JOINING HANDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16612, 22 August 1918, Page 5

JOINING HANDS.

CANTERBURY A2fD WESTLA^ T D. YESTERDAY'S FUNCTION AT ARTHUR'S PASS. (Special to the ••Herald.") CHRISTCHURCH, August 21. Rudyard Kipling- it appeared from a statement mad© T>y the, Hon. G. W. Russell at the function in celebration ®f *' l6 meefcng of the headings, of the Ovira tnnnell to-dae", was quit's wrong when he .wrote that "East is East and , e ®J 1 15 and never the t«-a:a meet. "For," declared the Mir-ister, amidst hearty applause, "thoy tave met. as all we who are here tocan, testify.'' , It was a glorious ».ay. could not in fact have been better, when all Nature seemed glad; a warm sun shone down a benediction ou the people of Canterbury^and Westlanci as they shook hands and rejoiced over t'ne near consummation of their hopes, and most liappily the big function passe<? off without, a jarring note of ar.v kind.

The Government had arranged for a.| special train to run' from Christchurch to convey the visitors from all parts of Canterbury to the ."-cene of to-dav'<? fesrivities, j>nd in tliis just 300 neop'rtravelled; 295 invitations were issuod, and '2?O cf *hese v/ere accepted, but ir addition to formally invited there were a number of Government officials ••nd members of the Lyttelton Coast Dtffnc? Band, who played the National Anthem before and at the close rri i? cpoeches at the tunnel's mouth, the Govenimem, also provided a special train, and free coach fare from the! Joir s k,£ oa ' 0 * while the Christchurcli t riS and lie Canterbury Cha*s-1 ber of Commerce provided a free lunc h for ail at th© foot, of tlie' mountain, where the function was held. Among those present- wera a num'oer of ladies, including "Mrs R. J. Seddon and her two daughters (Mrs Bean awl Miss Wfildon). Three MwiieiE of the Crown were m attendance. Sir James Alien, Sir William Fraser. and Mr "G. AY. Russell, with other politicians and Mayors from both Canterbury and the West Coast-. Son oh Canterbury being represented by Mr B. R- Mac Donald (Mayor of Geraldiso,. Mr A. Frew filfayor of Temufci), "Mr J. Anstev, 5fJP._ for "Waitaki, and Colonel MacVeozie (chairman of the Geraldine County Council), Mr J. Craigie, M.P. for Timaru, Rent an apology for absence on occc'uiti of indisposition. From tha West Coast visitor- came to the nunv her of 147, and they too enioyed the best of good weather on their side of ihe hilU

At the tnnnel's rr.oufch, with, a warin s:tn sliiniiH; npor them, the people grouped themselves on the bank on either side nnd to the speeches of the Ministers and others. Prior to the speech-making the "hole in the bill" wa* brought a little nearer com pletinn by a. shot- which' was fired by tlio Minister for Public Works. Thi? was done electrically, ■ Sir William simply pressing a button, and not even a sound was beard.

A good deaf of curiosity was mani festcd by the ■visitor in inspecting + J»» n-outh of the turnel, which is 15 feet wide and l-i feet 5 inches high, with cuicrete sides and tojj, - and tho tunnel runs thwngh, alorn; its length of fire rai!«r and 24 chains, on a srade of T Jit. 33,. falling from the sidi*.

In the course of tha Kpeeeh-makiug most alluring visions -rere drawn of the great good that is to follow the connecting np of east and vest, and coal t 'real stuff at>d not slack") was represented as likely to r.-ome over m enormous at prices far below those at present ru-ing. Inexhaustible supplies of tlie bsst- tinfber were rc\>ir.ised. Fat cat*lo from the boundless areas of W'esvland's crazing lands would fill Canterbury niarV-ls whenever they trorp wanted, and sheep in lesser quantities would also he, sent over. In seasons of drought in Canterbury '.ho starring stock here would be readily transferred to the evert!reen and plentiful pasture lands of the Cbast. The vast mineral resources of th<* "West j Coast would also b> more readily developed with a th-ough line. The tourist and 'ordinary passenger trafSc wottfd he enormous and altogether it was said that the contj-.'etion of tliir the greatest public ever under taken in New 25ealmn\ would mark a new era in the development and progross of Canterbury and "Westlnnd. ; Graceful compliments were paid to all who had been associated with the great work, special reference being made to the late Hon. "R. J. Seddon, to tii« engineers, and to the workmen, for all r-f whom the heartiest «of cheers were given. Ivindly reference was also mad" to Mr T. Y. Seddon. M.P., for whom more cheers were yiven, and Mrs Sed don in a brief 6paech returned he*heartfelt thnuks. "Pleasure was ex-f-essed that amony those present was Mr Arthur Dudley Robson, City Enaineer for Chris tchurrli, who was th--v first. to discover Arilinr's Pass, when seeking a road to tho West Coast iu The Canterbury yi-items were greai'v impressed on 'tditir io"rnoy to and fro'l j the Pare hv *.he i\et.;ire of the country ttrough which the line passes. In the earlier stares of th.. fourney from the Christchureli end tlicv looked witli admiration upon rich agricultural land? while later t. v «=v viewed with equal iuiormt the ir- nv fine deep runs ou either side of the line. Through the wise foresight of ««»U>rs of the early dnvs the country hns an added aitrne-t-:on in the many fine plantations tha' are to be seen.

DATE CH? COMPLETION. , STILL TWO YEARS DISTANT. Per Press Association. At the Arthur's Pass function itday, Sir William Fraser said that, speaking for himself—and ho believed that Cabinet would agree—lie looked upon the work as of dominion importance. .Regarding the completion or the work, lie said that money was 011K available for public works after v»ar requirements were met, and its completion would depend ou how long the war lasted. Ho sincerely hoped that if circumstances wero favourable it would bo completed in two years oj two years and a half, but the only pledge ha could give \v»s f 'tliat he would do all he could to see the work finished as early as possible. Sir James Allen said his interest in the line as Minister of Defence was on account of its strategical importance. From that viewpoint the line was perhaps" the most valuable in the dominion. If it liad been completed itwould have l>een much appreciated now owing to the coal shortage. The line would he beneficial to the whole of New Zealand. Hon. G. W. Russell said he took off his hat to Sir William Fraser for tlio persistent manner in which no liad insisted on the work oeing carried through, despite immense pressure from one part of the dominion that wanted expenditure on the lino stopped Ho thought that Canterbury should erect a statuo to Sir William j Frasev wIiQU the liuo was completed. ]