BRIGHTON RAILWAY LEAGUE

Otago Witness, Issue 2823, 22 April 1908, Page 37

BRIGHTON RAILWAY LEAGUE

The third annual meeting of the Brighton Railway League was held m the -choolhouse, Brighton, on Saturday, 18th inst'., and was attended by a fair number of members. In the absence of Mr T. W. Whitsoo (president), Mr W. H. Lobb presided. In submitting the annual report, the Secretary (Mr D. M'lntosh) said : — " I wish to submit to the meeting this evening a short report reviewing tne league' 6 work during the year. The last annual meeting j wa« held here on JPebrua-ry 12 of last year, i when "a committee~~-was elected for the j purpose of carrying out the work m connection with the policy adopted at that : meeting bearing' on the league's project, i In compliance with "that policy the first • work undertaken was making reprcsenta- ' tions to the Otago Trades and Labour j Council regarding its support to 'our pro- i ject. As a result representatives of the . council paid a visit of inspection to the . district, and subsequently supported our deputation that waited upon the Minister of Railways. On April 4, 1907. a deputation of our league, supported by the j above-mentioned council and Mr Donald j Reid, M.P., waited upon the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones (Minister of Railways), and laid our district's claims to railway com- I munication before him. On June 6a j deputation of the league, headed by Mr | T. W. Whitson and supported by Mr Reid, M.P., and Mr Stevenson (member for the riding), waited upon the Otago League at its last annual meeting, and laid the league's claims before that body. During the year the following gentlemen were written to on the league's behalf: — The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, the Hon. Messrs Millar, Paul, Sinclair, and Callan, Messrs Sidey, Arnold, Barclay, Mackenzie, and J. Allen, M.P-'s. During last session a small looal petition was forwarded to Parliament. For financial purposes the league arranged and held during ' the holiday season a most successful concert, which was well supported and well -patronised by both city ah 3 local residents. The balance sheet submitted showed, after : fiaying all expenses, cash m hand to the amount of £15 15s 6d. I think we can claim to have attempted to still further establish our district's claims to railway communication. It will have been noted that for the last few years, and at the present time, there have been several large public works of an extensive nature going on m and around Dunedin. In the course of a little time these works will be completed; then, with a possible slack-ness-following^ our project will have a chance of receiving some attention. But, ' meanwhile, it will be necessary for the , league to keep on agitating by still solicit- I ing the support of the people of Dunedin ; m the matter. With a view to still furthering the league's object during the ■ ensuing year- the following working policy j was, Submitted to the meeting- and ' adopted: — (1) That all the necessary : arrangemnts m connection with the proposed visit of the Hon. Mr Hall- Jones to the district be carried out. (2) That the league, make representation to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce and the Otago Trades and Labour Council, with a view to soliciting their support to our project. , <3) That tho league forward to Parliament . this session another petition. (4) That j the Otago parliamentary representatives j be written to with a view to soliciting , their support to the above-mpntioned peti- i tion. (5) That the league consider the | question of holding a concert during the holiday season. The interview between representatives of our league and the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones was the league's most important step during the year,._ In further discussing the subject, I think we can show that our favoured position is more apparent than real — that is, as far as this ; province is concerned. The settlers m this j locality and further south along the_ coast i have to make their living on very limited | areas, through a system of mixed cultiva- | tion, involving, as it does, m carting a j large amount of expenditure. A majority | of baok-blockers hold large areas at little j oost, the amount of scope enabling them | to make ends meet with less expenditure than m our case through relying to a large extent on the proceeds of pasturage alone. The Minister expressed surprise at our saying the settlers here laboured under an inefficient transit system, but the cost of cartage to our trade centre proves such to be the case. From Brighton township to Dunedin carting of any description oan not be done for under iOs per ton. But Brighton township does not constitute the whole of the district. It ha 3 been proved time and again that it costs settlers situated further back upwards of £1 per ton. By way of comparison, I will ask you to review the conditions prevailing m neighbouring districts served by good roads and railways. These districts that we are supposed to compete with. Take, for instance the position of settlers on the Taieri Plain. Then consider the position of the large estates served by the Otago Central line. Then observe the large estates between Palmerston and Oamaru through which the main trunk railway passes, while there are other branch lines we know of serving large landholders. All theee settlers can forward to their trade centre their produce m auick time and at a fraction of the cost tnat we can, while they otherwise reap the benefit of liming through railway carriage on that article being free, and our district, through cost of cartage, has to do without it. Brighton and the districts further south along the coast are isolated from the main trunk railway by a range* of hills, and m consequence that line is of little use or no benefit to these parts. The branch known is the Walton Park line strikes off the main trunk at Burnside, and extends to near the foot of Saddle Hill. Unfortunately that line m no way serves this locality. A continuation of the line to Brighton, a distance of under five miles, is what is urgently required. The Walton Park line was originally constructed for the purpose of serving and developing the coal mines at Walton Park. At present; it is serving the Saddle Hill mines, situated nearer this way, and judging by the traffic which necessitates two trains daily this branch must do more than pay ite way, besides being the means of creating a large amount of employment m the ooal industry. This proposed railway from Walton Park to Brighton has been twice surveyed, and an estimate of cost of construction made out at £15,000. Interest on this amount, together with working expenses, would total about £5 per working day. ■We are asked to show how this would pay. The district's ways and means to such an

end are at least threefold, .fo begin with, there is an agricultural district of over 20,000 acres, subdivided into small holdings. Citing the district's present output of agricultural production as its limit is, I hold, no test whatever of its real capabilities. Railway facilities and liberal liming of the land would enable the (settlers to go m for a better and a more extensive system of cultivation than at present obtains, and m a short space of time the district would, for its size, compare favourably with any other provincial district m the direction of supporting the railway. Next there is the development of the coal industry. As Saddle Hill gives proof of being surrounded by coal deposits, this proposed extension would run almost its whole length, through coal-bearing country. It would not require a large output to pay interest on cost of construction and working expenses. Sixty tons daily would be sufficient, which, from so vast a field, would be a mere trifle. The development of this coal area would be the means of creating a large amount of employment. Yet another factor m support of the line is the holiday traffic. Brighton is yearly proving itself an attractive holiday resort, despite its obsolete means of communication. Railway facilities would give all classes of the community an opportunity "of visiting this resort cheaply. It would not require more than 15,000 adults to travel on the line during the whole year m order to cover all expenses, and it is not difficult to imagine that an exceedingly greater number than this -would visit this resort during the whole year." The above report, balance sheet, and working policy submitted to the meeting, were approved of and adopted. ' The league donated £5 to the secretary for . last year's service. Mr D. Reid, M.P., forwarded a letter from the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones, m which he intimated that he woidd try and go over the proposed Brighton railway route when next he comes south. The following office- bea-rers were elected for the ensuing year: — President, Mr T. W. Whitson ; vice-president, Mr M. Stevenson ; chairman, Rev. T. K. Fisher *, secretary, Mr D. M'lntosh; treasurer, Mr John Wright, sen. ; auditor, Mr D. Miller ; committee — Messrs John Davey, Jas. Miller, J. E. Jones, S. Lobb, John Mcc, J. Wright, jun., John Miller, A. Phillips, A. Baxter, H. M'Coll, and W. H. Lobb.