CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8409, 7 January 1899, Page 4

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

THE RAILWAY AGITATION. DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PREMIER'S REPLIES. MR CARROLL TO BE INTERVIEWED. A meetiKG of the Chamber of Commerce was held last evening, His Worship the Mayor occupying the chair. There were also present Messrs H. Lewis, W. Morgan, Whinray, Lunn, Ambridge, C. F. Lewis, A. F. Matthews, W. Webb, Rosie, Chrisp, Pettie, and Hookey. A letter was received from the Hon. J. Carroll acknowledging the receipt of certain resolutions from the Chamber, and stating that the matters were receiving every consideration, and an endeavor would be made to comply with them. The Minister of Lands also acknowledged the receipt of resolutions, and said the matters would receive consideration of the Government. With regard to the proposed deviation of the Nuhaka road, the Mayor said that Mr Carroll had informed him that the road was being pushed on, but at the other end. The question of the deviation was at present obstructing work at this end, but that would be settled shortly. He (the Chairman) thought the road should be completed within a few months. Captain Russell, M.H.R., wrote:— "Sir, — I am very pleased at receiving your letter of October 31st relative to my action in endeavoring to get lands in the Poverty Bay district opened for settlement. I helieve I have been successful iv ventilating your grievances, and trust that now I have made a start for you the Chamber of Commerce will keep on pushing the matter, for unless the question is constantly urged I feel sure the old passive resistance policy ■will be pursued, and the whole of the trust lands will remain locked up. An increase in population will be followed by public works expenditure and the progress of Gisborne ; that can only be brought about solely by the profitable occupation of hitherto comparatively waste lands." The Premier's private secretary acknowledged the receipt of resolutions, and in reply itated that these would receive consideration. The Chairman said the departmental replies were all to the same effect, that the matter would be kept steadily in view. The Chairman stated that since the last meeting they had had an interview with the Premier. One of the subjects was the health resort on the Waikanae, urging the Government to contribute. That, the Premier Baid, was entirely for the local bodies. That was about the only definite reply he gavo to the deputation. The subject of the railway was pressed home, and at the suggestion of Mr Carroll, it was agreed that the surveyor should start work at the Gisborne end of the proposed line. These were the only definite replies received, and the other matters were doubtless put in a pigeonhole aDd would receive attention when they thought fit. Captain Russell's suggestion was a good one that they should keep up theagitation. He must confess that they had not had much success or progress during the past year. Not a mile of coach road had been made, and there had been no attempt to open the country. The trust estates were much ao they were. Special efforts had been made during the past year, and they would have to be continued again. They could not look back with much satisfaction ; therefore they would have to agitate and agitate till they got the wants of the district given effect to. The Premier in his address seemed to treat very lightly the idea of having a railway between Gisborne and Botorua, and stated that water carriage was always the best, taking no notice of the fact that the broadest part of New Zealand was the part they were on now. Although they were the chief centre of this great district in the broadest part of New Zealandthere was no railway or any other form of communication, whilst in places where the island was only forty miles wide it was thought necessary to have railways on both coasts. Nothing would so readily open up the Poverty Bay district as railways. On the West Coast they moved stock about by the millions by means of railways. That was what they should still adhere to, and iv course of time he thought they would be successful. Mr Webb said he had had a good deal to do with railways, and he thought they should insist on having Gisborne the starting, point of the line. Let the railway be made insertions to where it was thought fit, only let the start be at Gisborne. The Government would want to start at Rotorua or Napier, where the other lines left off, but they should insist on starting at the town of Gisborne. Mr Whinray thought the Premier had missed his mark when referring to their railway. He did seem to make light of it, quite overlooking the fact, that there was Borne 50 miles of settled country along the route, and that there were large areas of valuable timber to be tapped. The. fact of that alone, in his opinion, was sufficient to warrant the Government making a railway. If they were to take it 50 or 55 miles up to the Motu, there was a grand timber country which would find employment for a railway right away, irrespective of the freight it could collect on the way. He thought nothing would tend more to get something done in this direction than for two or three of the Ministers to come up here. They had had the Premier, but he had never got out of his carriage, and never, got into the interior to see the diffi- • culties under which the back settlers had labored for years, Ab an instance of these disadvantages he cited the recent murder case, which he ascribed to the effect on the mind of the isolation of the settlers concerned, and referred also to the case of another Motu settler who desired to sell, being tired nf the continuous isolation. He thought they should endeavor, at any rate, to get Mr Hall-Jones to come, and thought it would also be a good idea if a number of residents of the town would get up a picnic party and go out and see the country. They would then perhaps take a greater interest in these matters, and have something to say on behalf of these back settlers. The Chairman said that on all occasions when railways had been brought before Ministers they had said it was a question of £.s.d., and they all hinted at the necessity of a loan for a work of this kind. The deputation from the Railway League Baid they wanted 20 or 30 miles of light railway to run along the roads, which would not be a very great expense. There should be no more difficulty in the Government granting the money for a railway from Gisborne than from anywhere else. The Minister of Railways, at "tho Thames the other day, took credit for the amount spent by the present Government at the Thames. He said that they had spent £100,000 on the railway to that place. If they could spend £100,000 on the railway to that place, there was no reason why they should not spend a few thousands upon one in this district. They had also spent £25,000 upon a pumping service, and were very proud of it. These works were now complete, and really one could not conceive why Gisborne should be still left- out, having no public works at all. The idea of the necessity of a loan for a line from Gisborno was absurd. The works referred to and many others had been done without ft loan. Mr Blow, of the Public Works Department, had recently been over the central route, and had stated that the royalties from the sale of timber would produce £3,000,000, sufficient to complete the railway. In the same way we might say that the timber which would be tapped by a local railway would soon pay the cost of the line. Before Napier had a railway it had to import all its timber from Auckland. Now it not only drew its own supplies from the bush, but was a large exporter of timber, and in consequence of being able to supply backloadings obtained coal at a freight of 12s 6d per ton. If Gisborne had a railway it would in tho same manner be able to obtain coal at as cheap a rate as Napier ; the railway would be fed by the timber industry, and employment would be given to a great many men. That was one of their best arguments. Another point that could be suggested was that the promise to send an engineer to survey the route should be given effect to at the earliest possible date. They knew how rapidly session succeeded session, and they were promised definitely that a rough survey of this railway would be completed in time for last session. If they did not mind another session would be'past before they even got a start. What they wanted above everything else was to get a start. Mr Ambridge said the interview of the deputation with the Premier was cut very short. Let them get hold of the member for the district and have a good long time with him, threshing the matter fully out. If Ministers came they would want to lie taken about in great style, and they would learn nothing of the discomforts of the imck settlers. Mr W. Morgan stated that twelve or fourteen years ago a Mr Knorp made ,i survey for a railway on the East Coast, but his calculations as to thu expense put the idea out of the question altogether, and the railway agitation lay dormant until, after his visit to Tasmania, the Premier had stated to Mr Cur roll, •'Light railways should be just the thing '

for your district," and upon that expression of opinion the famous memorandum was drawn up by Mr Carroll and Mr Rees and agitation was commenced by the people. He could not conceive what had altered the Premier's mind. If the Premier was now antagonistic to a railway what was the good of going on with it? First he said light railways would be good for the district, and then he said they would not be good. Mr Whinray proposed that a special invitation he sent to Mr Hall-Jones to visit the district. Mr Lewis said that if what they read was true Mr Hall-Jones knew nothing about these things. Mr Carroll knew as much about the district as Mr Hall-Jones would learn in twenty visits, and he probably had as much influence with the Ministry. They should see Mr Carroll, and tell him they were not satisfied with the way the Premier had treated their request for a railway. His answer appeared to have been cut and dried before they had said anything. If they had been given time they could have pointed out to him the many ways in which a railway would pay in this district; but they were notgiven the time. Mr Hookey stated that Mr Jas. Stewart, C.E., who had been appointed to make the survey, was the most practical man in the whole colony. He would be able to look into the matter in a far more thorough manner than Ministers would, and would give them reliable estimates as to cost. Mr Lewis said Mr Stewart was supposed to come here, but there was great delay in his coming. Mr Whinray said Mr Hall-Jones was the nominal head of the Public Works Department and the man through whom they must pursue their suit. The Mayor : If you ask him for <a railway he will refer you to the other fellow. (Laughter). Mr Whinray said the more Ministers they got here the better. Ministers bad more in common with the places they visited. They had never heard of Gisborne, except when a deputation went down to ; interview them. A member : That doesn't say much for our member. Mr Matthews rose to a point of order. , There .should be some motion before the meeting. i The Mayor said they had been waiting two years for Mr Hall-Jones to fulfil his promise to visit them, and he did not think it was any use asking him. He did not believe in bringing Mr Hall-Jones here on a trip simply for his pleasure. The Premier had said that they had a member and should interview him. If they could not work through their member it was no use doing anything at all. Mr Ambridge moved that a Committee \ consisting of the Mayor, Captain Tucker, Messrs Whiuray, Morgan, Lewis, the ] mover, and others interview Air Carroll. Mr Matthews seconded the motion, and said they should press on Mr Carroll the necessity of having Mr Stewart brought here at once to start the survey at this end, otherwise they would have the old cry they had heard so often before, that the winter was on them and nothing could bo done. The motion was carried unanimously, and the meeting shortly afterwards adjourned.