MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13330, 6 July 1907, Page 7

MIDLAND RAILWAY.

■ lauw ITS. COMPLETION URGED. DEPUTATION OP MEMBERS. I (Special—By Telegraph.) WELLINGTON. July -4." A combined effort of Canterbury, .Nelson and West Coast members was made to-day to get the completion of the Midland "Railway accelerated. A conference of members attended by about twenty representatives was held at-ten o'clock, the Speaker, Mr Guinness, presiding, and half an hour later 'the whole meeting invaded the acting-Minister, the Hon. J. McGowan, to press home the'demands. At the preliminary conference, Mr Gui -ess read telegrams from the Hokitika Borough Council and from the fecretary of the.'Westland Railway League, urging the speedy construction of the tunnel at Arthur's Pass'in order to expedite the completion of the-whole Midland Railway. Mr Guinness and Mr Flatman spoke in support of the requests. ■Mr Gray—"What- i* the estimated cost?"

Mr McKenzie: £534,C00.V Mr Gray.- " Are there ahy great engineering difficulties V ';■"'"' Mr McKenzie: '"I am aware of none." Mr EM said a mistake was made when the people some time «go passed resolutions urging the execution. o& the work by contract. The have been left to choose between-'contract and co-operative labour, Two years ago the West Coast people carried a-want of confidence motion in the Public. Works Department and insisted on tenders being called. Tendei-s had . been : called three times and had always.been unsatisfactory, Mr Hardy said *mem.bers ; . should not nuibble as to how the work should be done but they should get it, done somehow. The effect of the completion of 'the line would be that coal which cost 35s a ton in some -places would be obtainable at 255. 'The, West Ooa't people would alsn ]mve rtn outlet for 'their 1 produce. Mr- R, McKenzie moved: —"The* this meeting of Canterbury, West Coast and Nelson members 'strongly urges upon the Government the vigorous prosecution and completion of (he Midland Railway, a.nd recommendeds that a tender !he; accepted for the Arthur's Pass tunnel." He declared that £150,000 worth of plant would be required which, would be useless to the Government afterwards. It would be better, therefore, , to let the work to contractors who. with the plant on hand and other facilities would probably do it at fifty or seventyfive per cent, of what it would cost the Government. In this, however, he would leave the Government a free hand. The people of Nelson. Westland. and Canterbury were all anxious that the line should be completed. Mr T. Seddon seconded. He thought if the Government considered the tenders unsatisfactory, they should do the work themselves. "He suggested the addition of words to that effect to the resolution, and this was agreed to. The Hon. .Mr. Louisson said a contractor would do the work .more rpaidly. Under the co-operative system it would take- — ' Mr McKenzie: "Twenty years. _ Mr Louisson: "Then it is doubtful if any of us would see it finished." > The motion was carried unanimously. In the interview before the Minister, Mr Guinness pointed out that the time ior receiving tenders expired last Monday and it was the unanimous desire of the members of the districts concerned ' that if the tenders came reasonably near the estimate, one. should be accepted. - Sir W. Steward said that though .they i regarded the North Island Main Trunk line as occupying the first place as a national work, "the Midland Railway came second and should be expedited so that \ with the. completion of the northern line there should be' complete railway communication through, both Islands. Mr McKenzie said Arthur's Pass tunnel was the key to the whole position. Tne million of money spent would earn no interest till it was finished. Large areas of Crown lands suitable for settlement would bo taken up along the route and the line would be one of the best paying lines in the colony, carrying heavy freights of coal, timber and farm* produce. A tender should be accepted even if it exceeded the estimate by £IOO,OOO. Mr Seddon said the Westland people felt isolated, through incompletion of the railway. Men had been discharged from the works at the aproaches to the tunnel and the valuable works which were not secured against flood were in danger of being destroyed. Mr Louisson said the West Coast was so isolated as to b-a like a different colony from Canterbury. The Minister* in reply said he could not help being impressed with sucll a big deputation. Tenders were in hi hand for the tunnel, and also for the expensive bridge over Broken Creek. The tenders for the tunnel were too high. He realised the neod of cither a main road or a main railway/ and he- was not carried

away Tit those who argue-d- that lh*ere was. not. "t.railic. Traffic would follow the railway. It was, however, unusual 1o find a large deputation urging I lie- acceptance of a tender, however high. 'J lie Government and its officers must he given credit for some knowledge of the cost of the work. The completion of the line depended mainly on the amount of money voted on the ■estimates. He had <.ven heard East Coast people urge the. stopping of the line. A cash sum of £876,706 had already been spent, on the line including £139,522- last year. As to the statement as to the iiiiished portions being idle, that applied to all public works. The Government in the past had decided not to cany out works of this kind by contract because that would ultiinaU'ly produce a class of unemployed. He had vet to learn that the co-operative system was bad. Many large . contractors expected to make a. competency out of a contract of £200,000 or £300.000, either by charging too much or by underpaying their workers. He knew a, cast where a man had made a competency out of a, contract of £70,000. Mr Mclvenzie : "We never hear about the losses/' The Minister: "That is just what we hear most about. Contractors are g«nerally silent about their profits." He did not, however, believe in standing ■still when money was available, and would do 'his very * best with whatever means were placed at his disposal.