OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 12

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The monthly mo&ting of the Executive Committee of the Otago Central Railway Loagu© v.-as hold in t'lo Board Room at tho Agricultural Hall on Monday Ist m-.t. ; present — Mvj-isrs W. Burnott (cli lU'man), T. \V

Kempthorne, W. Barron, A. C Stronach, R, Kilkison, G Hcv/den, E D E;terre, H F. Nees. E. Roberts, and T. E. Sidey, M.U.R.

With regard to the request of the committee for information regarding receipts for t)iio;erier and goods traffic on the Otago Central Railway, Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.K , wrote as follows: —

In reply to your favour re receipts of line, 1 bag to mioim. \ou that I moved m the House for tho necessary return, but was informed that it could only be obtained at great cost, a3 only one account was kept for the whole HurunuiBlufr section, and it would mean an extended examination at each of the stations to ascertain how roa^.y passengers and how much merchandise had been entered, and the department were not prepared to spend the mo'-cy. I am therefcie unabie to obtain the information for you. I may state that Mr U. M'lieiizie, M.H.R. "for Motueka, asked for a simitar 10turn in the fiist week of the session, but did not get it.

Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.E., forwarded tho following reply received by him from the Hon. W. laall-Jones. Minister for Public "Works : —

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt 01 your telegram of the Sth msf,., inquiring on behalf of the Otago Centiai Railway League how much of the amount voted by Parliament for tho Otpgo Central railway Rod been expended to date. I have no doubt you are an-are that it is aot usua: to make up returns tor broken peiioda, which, if done, would m many cases convey a wrong impression, and I do not propose to make a- preced?nt m this case. The work geneiallj is progressing satisfactorily. From the Ida Valley station to Ophir the works are fuUy manned. The expenditure for the remainder of the year will be controlled by the progiess mida with the heavy work in the Pooiburn Gorge, which is now nearmg com-pleiro-n.

The correspondence wag received. Mr Sidoy mentioned that he had recently p-ud a visit to Central Otago, and hr.d ■visited the extension works. Th» rails had b^en laid from the Ida Valley terminus to the M.idutt at Pooiburn Gorge, but tho Mai uhrrskia bridge v. as not completed. The p rirauont way scorned to bo well in hand. He v.em on to Chatto Cretk, and saw a laigo number of men engaged on the formation works fhe miles beyond Ophir. Since returning to town he had heard that the Manuhcrikia bridge was quite completed. Aa manj- plate-layers as could be employed were engaged bet-Keen the -viaduct and tho biidge, ?rd, he understood, it was intended this month to put on two "ballast trains. Tho contracts for the erection of the stations at Ophir and Lander provided for completion at the end of May : and he understood the Department intended to open the line to Ophir by the end of Juno. A matter had been brought under his notice th-.l wi3 worthy of mention. He found that the mllago rates between Dunedin and Ida Valley were hea\i"r than tho 13 between Dune-din and Lawrdcs H© was informed that the carriers between Ida Valley and Alexandra were placed at a considerable disadvantages a* compared with those trading between Alexandra and Lawrence. He had not been nble to ascertain the reason for this. Goods which came under cla.'3"s A and B were convoyed to Lawrence recording to scale provided for class C, while, that concession was not made for goods ron-igned to Ida Valley, and articles could be conveyed between Lawronce and Alexendra s»t cheaper rates than between Ida Valley and Alexandra. It was a matter he L-id been interesting himself in, and he I op"d to get a leply rcon Ho believed i.'roiti were being vigorously made to complete tho line.

The Ciai'-inan raid th" matter of extra freights had been complained of in Central 01 ago- for year\=.

Mr Roberts: I suppo~s it is clashed as a branch line?

Tho Chiiimoii : Yes; but it is not a bianch Imp. and the Lawrence line ic.

ilr Hcvden said he hrd good authority for cuyng there was nothing to binder the comple .on of the line to Ophir by the end of May.

Mr Gilkison said the- committee should draw the attention of <"he Government to the great necessity there was foi tho completion of the railway to Ophir before tho winter set in. Then that hill between Ida Valley and Ophir would bo avoided, and the worst pioce of the road cut out. He Lad been in the district quite recently, ajid was

informed that most of the men had been removed from tho Chatto Creek section to plat&laying and ballasting. Mr Sidcy sad ho thought the Deparimc-nt evidently recognised the necessity of pushing on tho work as fast S3 possible Mr Gilkison said in Cromwell tho fruit was simply going to wasw He could not understand why growers did not piocme evaporators, and provide dried fruit for the Biniedin market, * instead of allowing tliot li o produce to go to v.aste. Dried fruit wr.s Doing imported in larore. quantities from California. In Clyde thorc was not muoh fruit 'to bo obtained ac th" hotel. Th-e rocson soemed to be tha L there w*s rwo soil of a.rrangemont whereby growers wouli not se>.l below a certam p'-ico. He thought hotels ir that district _ should provide, as njuch fruit as possible in order to bring the resources of the district under the notice of travellers. Ho moved that the Government be specially r-qr.esi.ed to open tho line to Ophir before t'.e winter, so as to avoid lha necessity of tiavclling over the Mil between Ida Vdlley end Ophir.

This was seconded by Mr Howden, and carried unanimously.

Mi* Gilkison raid Mes=rs G. Laurenson, M.H.R. for Lyttelton, T. Taylor, M.U.R. (Christchurch), and G. Fowlds, M.H.R. (Grey Lynn, Auckland) were likely to be in, Dunedin this v,cok, and if they had a. foitaight to spare now would bo the time to take thorn on a tour of Central Oiago. and really show them the country But they would not need to hurry though in three days as the mombers did on a recent occasion, when really nothing was o:en of tho country. The members who visited Central Otago on that occasion saw nothing of Tarras or Hawea, and really oniy had one day in the fruitgrowing zone

Mr Campbell (secretary) remarked that fruit was a glut on the maiket just now.

Mr Howden said tho prices weie very irregular, and people did not get into the habit of making fruit a regular article of die-t as they might wero pr.es more regularly low. Before people realised that fruit was cheap, the supply was gone.

Mr Campbell said that what was really required was a iiublic market where pricc-s would be ruled by supply and demand.

On tho motion of Mr Barron, the chairman and Mr Gilkison were instrructcd to interview Messrs Laurenson, Taylor, and Fowlds with a -view to inviting them to a tour through Central Otago

Mr Barron remarked that tho interview might be a publ-c one ; prc--s representatives might be invited to attend, so that the public should know the invitation was ica.de and tho reply of the members.

A \ote of thanks to the chair concluded tho business.