CATLIN'S RIVER RAILWAY LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 14

CATLIN'S RIVER RAILWAY LEAGUE.

The monthly meeting of the Catlin's River Railway League was held on the 2nd inst. in the offices of Mr D. M. Fea, Rattray street; present — Messrs Chisholm (chairman), Mackenzie, M.H.R., Fea, Wilson, Moss, and the secretary (Mr Waters). Apologies were made for the absence of Messrs J. F. Arnold, J. Allen, and J. A. Millar, M.H.R.'s.

The Secretary read correspondence forwarded to and received from the Minister of Public Works, and stated that' he had also written to the Dunedin members of Parliament, and Messrs T. Mackenzie, J. W. Thomson, J. Allen, and other M.H.R.'s, asking their co-operation in forwarding the objects of the league. Mr Lorry, of Tahakopa, had also written stating that the survey authorised was progressing satisfactorily.

The Chairman stated that since last meeting advantage had been taken of the presence of the Minister of Works in Dunedin to wait upon him, and a deputation had been got together for that purpose. That deputation, as they would observe from the press reports, had been vei*y favourably received, and the Minister had been good enough to make a definite promise that the section from the present terminus would be placed in hand a> once.

Mr Taylor : What the league has to do now is to impress upon the Minister the necessity of the work being pushed on speedily.

Mr Moss also agreed with the necessity for speedy action, as the winter was approaching, when the work could not be carried on under the same favourable conditions as in fine weather. He would therefore move as follows: — "That this league, whilst sincerely appreciating the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones's generous promise to place 30 men on the work and his fulfilment of that promise, would express the hope that the Minister should forthwith place at the disposal of the Public Works Department here a sum sufficient to give the work a genuine help along prior to bad weather coming on — say, £1000 as an irreducible minimum." The motion on being put was carried unanimously. - "*•■ The Chairman said he was pleased to see Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., present at the meeting, and he oould assure that gentleman that the league thoroughly appreciated the services he had rendered in Parliament and out of Parliamnt in pushing oq the interests of the line*

[ Mr Mackenzie said anything he had done I for the Catlins line had been done because he believed the work was a necessary one, that the settlers were entitled to it, and because it would open up valuable land for settlement. He was convinced that the Hon. Mr Hall-Jonea really desired to do justice to the Catlins ds'irtict, and that he would do what he could to" forward the interests of the railway. In reply to a question, the Chairman said that of the £8000 placed on the Estimates there was unexpended £4500, but it had to be remembered that that sum was for expenditure on both ends .of the line. And while on this subject, he would say this : that if the people of Dunedin were as much alive as the people of Southland were this railway, as well as others, would have received greater justice than it had received in the past. THE OTAGO LEAGUE. A letter was- read from the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr T. R. Christie) enclosing a draft of the constitution and objects of the Advance Otago League. Referring to the objects of the league, Mr T. Mackenzie said those who were watching closely what -was taking place would not be inclined to agree with the statement that Otago was holding its own in regard to progress with the rest of the colony. Such- a statement might apply to Southland, but taking Otago without Southland there was no doubt it was not advancing as it should do, and whether they agreed with the programme of the Advance Otago League or not the meeting of representatives which it was proposed to hold would at least give the people an opportunity of meeting and saying what should be done to keep pace with the progress of other centres. Mr Chisholm said he had considerable sympathy with the objects of the league. There was a time when Dunedin took the lead in commercial matters, but it was now a most difficult thing to get the commercial men or citi7ens to rouse themselves in regard to anything for the progress of Otago generally. Southland, as they knew, was working energetically in the matter of railway construction and in other directions, and they deserved credit for what they were doing in endeavouring to direct railway traffic to their part of the colony. They were also endeavouring to have the Roxburgh railway so constructed that Southland, and not Dunedin, would benefit, and on that matter he was surprised that Dunedin and Otago people had not shown that they were alive to their own interests. I

Mr Mackenzie quite agreed with the chairman in his reference to the Edievale railway, and he might mention that when he represented a southern constituency he had positively refused to move a hand in getting a single yard of the line formed until the Moa Flat Estate was purchased. At that time it could have been purchased at a reasonable price, and was valued, if he recollected rightly, at about 25s per acre. The purchase of that estate at a later period, after railway conveniences were contemplated, he looked upon as a political job. He had called it by that name in the House, and did not hesitate to do so again. People who went on that land now would have to pay double what they 'would have had to pay formerly, and the only people, so far as he knew, who would benefit were some Melbourne bankers and other speculators who had no interest in the country. The subject then dropped. COMPLIMENTARY.

Mr R. Chisholm mentioned that the present would be the last meeting of the league he would preside over, and he would not be with them again until his l'eturn from his visit to the Home Country.

The Secretary (Mr Waters) said he could not allow the opportunity to pass to say a word or two in commendation of the services Mr Chisholm had rendered to the league and in other public matters. If Dunedin and Otago had a few men of the chairman's stamp in their midst they would ■progress more rapidly than they were doing. The league owed its present satisfactory position in large measure to Mr Chisholm's energy. The league had started in a small way, but it had worked up to a position pqual to that of the Otago Central League. He was sure he echoed the sentiments of the league when he wished the chairman a pleasant voyage and safe return. — (Applause.)

Messrs Mackenzie, Mess, and others endorsed what had been said in regard to Mr Chisholm's efforts, and Mr Chisholm having "briefly replied, the meeting adjourned.