The Otago Central Railway. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 21

The Otago Central Railway. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — It is two years and three months since the extension of the above line was commenced two miles inland from Middlemarch. Six miles and a half farther got the line to Taieri Lake Station. The country traversed was comparatively level, the only impediments being a few clay cuttings and about 10 culverts (the railway people called some of them bridges, but a man with a good old hack could ride over them without much risk to his neck). The six miles and a half new formation is now ballasted, and the unFortunate farmers who took up land 11 years ago in the hopes of seeing this line to their doors in a few years, are now told that they cannot get a pound of goods by it for months to come. Latterly a few trucks of wool were taken down by the ballast engine, but as no back loading would be taken, a waggoner who would have a few hundredweights of goods at Middlemarch would have to go on with his load nine miles beside the railway, making his journey from the interior ope day longer and over a road next to impassable. The down coach on Saturday fortunately escaped a capsize by the passengers jumping off and holding on to it. A station situ is laid off and some timber laid down for weeks past, supped to be intended for station buildings— but there ii; lies. I believe the station buildiugs at H}oe are completed; but if the completion of !ne line to this takes as long as the aecrtcu referred to it will b3 1895 before the 1* miles ara finished.

I thought until lately that we had a progressive Government in office, but my faith in that direction is failing me fast. Not only is there a ecrew loose, but there must be a lot of big bolts in the wrong socket 3. Sir, the insertion of this letter may induce the Railway League to take some action. By-the-bye, it is strange that amongst the tnauy excursions by rail during the holidays none were arranged to the Taieri Lake Station, and give the Dunedin people a chance of seeing the farms on the Strath-Taieri.— l am, &c, SettlEE.