OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 30

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF ANOTHER SECTION. REJOICINGS AT OMAKAU. (By Our Special Repoktebs.)

interior -of Otago was a place well worth developing.— (Cheers.) That day they were consummating the completion of a further link of the railway, and the time would come when they would be able to witness the completion of additional links in the railway communication of the interior, thus adding to its usefulness as a whole, at the «ame time increasing the comfort and nappmess of the people, as well as developing the manifold resources 'of the province. It was refreshing to see the people turning out m such large numbers and taking a hand in. practical work of this nature. He feeartily congratulated them on the suceesstul inauguration of this section of the line, and trusted that they would have a happy "^/iL Prosperous time in the future. *—(Cheere.) Mr Herdman, the member for the district, was received with cheers on coming forward. He said that he desired to join with the Right Hon. the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward in congratulating the people on the completion of the line up to that "point. It was his lot two years ago to live in the district, and during the seven years lie had lived in Central Otago he had followed with a considerable amount of in-, terest the progress of the line. That day •was a day of joy and rejoicing,- a day on which the farmers and settlers had met together for the "purpose of celebrating what was- unquestionably »; red-letter day in' their career. Much as he- (Mr Herdman) would nave liked to. have, replied ';fco a number of inaccurate made .by an eminent statesman at Naseby on the previous night,, be would " refrain from doing so, 'because the" Premier, had' laid ddwir the maxim, that politics wiere-io' be eschewed on such an , occasion. He did ' not purpose to speak long^'but there was one thing lie desired to.-cay. The Premier had- said that in the old days, when they had other representations from the Mount Ida dis-, trict, politics were discussed on broad principles, and ,6he right' hon. gentleman evidently desired to - convey to" the minds of -those present that- that time had been departed from, and that frequently remarks, principally of a personal character, were xnade in the "House, probably reflecting on fcimself. While they- might agree to differ on -politics, he differed radically with the •viewe which the right hon. gentleman field, but it was "possible -for members of the Opposition to express their viewsl.ln the House free altogether' from personal abuse. They -could, speak, the truth; they could bo 'candid, and, time after time. the. most truthful observations were made in "- the House of - Representatives regarding the political conduct of the right hon. the Premier and .the policy "'he pursued, and a moment afterward? he (Mr Seddon) got up *nd complained about personal abuse. .That tappened .time after' time. — (A Voice: " Don't run Dick down.") ' 13b, he .did not want-* to 'do that.- He, did* not _to xun down- at all.— (lnterruption.)^ Herecog- 1 nised. .that there 'was nobody'in the House; who'- had "a3 much pluck as the Premeir. He^ had seen' the Premier stand -up -in. -the House time .afters time' when the severest possible strictures' had been" passed, on hia. political' conduct, .and he had brayed the' light all the time. ~ .He (Mr Herdman)/ - towever. wanted to give an instance to . illustrate" the statement he had just made-. Supposing a ■ distinguished politician .mode a ; speech the day before the session commenced and delineated the particular views ief held about >fche land ' administration.' Supposing that speech' were published in pamphlet form and disseminated throughout the length, and breadth of the colony. «nd a few weeks afterwards, ah election was held in the 'North Island, and because the people of the electorate concerned did not approve of the views of the Premier on the lanU question' the whole of the remarks made by him on that subject were cut out, and that was referred to as personal' abuse. ■What about that? They had heard a great deal that day about railways, and there was cne work he wished to refer to. He had already brought it trader the notice of the Minister of Public .Worke. He alluded to the read through Thompson's Gorge.— (A Voice: "Rot!" and "Hear, hear.*') A number of Hawea Flat and Tarras people held a different view, but others said that if that road was completed at an expenditure of £5000 the whole of Hawea Flat and Tarras would be brought into direct communication with Dunedin at once. — (A Voice: "They could bring it all on a wheelbarrow") He did not. care what they thought or what they said, his view was' this: If that road was completed instead of bringing Hawea Flat and Tarras into communication > with Dunedin in" 20 years, they would do it in two years. He had endeavoured to impress that view on the mind of the Government, and if it had a proper regard 'for the expenditure of publicmoney it would put- a sum oh the Estimates 'next' year. , for the' construction of that-. road: — (A Voice: "No good."-' Another Voice:. "ItV madness.") It - had been said, in, the papers that this, road was' too . high, and in winter time would be blocked by snow. That might be 6O for two. months. He would make this suggestion in order to convince the Premier that that road was practicable. He would take an equestrian journey with him across Thompson's Gorge, and if the right hon. gentleman preferred it they would go on Sunday. — (The Premier: "No; I want better company."y Much as he was opposed to the" right hon. gentleman in politics, he was so friendly disposed to him that at tho risk of his life he would take him across that range of mountains and demonstrate to him that the road was practicable. He congratulated the people on the completion of the line. They were under au obligation to the Premier for coining among them' to open it, and to Sir Joseph Ward, who always ably seconded the Premier in all the latter did in the House. — (Cheers.) .The Premier here read, amid applause, * telegram from Dunedin announcing a substantial advance in the prices of wool on the London market. On the call ' of the Premier three cheers were given for the committee, and the crowd gave three more, with much heartiness, for the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward, «nd an additional one for Mr J. J. Ramsay.