TOUR OF THE HON. W. HALLJONES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 32

TOUR OF THE HON. W. HALLJONES.

AT ALEXANDRA. (FflOM Otte Own Cobbespondbnt.) ALEXANDRA SOUTH, January 6. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones, accompanied by his two daughters and his private secretary and Mr Ussher, chief district engineer, arrived by" special coach last night, and , stayed at the Bendigo Hotel. Mr James Bennet, M.H:R., member for the Tuapeka. district, arrived during the day. The brass band turned out, and enlivened the evening with a few selections outside the hotel.

[ During tho evening several of the lead[,ing citizens waited on the" Minister in | reference to local matters. Mr Jamea Rivers, as chairman, of the Alexandra branoh of the Otago Central League, desired to express the wish, on behalf of , the league and the residents, that the railway be pushed on faster. He pointed out several of the benefits that would be advantageous to Alexandra by the railway being constructed to this point. The hon. gentleman replied that public moneys were being expended on railway construction, and he assured those present that the railway wou!<i be opened to Chatto Creek within 12 ■months, and that the work between there and Alexandra would not be lost sight of, as he,, fully lealised that the importance of •the construction of this line to Alexandra was to the .interests of the residents : Central Otasro.

TEe Borough Council brought under the notice of the Minister the necessity for enlarging the. courthouse, At the present time there was no safe place to lodge important record's- in connection with mining rights, etc., belonging to the district. Aa extension, including a witness room, was required, as witnesses when summoned to attend the courts- had to wait outside in, all weathers until called. The Minister promised to -give this matter immediate consideration- -Cr Schauman acted on behalf of the Mayor (Mr George Spencer), who is confined to his house with a sprained ankle. Mr L. Ryan, acting-town clerk, made a suggestion to the Minister to the effect that the' bridge to be constructed over the Manuherikia at Alexandra South should be a combined railway and traffic bridge. After a good deal of 'explanations by several of those present , the Minister said he would place the matter before the engineers to see what could be done, but he was afraid that the question of maintenance between the department and the local bodies would have to be considered. The Minister chatted freely with several of those- present, and expressed his pleasure of the apparent progress of the district. Mr' James Rivers thanked the Minister for the courteous reception 'of the several deputations, and for the lucid explanations of the intentions o£ the Government. AT CROMWELL. : {From Ova Own • Correspondent.) CROMWELL, January 6. The .Hon. W. Hall- Jones and party passed through here this morning on the way to Wanaka. They stayed here about an hour, and received a deputation, which placed; before the Minister several local matters, and also urged the early completion of tho Ofcago Central railway.

Chairles Lambert, aged nine years, son of the postmistress at Paremata, was accidentally shot in the lower part of the back and thighs on Monday while accompanying ashooting party. The sufferer was brought to the Wellington Hospital.

Our Roxburgh correspondent wires that a man named Anderson had his hand badly, crushed while working on the Roxburgh Jubilee dredge oa Saturday.