THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 38

THE MIDLAND RAIL WAY.

ALLEGED WASTE OF PUBLIC MONET. (From Oub Own Cohbespondent.) WELLINGTON, July 24. Referring to the Midlaid railway in his speech on the Budget, Mr Fisher this afternoon said : "So far as that line is concerned, you can take any five membere you like of this Heuae and send them over the line, and they will come back and say that this expenditure of public money is a criminal waste." Mr Hardy : That is all they know about it. It goes through my district. — (Laughter.l Mr Fisher : I knew that that -would come out. It goes through the hon. gentleman's district, and therefore it is all right, j Blr Hardy: Not because it goes through my district. Mr Fiaher: I say the expenditure upon it ie a criminal waste of the public money. Hon. Members: Nonsense. Mr Fiaher said they had a tunnel that would cost about £600,000, and a bridge that would cost some thousands of pounds. It would, .however, be some years yet before that line was completed and anything went over it. Mr Gray: You do not know anythingabout it. ! Mr Fisher: Well, we may have the pooh bah on the scene later on. and he may give us all information to date. Mr Fisher said the line suited the Christchurch members, because they thought it was going to take the West Coast trade from Wellington to Christohurch. I An Hon. Member : You are quite right, j Mr Fisher : You arc calculating the difference between railway and water carriage between the West Coast and liyttelton, ! and they -say they can beat that every j time. But they overlook the fact that the , Union Company has a monopoly. The railway will never compete with the water.