OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 41

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

A meeiiag of the Executive Committee of the Oiago Central Railway I^eaffue was held on Monday night; present — lie sr.3 W. Burnett, W. Ban on, T. Browai, E. Robert?, L. D. Macgeorge, T. W. Kempthcrno, R. Gilkuaon, A. Bs-th-ga+e, E. D'Esrcrre, H. F. Xees, and W. Ginsberg. An apology for abstnop was iecci\cd from Mr A. C .Sh-ori'iPli."

Mr W. Barron proposed tint Mr Burnett -houkl be rc-i.lcite.l chairman for the ri.sumg year. Ho had )ioj> A d Mr Kcnipthvine «ould take a turn this yc.ir, but Mr Burnett Lad i i €i\'X.l the le*igu.- vk.ll, and he (the -pcakei) trusted that gentleman would consent to rake office again.

Mr Burnett sud ho thought the office should be a roving one. Mr Kempthonie ha-cl been a member for a very kaig time, fihd he hop-'d Mr Kt-inpthome would ccn-s-cit to iiOn.ii'a'tion .Ur Gi!k:?on seconded Ilr Burnett's mrtion. Mr T Brown cu'.o2ise<l Mr Buinctt'a ter\ice« to the league in the past, ami Mr Xi-^s al-o .-pcko in the fame straui. The moti'-n was th*ra put and canied Mr A. C. Strciuuh inps ic-olcci^'l hon. tr r a.s'ire-r and Mr Batlipatc hrn. ami toi.

A loiter wps read vibich had \a en bent to Mr J A. Mi-lnr, M.H.R., by tl-o lion. V/. Hal! Jones. Jlmiit-tr of Pubhc Work", a-, followij: — "I have lccaived your letter of 3lay 29 abkiTig for the total amount expLn^ed upon tho Otago Central railway wcrka up to >rarch 31 In r^ply I hi-» cto inform you that the total expenditure and lisbi'ituis up to date rofeiTed ro w<_re jutt under £58,000." A similar letter received by Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., was also forwprdetl by him w> rhe league. Mr Joivn Wilson, the league's correspondent at Ophir, wrote that the rails were hid up to PooJburn viaduct, both tunnels diiven through and being lined, tho formation to JManuherikia River \ery nearly completed, and the formation to Ophir was \ery light and ne^uly three- jiart*s complotod. Work past Ophir wan going cbi slowly, and just 20 men wero fveo of t!ie gorge work. It would bo interesting if an engineer's report en the niile-age and cost of con.'-truc-tion on th-e scctitm from Chatto Creek to Akxandra via Galloway Flat and via Springvale were published. (Tins refers to the alternative route via Spnngvale, which would save two bridges over the iianuheiik'a Riv-e-r, but whioh routo was not followed by the railway engineers.)

J. LitHe, &ecietaa-y of the Cromwell branch of the league, wrote that during the past month (from June 1) tho only item of intrrcet to report was the visit of Sir J. G. "Ward and the parliamentary party to Central Otago. About three hours before the party arrived at Cromwell lie w<u? advised that the members would visit gardens, etc., and he -was ed vised to have tomo samples of fruit ready. H© and the- president of the branch obtained some good samples, considering the> short notice, and they were, favourably commented upon by Sir J. G. Ward and others. A deputation from the branch waited on Sir J. (1. Ward, who, without committing' himself, stated tho lino was making catiefactory progress. H-e (tho writoi) al c o gather, from other sources, that tliero would bo oio opposition to the line being brojght at least to Alexandra or Clyde, Ho would suggest thut, owing to an interest haviing bwai roused by tho publication in the Ota.Ro Daily Times of the articles dealing with tho possibilities of tho district, the league should invite its branches to co-operate in sending to the league in Dunedin, for exhibition, samples of grain, fruit, or vegetables, along with re-liable, infornia.tiom which wouJd bo of iirvterest in connection therewith, thus continuing the oduoa-fcon already commenced. Mr R. Dickie (Clyde) wrote to the chairman stating that he had forwa.rded ramples of fruit gTown in his gartkn for exhibition at the. annual meeting. Several men were at present working on the Chatto Creek eect'on of the lin.?, ard he understood the work all aJorg the lino was being pushed on vigorously. Ths following letter was read from ilr David Wliyt&, wlioe& family has be?n estcnsively connected with railway contract woik in tho North Island: — Sacrel/ury CHago Central Railway League — Dear S'.r,— l have to thsuik you for your invitation to mo to attend your mcecng on Jjly 6. I sha.il be very pleaaed to attend if lam ii Dunedin. I lra? be in V7cLlrrgrtcn on that dat». 'Ihe lailvyay quoation is one oi gifat interest to me, and the Otcf(o Centra! has been ilip subject of clow r.ttent.on from me during tiie month which I spent there labt April. It appears to me that the present system of railway construction is a bad one, a,ad that we should seek fro discover and establish one which will be universally beneficial, and at once prcgit-=-oive. whilst at the- &«m-o time safcguflrtlirg I'ic national Assets. Our Government, deurous i.o doubt, of safeguarding the hat:oral assc-ts, has proved very coii9erv*tive m the practical a^ppucition of those piogre&sive principles which it profcss?s to follow. Considering that we jro living in an age of great advantase^}, great pnviiegfis, and great opportunities, it is c.earto me the slow stages oi seiblem&xt arc a libel on our boasted progrdssivaiiesa. Tlie Teaso-i for the luck of settlement v, the Jack of access 10 markels; and the secret of that is that tiie Government has Ued up railway construction in such a way that settlers cannot make their own ltulwdyi:, even if they wanted to. To my muid the present system o f railway construction in N«w Zealand is a. political farce. Apart from, the main trunk, lines, the. present gn.ug« of raiiw.iy iS beyund the requirements, and b»yond t)io capacity of the Government ))iir«i>. Wlmt then is the c o'ution. of tho problem ' I ftel assured thai it lie* in the a/doption oi the Eft gauge h^ht railway. This can be conBtiucted for H.n average of ,£2<)dO per mile, as against an aveitLge of £7000 per mile for the present broad gauge. You car see that nearly four times the length of railway could be formed for tdie same money if the narrow gauge light railway were adopted. I sun also persuaded that the present system of to-operative Ltbour 11 a, barrier to progress. Our railways should bo constructed under the sectional -contract system. The effect of this would b« the speedy ronsfi ticUon of the laiJwiiyH, and undelayed p<pemlit,ure oi the moneys voted for such purr^ses, l.iste.id of the prebeiit <-"ow process ai cl docking of unexpended amounts at tho ci d of each financia,l yea*. Thus, if £100.00J were voted thus session for Otago Central, and oxponded on. a. 'ift gauge light railway under the section-a-1-conlract system, the railway could bo completed from Laudwr to Cromwell in one year. But at the preseirt rate I doubt if the Government will allow the railway to go a foot past Lauder. The quea'Aan of "Will it pay?" has to be fnced, and of that mairy have v<?ry grave- doubts. For my own part I am FTue a. light railway will pay, and will encourage speedy settlement, but tbe thought of waiting until a broad gauge lai'.way penctraUs the inland regions will drive ali your yea.it; farming elates away to otiier parU of the ccu.itiy

where more encouragement is afforded them. I think it wou d be a gocd thing if you approached all the railway leagues of the colony, suggesting (1) a- colcniaJ conference on the oueat:on of adopting the 2ft gauge system on the branch lines, and pressing tho Government to adopt such; (2) tbe adoption of the sectionalcontract instead of the present co-operative system, (3) the expending of the money lmmwliately it is voted by Parliament. There is one more point which I tkmk should receive careful couattTStation — namely, the construe- ' struchon of railways by local railway boards, i with the approval of Parliament. If a district is w-llmg to rate itself for the construction ' of railways withm it" own borders, I can se-e no reason why it should not be allowed to do I si instead of warring till the driblets of Govern- j niert money can be procured. Railway districts , cculd be constituted in the- same way as har- | bour dis-tncts, and the Government could hare ( the power to take over the whole- thing at any stated period, thus securing the national assets, vrhilst at the same time developing the country and enscuraging pcttlcnssnt. This a-lso is^ a question well worth the consideration of the co"o;iik! conference abo-so suggested. In closing, let me recommend you to get a copy of ' " Book on L ; ght Eailvjnys," which , shou'd be in the possession of every railway 'cnguo m the co'-cry. Ccigratulatmg your league on its past achievements, and trusting , that gcne-ra.l prosperity may attend all such cifons m otxT fair colony,— l remain, yours fa-rihiully, DavTTj Wu\te. The corrrßuoudeiic© was received and acknowledged, and it was resolved to pass a vote cf tlwnks to Mr Whyte for his communication. The Chairman reported that the fruit mentioned had been exhibited at the annual meeting, and had been much admired. Ho triod to get it shown in one of the annexesafc the winter s'liow, but it was a. little too late.. Mr Barron said it would be a good idea if county exhibits from the Otngo Central districts were shown at the winter shows in Dunedin, aiid Vincent and Maniototo Counties might be indued to take county baye, and also to show at the horticultural exhi'bitior.s. Mr Ba.thp;ate then moved t.h» following motion—'' That the league learns vvith regret that the expenditure on the Ota?o Central railway, even including liabilities, during the pa=t financial year, ha* been under 60 per cent, of the sum voted by Parliament, and vepolves that the members of the House of Re-presentaitives for Dunedin acd f=\iburl«', as well as Iho districts affected by the railway, b(> informed of i/hr. keen disappointment felt pi the state of affairs, ospecinlly in face of tho. repeated promises of tho Premier and othor members of tib-e Government tint at least the whole vote would be> spe-nt ; and tliat a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the senior member for Dunedin with a request that he will bring it specially under the notice- of tho members interestpd, with the object of preventing the repetition of such unfair treatment." Thia was seconded by Mr Noes, and carried unanimously. This concluded the business.

At tho Magistral! e>' a Court at Palmcr^ton on Monday, before Mr W. L. Craig, J.P., three men charged with drunkenness made their appe-aranrs. They had been arrested by Constable Hilliard early on Saturday j evening for b«ing drunk in. the main etreet, j and as they had been locked up from the ] time of their arrest ivntil they made their appearance in the dock tthey were convicted and di'oeliarg^d. Onr Palnierston correspondent adds that the above constitutes a record for Palmerston. A solitary individual has occasionally beon locked up, but for quite 10 years or more such a number ns three in one day lia3 been unknown. The fact of the circumstance occurring ju&fc after the number of hotels has been reduced has excited a great deal of comment. On a recant Saturday Neill Galvin, aged I 13, residing at Ward's River (N.S.W.), was I in company with a relative — Frank Bacon, aged B—when,8 — when, e&eing a hawk, Galvin procured a double-barrelled gun. In the meantime tho bad had moved, and while tho boys were watching it the gun went of, shooting young Bacon in tho thigh. Bacon was removed to tho Dungong Hospital, where he died two days after.