OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13889, 29 April 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY

OPENING OF THE ALEXANDR ACLYDE SECTION.

CLYDE, April 2.

The long-awaited opening of the Olago Central railway at Clyde took place to-day under the most favourable condition?. The weather Wos worthy of the best traditions of this sunny portion of the province, and the pleasant little town 'of Clyde, famous for i 1.3 fruit and salubrity, was the fceus to which wero attracted crowds of people from as far off as Dunedin on tho one hand and Hawea and Ihe Lakes districts*on- the other, 'Practically every town and settlement along tho lino of tho railway between Middleman)!) and Clyde was well represented, and a strong contingent of Cromwell citizens was' in attendance. The preparations at Clyde for the formal opening of the lino by the Acting 'Primo Minister (tho Hon. Mr Hall-Jones) wero of the Completest. kind. Tho Acting Primo Minister described the celebration as one that was not of merely loon! interest, but one, in which the whole of Central Otaiyo was qaking pa-rr. It was indeed a red-letter day for Central Olago — (Applause.) Ho was pleased to hear tho chairman's reference to that ardent advocate of the railway; tho late Mr Vincent Pykc, a man who always recognised tlio future of this part of tho colony. Thoy were sometimes told that thev had no dairying country equal to that of Taranaki, and that, tliey had not the best of land for shop.)); hut tliey had in Central Otasro land' which was capable of being utilised, not Only for their own benefit, but for Iho good of the colony as a. whole.—(Applause.) The late Mr Vincent Pyke had the forethought to sec this, and in season and out of season ho urged before Parliament and before tho country the need for jnceting tho requirements of the settlers. After a reference to (he fruit-bearing qualities of the Clyde district. Mr Kali-Tones went on to point out that 28 years had passed since the late Mt Vincent, Pykc turned the first sod of the Central Ota-go railway. Ife was almost shockcd •as he camo alons ;n the train when Mr Barron, an ex-chairman of the. Otago' Central Railway League, showed him a circular which made it, clear that the wicked Ministers of those days—in the dai-s when the first sod was tnhied—actually, promised that the railway should .be opened l to Wanaka by 1884.—(Laughter.)

FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE LTNE. Hero they were in 1907, and tho railway had got, as far as Clyde. "And now," the Minister continued, "that we have got to Clyde what I want to know is, are you going any further? When are you' going further?"—(Loud applause, and a. Voice: "That's the question; rub it in.") There was one thing it was essential for a Minister to cultivate. He must cultivate a judicial mind. He must not permit himself to be prejudiced'by persons against a wo?k without giving other persons an opportunity of giving their reasons for the extension of the work. /Both sides to a. question must bo heard, and in this way it was possible to arrivo at a satisfactory decison. If lie were to speak to them in confidence he should tell them that he believed the railway would go beyond Clyde—(applause) hut, as lie had said during tho session, and' to everyone who hail spoken to him upon the matter, no decision would be como to until he had had nil opportunity of meeting the people in the district and giving thorn the opportunity of placing their views before him. These views, and his. own opinioli, would go before {he Cabinet, and the Cabihet would make their recommendations to Parliament as to tho future of tho line.—(Applatisc.) Teii years after the first sod was turnbd 28 years ago tho first scction was opened to Hindon. a. section some 163 miles from Wingatui. The line wae opened in vaviovk scetions oh to Hyde. Then ho became Minister of Publio Works. Lot them contrast the 163 miles in 10 years before lie became Minister with tlio distance between Hyde and Clyde, which had been opened during 11 years of his. term of office. Seventy miles of the' railway had 'teen opened since ho bccamo Mihistcr of Public AVorks—(Applause.)