RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 58

RAILWAY EXTENSION.

HON. W. MACDONALD AT OTOKO. GISBORNE, April 6. The official opening of the railway to Otoko 31 miles from Gisborne, took place to-day the ceremony being performed by the Hon. W. D- S. Macdonald, Minister of Public Works. The ribbon was cut at Waikohu, the late railway terminus, and congratulatory speeches were delivered at Otoko. . April 7. Sneaking at the opening of the Wai-kohu-Otoko section of the railway on Saturday, the Hon. \V. Macdonald said there was every prospect of the line being extended to Kakuroa before the winter. He paid a tribute to the late Minister of Public Works and hie administration. Regarding himself and the criticism that he was always satisfied with what the Government was doing, the speaker said he had only entered Parliament because he was not satisfied, and although he did not wisli to be egotistical he thought he could claim to have bad a fair measure of success.—(Applause.) In thanking several speakers for their congratulations, \lr Macdonald said he had endeavoured to work in the best interests of the people, anf ] whatever his shortcomings, ho believed he had hundreds of friends wlio knew he was in dead earnest and would do his level best.—(Applause.) He realised the great task that had been set him in connection with the departments he had been given to administer, but he was not dismayed with the work that had been placed before him, given health and strength for him to cany it out. He hoped that representative men would be returned who would give him a sufficiency of money, and he Mould do his part. There was a limit, he said, that had to be remembered, beyond which they should not borrow. He deprecated the contract system, and pointed out that there wero occasions when they could not secure the development desired because they had not the facilities at hand. Without going in for more extensive borrowing, they could not go faster than they were going.

On Wednesday afternoon a bag- of hemp on the 5.10 Bluff train caught fir© just before Greenhills Station wa-s reached. A company of Territorials on their way to Bluff from the Gore camp, acting with great promptitude, obtained water from tho engine and soon had the firo extinguished. The train was delayed for about 10 minutes. A cheque was received in Masterton from Wanganui for a first and final dividend of 4d in the pound in a bankrupt estate. The amount of the cheque was Is lid, and the bank exchange amounted to 6d. The receipt had to be acknowledged at tho cost of another penny for j postage-