had bcqn asked hy tho league to approach Duneilin people and see if some action could not be taken. The objcot of calling the mooting was, if possible, to elect a provisional commilteo wlueJi would arrange for tho calling of a public meeting. Seeing that time was precious and it was necessary for Dunedin to be represented in Roxbutah' on April 11 to counteract the efforts of tho Southland people, ho suggested a publio meeting on Friday night. A (provisional committee might to formed to call that mwtincf and arrange details. Mr .Tames Allen, M.11.R., said it seemed to him that n provisional committee would hardly mast the necessities of the case. He thought the meetinif should solect u committee which would endeavour to secure a .certain number of gentlemen to represent the city in Roxburgh. If left to a public meeting it would bo altogether too late. He thought tliis mailer was ono of Hipremn importance. Dune-din 1 did. not seem to realist* the 'importance of it. and already converts had been made in Roxburgh to the oilier line, and tiio reason had been the absolute apathy of Dunedin over tho line. If Dimedin thought this extension could ho nsplected altogether and tnat ihc lino was of no importance to tho commercial prestige of Dunedin, then it was a most marvellous decision 1 for Dunedin to arrive at. Tf it was desired to have a public meeting in Dunedin, that could be done afterwards. As to a Lawrence-Roxburgh Ra-ilway Loapruo in Dunedin, that opened up a new question altogether. He.was rather in favouo of the Otaco League lining formed by his Worship the' Mayor-one hi? league to advocate the claims of the whole province. There were too many small league-;, and there were very many matters beside raihvovs coming within tho scope of 'tho Otago League. Mr A. Moritsson said the- time was very short. He suggested that a committee eh' Mild be formed lay the meet-iiif?. In answer to a question. Mr Tamblyn said the meeting on April 11 had been called by tho Southland dopuation, which was hiring tho hall. Mr R. Fenwiclc said ho was in favour of calling a meeting in Roxburgh earlier than April 11. 'Tho Mayor of Roxburgh might be communicated with and asked to call a meeting foil Mondyv night next to receive the Duneilin deputation. He did not think tho Dunedin deputation would bo in a wroiiT position if it got into the field first: lie did not like tho idea of attending tlie SouHilam) s»ein{? it v;as cal-ott liv the Southland people; Ho 'rwved"Tliat, in tho opinion of this meeting, it is desirable that step l ! should he at. once taken to place the I'laims of Dunedin for through railway communication with Roxburgh before t.iio nroplo of tba TV-viot district, aud that, with a view to this being done, tho Mavor of Roxburgh be requested to call a public meeting on Monrlr.v liijrllt for tho purpose of hearing delegates from the Dunedin business community." This was seconded bv Mr Allen, M.H.R., and carried unanimnufilv. On the motion of Mr Femyiek. it was decided to form a coifimittco with power to select delegates, tile committee to consist of tho chairman, the members of Parliament. and Mc?«n T'heomin. L. Harris, L. R. Wil=m. ,T. Molonev, and K Tamblyn. The Chairman said the next business was to consider steps for formation of a Lsii'-reueo-Rev'iurgh Railway League in Dunedin. There soomed some difference of opinion as to whether there would not ho a better chance of success by leaving the nut-tor to tho Otago League rather than by forming e "eniratc league. Row (-aid that matter might be dealt with later, after '.lie deputation had visited Roxburgh. r This question was allowed to stand in abrvance. and the meeting concluded. Tho sub-committee met afterwards, and selected a list of representative commercial and public men, and to-day it, will approach thoso gentlemen with a- view to securing their consent to forming the deputation.