RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11966, 20 June 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Mr McKenzie then refered to the manner in which the publio works are now being carried on as unsatisfactory. They were all interested in getting tne railway extended to Murchison as soon as possible, The death of Mr Seddon had been a mis fortune to the district. Before his death they had about ninety men at work on the extension from |Tadmor, but at presnet they bad only 38 men, and if a man left, his place wbb not filled. Ministers reckoned that the money should fee spent onj

the iSorth lal.'in I Trunk lino because so many thousands were lying idle, but they did not say bow many thousands were lying idle on the Midland line and would continue idle till the railway was nxtended. Thiy had some 3500 miles of railway ]'■ t .'■■■>• cjlony which bad cost over rj millions and list year tbo. open li its paid a ; >out C 3 103 per cent iH'ytviri-i'A'ppi's-'^. l>ut thar did not iiicl'd •• int tost .111 the raonoy spent on unOis f/il lines .\!ik'!i was lying idle. It w.is not just Id the puople to have to find interos" mi '■"• * »"** or four millions expended on n iii ; sVd lines. Some ! 'v ■ or six l-o.issi -id men wfiv !> i : • ■mployad ou thu North J i.i ; i'mukapii o c consequence had been to give ti.t - - North Island an 'extra member, lie was sorry to say that some in Christchurch were opposing the Midland line because they thought their business would be injured by competition and that it would injure Lyttelton harbor. Some were trying to get a line by way of Cannibal Gorge, which was advocated twenyfive years ago, but they overlooked the fact that only 20 m \*s had t > be completed on the E.i-i. and West Const line.. He pointed out, t o, that the distance from the end of the Manu section in Tadmor Yd! v to the Inangahua Junction was under sixty miles. To try to divert the line now was to prevent ita being carried out. before a shilling was spent it was right to, advocate tho Cannibal Gorge lino but now that less than ninety miles would connect Cbristchurch, the West C >ast and Nelson it was absurd. He did not think there was the slightest hope of getting a liu<>. t l i rough tho Cannibal Gorge now, am! was; sorry to see that the Westport Chamber of Commerce was support! n» it. Their first effort must lie .to got, the line to Murchison, and he advised them to agitate to that on I. They would not get the line if t'u'y sat down by ,heir firesides. Thry must get the me on that si le of tho Uouo as juiekly as po^fMp, and they must >et to work ami nuke a iow. ''Insist on getting it." he said, and let it be known r(r>t you will oppose ioyone who will not work for ik The people of Nelson muafc say that political life depended on that railway. They might talk and they would get polite answers, but nol-h---ing more He said don't vote for R. McKenzie or anyone else unlesa ha was pledged the railway. Ho then referred to the Nelson wharf extension, and said the Government had treated tiem j very shabbily, and he could not understand that matter. A sum of £5000 was put on the estimates for wharf extension and they could not find out what had been done with the money. He wanted them to make up. their minds to tight aud agitate till they got the nil-.vay over the Hope Saddle. He suggested 1 that the}'' might refer the matter to the same committee that had been set up to. deal with the formation of a new County and h« said that whon t'-"y lv>.d v County they would have a local body to represent them and to deal with the requirements of the district. Every Municipality and County Council ought to pin its faith to the Midland Kaihvay, the extension of which would be for fcheir good and the good- of the whole colony. (Applause). Mr A. Thompson moved, nnd Mr Downie seconded, that the Omnniit tee already set up be als > emp nvered and requested to take action in regard to railway extension, and the mover said they had t; thank Mr McKenzie for what he had done to help them in the matter of the railway. The* motion was alsj carried unanimously. Mr McKenzie also spoke at . some length on political matters, referring to the Land Bill, but shortness of space necessitates .f'e holiiig over of the report of thai: j> -rtiun of his speech. Mr McKon/io 10 -Lived a very cordial vote of t'i 1 k i m i Mr Lawn was also thanko ! f r U:o nl>le. manI ncr in which ho . .s.l a ied as chair- ! man.