THE PREMIER AND THE AUCKLANDERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2427, 19 September 1900, Page 32

THE PREMIER AND THE AUCKLANDERS.

WELLINGTON, September 15. A deputation of Auckland members waited on the ' Premier on Satmcay in order to a=k for a fair 'hare of public expenditure for the bianch railway- of Vie Auckland provlrco. Mr Monk, who introduced the deputation, laid special stress on the claims of tise HolcnE-ville-northwards line, whicj, he f-aici. was a national work, and absolutely nece--aiy for tho development of the country north ot Auckland. Mr Witheford supported what Mr Monk had 'aid. Mr Bollard said noithern member.-, were very much concerned to notice that the Premier had said that any additional expenditure on the Main Trunk line v ould be at the expense of the northern branc"i hnes. Mr Seddon : " I did ray thai-." Mr Bollard .said he hoped the Premier would not sacrifice the branch lines. Surely he was not going to starve them iv order to give the Mjin Trunk linn more. Mr Monk said he had not referred to this point because he thought the reporters might have made a mistake, and he was concerned to find that the Premier had now confirmed the statement. He hoped Mr Seddon would banish fucJi a thought. Messrs Houston, Palmer, Herrie.-, aud E. Thompson advocated the claims of ihe lines, in which they were specially interested. Mr Massey pointed out the injustice that had been done to the North Island as regards public expenditure in the pa^t. The time had come when jus-tice should be done, and he expected the Government 'to see that it was done. The Premier, in reply, said they were beginning to understand the position better than they did some time ago. If they limited the total amount to be raised, and were going to take a larger sum for any one* work, there was only one thing to be done, and that was to curtail expenditure on other works. He had taken it for gianted that those present had made up their minds to this, and had decided to practise .^elf-abnegation, and to slop their roads and bridges in order tbat there should be increased expenditure on the North Island Trunk line. — (Se/eral Members: "No, no.") What he was reported to have said to a South Island depnip.tion was quite correct: but if the Auckland members now said that whilst thej- wanted the Trunk line to be pu e hed on more exneditioufly, they did not want their own votes cut down, it would make it easiev for him. Air Bollard here stated that they did not ask for £250,000 out of the moneys available, but only wanted a fair share, and asked that the amount should be made up to £250.000 by utilising the p«setp bs'onq-mg to the line. The Premier went on to say that they must evidently go back to the old programme of "as yon were. ' They would provide for the branch lines, and Ftill have enough left for the North Island Trunk without trenching- on the moneys for tho south. The fair thing was that there should be a reasonable increase all lound. giving preference to the North Island Trunk line. In answer to Mr Bollard, the Premier said it would require an aci of Parliament to a.low the Government to utilise the assets, and added : " You can go on claiming until you are blue in the face ; it will not alter the situation.' 1 After a little further discussion the deputation withdrew.

■REEFTON, September 16. A large pubV'c meeting to disCU;^ the proposed extension of the railway from Reefton to Wcslport adopted the following resolutions:—(l) That this meeting is in entire accord with the people of Westpoil in tLe agitation for lailway connection with the In,t gahua pud Buller Valleys, with a view to th<; bx^tcdy opening u» of Uie aa.4

coal-mining industries therein, to attain which residents throughout the Buller electorate be individually and collectively invited to urge the Government to carry out the wk-hes of the people. (2) That the Government be a«ked to obtain at an early date a flying survey of the coal seams in the lnangahua Vailey, and a report by an expert thereon ; also a report upon the land and timber that will be opened up by the proposed line ; further, that an extension from the Reeftou end of the Midland railway should proceed without deby, as a comparatively short distance would tap seam« of coal that would command a ready pale throughout New Zealand. (3) That a Railway Extension League be appointed for the purpose of furthering the movement without delay."