MIDLAND RAILWAY

West Coast Times, Issue 10657, 10 December 1897, Page 2

MIDLAND RAILWAY

[Per United Press Association.]

Wellington., Dec 9. A deputation consistiug of Messrs Taylor, Rolleston, Moore, Joyce, Tanner, Wasoh, Meredith and Smith waited on the Premier and Minister for Public Works this evening and asked that the expenditure on the Midland railway for the next year should ba spent on the Canterbury end of the line. The members of the deputation pointed out that it was very evident that the harvest in Canterbury this year will be a failure and consequently there would be a large number of men out of work next winter.

Mr Taylor, who introduced the deputation, referred to the fact that there was such a small expense in public works in Canterbury that it was a reasonable >> %/' thing to ask for this expenditure.

Mr Rolleston said it would be satisfactory to know what Governments intentions were respecting the line and added that the feeling in Canterbury was that they were not getting fair play in the matter.

Mr Seddon said at the commencement o£ the session it; was thought the ' CoW pany would make default with respect' to payments, then to payments thek falling due, but to their surprise the amount was paid, and the only course to be pursued by Government was simply to go on as they had been going on so long as the Company continued to pay the demands made by the Government. The only question was whether Government could not expend more money and -get the railway done within a reasonable time. He thought that should be done but the House might object that more money was being spent on" this as compared with other railways. The~\_ amount to be expended would, however, appear on the Public Works estimates. Steps would probably be taken, so far as he could gather by those interested in tho Hue, which would bring things to an issue. As to expending money at the Canterbury end ho said it' would take half a million to bring it jjo a point' which would lessen • the distance between Ca.n= terbury and the West Coaat, while the expenditure on the Wesc Coast appreciably lessened the distance. He did not know whether there was any work at Springfield which could be put in hand. The Minister for Public Works sai3ihe bridge at Paterson's Creek beyond Springfield would be very expensive and the , expenditure would be unproductive unless it were decided to go ou with the construction of the line beyond Patersor?s, Creek He intended sending aoorapetent surveyoi to report on -a more suitable route than that at present proposed. Mr Seddon said the <;lass of work at Paterson's Creek was such that it would noj; relieve the labor market to a great extent. It consists chiefly of blasting.