THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2388, 7 December 1899, Page 13

THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

On the 15th November tho executive of tha Otago Central Railway League sent out a circular note to those contesting seats in tho Otago district with respect to the expenditure of moneys voted by. Parliament. The questions .to which a reply was invited were: —

j 1. Are you satisfied with the treatment thai' I the Otago Central railway has received at tha ; £ an as of the successive Governments that have been in office since its construction com- ! menced? 2. Will you support and insist upon the rapid completion of the railway to Clyde, so that it may be open for traffic -within .the nexi two yedrs? . < ! 3. Jio you., approve of • large portions of the votes for this work, being, allowed year aftei year to lapse? . - , 4. Will you pledge ><raraelf.'that,:if elected' a member of tho Houseof Representatives, you will. .bring pressure to bear upon ''the Govern-ment.-with a view to the • construction- of the Tailway being vigorously prosecuted; ana,. with that-tjbject, make it a condition of your* supnort ( that ample financial provision ba made for the work? The following replies had been received up to Friday afternoon: — Mr Alexander Sligo.— (1) lam not satisfied, and never will, till all (or any) Governments realise that it is a duty incumbent on them to expend the appropriations made by I Parliament or show "valid reasons in every case for not doing so. (2) I will do everything irf my power to assist towards that end. (3) .Neither in respect to the Otago Central railway nor any other work do I approve of this. Generally speaking, votes should not be on the Estimates if they are not intended to be spent, and parliamentary proceedings should not be made a farce. (4) I will endeavour to impress on the Government the absolute necessity for the vigorous prosecution of the work, and to convince "Ministers of its desirability believing, as I do, that it is the most important railway work now in hand in the whole colony. I shall condemn and oppose the neglect to make ample provision on the -part of any Government. I cannot undertake to promise to support a Government solely on tht ground of their doing their duty by making ample provision. Mr C. E. Chapman.— (l) In regard to the treatment that the Otago Central Railway has received at the hnnds of tho successive Governments that have been in office, I have only to say that had the amounts beeD expended which had been allocated towards thia des'ited work it would have been completed by this time; and as for your members in Parliament, ■ you have them only to thank- "for this. (2) "Yes, and will endeavour to secure its compjetion to Wanakn. (3) No. (4) I will do ali;in my power to further the object set forth in- thij h clause. _, , Mr J. F. Arnold. — (1) No, I am not; (2J Yes, I shall use my influence to bring about that result. (3) No, I consider that all sums voted should be expended within the financial year for which' they were voted/ (4) This incjucles two questions. My answer to the firab is in the affirmative. With regard to the second, I shall not make my support or otherwise of any Government conditional on any single question.

Mr ,C. Haynes.— (l) Consider Governments have not realised the importance of this railway. (2) Will insist on the completion of the line at the earliest date. (3) Most decidedly not. (4) "Will do-all that lies in my power to have the work vigorously prosecuted.

Mr J. White. — (1) No; I think the construction has been most unduly delayed. (2) Yes; I will endeavour to insist upon the rapid completion of the work, which, I understand, need not occupy two years. (3) No. (4) As to thefirst part of tho question, yes. As to the second part ot the question, I will not make any such condition with this or any Government.

Mr A. R. Babclay.— (l) No, I certainly am hot. lam informed that it actually costs more to land a ton of dredging material from Dunedin in Cromwell than it does to carry it to Siberia, in Russia — a state of things that i 8 simply monstrous. • (2) I think this is quite reasonable, and -will support to the best of my ability the proposal. (3) Certainly not. (4) I am very willing to pledge myself to the first part of this question, but I cannot go so fax as to absolutely pledge myself to the lattei part, though I feel most strongly on the eubject. ' ..'"."

The Bishop of Oxford has appointed Sip Wm R. Anson, Bart., D.C.L., Warden of All Souls' College, Oxford University, to be Chancellor of the diocese of Oxford.

"Standard" Bone Manure i» tlie.mo3t popular of JBono Manures an the market. Ifc is rich in ammonia, also phosphate of lime. Is in iine condition aud of eaiv di&lribuiioa.— . NlilllO AND BLAIfi. ,