HON. MR FRASER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3085, 30 April 1913, Page 27

HON. MR FRASER.

TOUR THROUGH THE WEST COAST. CFitoit Ocn Own Correspondent.) HOKITIKA, April 24. 'l'he Hon. W. Fraser arrived in Hokitika to-d.u r . He received several deputations, including one from the Westland County Council, in reference to flood damage in South Westland and other parts of the district. The Minister promised to give every assistance to minimise the difficulties experienced by the settlers. In the evening he was banqueted by the local bodies. In the course of a speech he referred to the financial position of the dominion. The Minister announced that he had arranged to purchase the Erin Go Bragh water race at Ivumara. He will visit Ross to-morrow. GREYMOUTH, April 26. The Hon. W. Fraser received a deputation of sawmillers protesting against the change of the central sawmill areas from the Warden to the Land Board. A deputation from the County Council asked for statutory authority to take a tally of the traffic on the roads and bridges in apportionment of the cost of construction and maintenance in cases of dispute among th* local bodies. The Minister promised to give consideration to the matters brought before him. April 27. Yesterday the Hon. W. Fraser received a deputation from the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce. Sir Arthur Guiness said the first thing the deputation had to urge was the completion of the 12 miles of railway between Klondyke, as it was called, and Cass. If that portion of the line were completed passengers from Greymouth could, if the train left a little earlier, connect with the steamers at Lyttelton and get through to Wellington in one day. Mr J. M‘Lean followed, and said that with the present service Greymouth passengers arrived in Christchurch just half an hour too late to catch the train for Lyttelton which connected with the steamer. Mr Fraser said the position was not quite so easy as the deputation seemed to imagine. In the first place, the line was not finished to Klondyke, and if passengers were carried through it would have to be by the Public Works department. The ballasting operations must not be interrupted, as he was anxious that the work of completion to Bealey should be pushed on as rapidly as possible. It was hoped to have it completed and the lino open to Bealey by October; so, after all, it was a matter of only a few months. As a rule there were usually no floods such as would interfere with the present communication during the winter. He would see what could bo done to meet the wishes of the deputation, but before he could agree to passengers being carried to Klondyke ha would have to be satisfied that it wag safe and that it would not impede the work which was now being pushed on. He would try to meet them as far as he could, but if he did not do so they would understand that he was consulting theijr own ultimate interests.