THE MIDLAND RAILWAY AGITATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 30

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY AGITATION.

I CHRISTCHURCH, March 29. I Another step towards the completion of the Midland railway was taken this evening, when a meeting was held in the hall of the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of discussing the present position and urging that work should be pushed on. The meeting was the result of the recent agitation conducted by the East and West Coast Railway Committee of Canterbury and the Chamber of Commerce, and was held under the auspices of the chamber, Mr H. Quane (president) presiding. There was a large attendance, and a prominent feature of the meeting was its epresenta- [ tive character. There were delegates pre- j sent from many local bodies and other 4assooiations in Canterbury, such as the Farmers' Union, the Trades Council, trades j unions, employers' unions, County Coun- | cils, Borough Councils, and Road Boards, j a contingent of representatives fspm the I West Coast, besides delegates, mayore, j councillors, chairmen, members of Parlia- | ment and of the Chamber of Commerce. Many other citizens who take an active interest in the project attended, and when the meeting commenced the hall was full. j The chairman said that it was proposed at first to take advantage of the presence of ! members of Parliament to bring forward the question of the tunnel and other railway rates in Canterbury, but it was afterwards decided to confine the discussion to the Midland railway. — ("Hear, hear.") Two motions would be placed before the meeting. Mr Roper, after referring to the great interest taken in the question, extended a hearty welcome to the West Coast j de-legates. He read apologies for absence from the Mayor (Mr C. M. Gray) and Mr A. W. Rutherford, M.H.R. He moved the following resolution: — "Recognising the many advantages of railway communication, betweaa the West Coast and Canterbury, and realising the enormous ooet of slowly constructing a line which can practically have no earning power until completed, this meeting of local bodies and ] economic associations of Canterbury or.d j Westland now urges upon the Government I to make an allocation of at least £200,000 j per annum in order that this important | line may be completed within five years." ,' Speaking to the motion, Mr Roper pointed ' out that the idea of the railway was first ' mooted in 1870 by Sir Julius Vogel. The j matter was brought before the Provincial 1 Council later, and the feeling in favour of ! the railway became stronger. He then ' traced the history of the railway at con- ; •siderable length. i The Hon. Mr Wigram seconded the motion. He said that tEe Government was absolutely committed to the construction of the line. The rate of expenditure on the line had been £50,000 per year. At the same rate of expenditure it would take 16 years to complete the line. The percent- ' ages of sums expended on the sxims voted by Parliament on the great main trunk ( lines from 1900-1 to 1905-4- were: Midland, 55 per oent. ; Otago Central, 65 per cent. ; and North Island Trunk, 75 per cent. After several speeches had been delivered urging that the line should be completed without delay, the resolution was carried ; with enthusiasm. The following resolution was also carried unanimously: — "That the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the Right Hon. the < Premier and that all Canterbury and Westland members of Parliament be asked to ; take united action in urging the Govern- i nient to complete the East and West Coast : i railway at the earliest possible date, and ! i that it be a suggestion to all our political \ ; organisations that special prominence be given to the speedy completion of this : important work."- I i

March 30. Canterbury and Westland last night accomplished their Midland railway demonstration, but it will be observed that hardly one of the speakers attempted to justify the line itseif. With the exception of Mr Roper, who has developed a san-guineness ot disposition very astonishing in a man of his discretion, and the Hon. Chas. Louisson, practically none of the speakers endeavoured to show that the line would become a paying concern. It is apparently the fact that it will be nothing of the kind even if, when it is completed, the snipping companies maintain their present rates and do not cut freights in order to retain their tiade. That, of course, is the first thing tht> shipping companies would do, and as Uind carriage cannot compete with water carriage anywhere, and it is even cheaper to build a costly canal in many cases than to carry goods bj^ rail, the idea that the railway would be used for conveying coal and timber from the West Coast to the cast is the merest moonshine. Most of the advocates of the completion of the line who spoke last night were content to urge expediency. They contend that the line has already cost about a million sterling, and that the money will he thrown away unless the line is completed. They say it is better to spend another million sterling and get 2 per cent., plus the convenience, then to pay 4 .per cent, for one million and get no return at all. At present the Midland railway runs into the wilderness, and £tays there. The line is steadily depreciating in value, and the return is practically nil. Every year it costs the colony a huge sum in interest, and already the outlay is practically double what it ought to have been. Why not, say the Midland railway , demonstrators, it as soon as pos- ' sible? It wont pay, but it will be a fine asset, and if the colony, pays 4- per cent, interest on two millions and gets 2 per cent, return it is no worse off than if it pays 4- per cent, on one million and srets nothing. In short, the main ground upon which the speakers based their agitation wa6 one of convenience. They point to two populous provinces like Canterbury and Westland only able to reach one. another by means of a five-horse coach ; and they say that, even if there is a loss, the colony, which derives the lion's share of the railway revenue from Canterbury, ought to stand that loss. Put on those srrounds, the arguments of the delegates speak for themselves. There are railways in New Zealand, and indeed in Canterbury, which will be both convenient and- profitable, and these demand the first and most urgent attention of the Government. WELLINGTON, March 29. In acknowledging a telegram from the Westland Railway League notifying a meeting of Canterbury and Westland representatives to discuss the position in regard to the East and West Coast railway, the Premier replied: — ''The league may rest assured that consistent with moneys available each and every part of the colony will have justice done in respect to railway expenditure out of the Public Works Fund, and that the claims of Canterbury and Westland w*ll not be overlooked."