WESTPORT-REEFTON RAILWAY

West Coast Times, Issue 14177, 30 July 1907, Page 4

WESTPORT-REEFTON RAILWAY

Wehington, July 29

A dppoVion\ropresent ; ng the Bnller anil Ns-huu diatiicis waitfd on tHe Premier to day to urg« the pxctnMoi. <>f the Westp >r^-Beeftou railway and authorisation ot a section between Tadinor and Reef toD, as well as the .authorisation of 'the remaining portion of the WestportInangahua line. The speakers particu larly referred to tbe enormous mineral and timber resources of the district^ concerned.

The Premier, in reply, naid that the Oovernment could carry on railway con* atruction only according to tbe amount of inuuey at iU disposal. During the previous year the debt of the Colony had been' increased by £1.988,000, and of tfiat oam £1,345,749 bad been spent in connection with railwAyo. That huge expenditure could Dot be increased. On the contiary, the total amount would be rather le?s, Ib had to be remembered, moreover, that during the year the Grov~ ernment would be called upon to make provision for '£3,300,000 of fresh money £800.000 in redemption of loans| £1,500,000 in ordinary conversions and £1,000,000 as a fresh loan. Tbe first consideration of the Government must, be to keep the Colony's financial pot-ition sound and beslthy, and it was not intended tomake any new appropriations for railways, The oolony was carrying .oto a vety vigorous policy of rai vay con« structiou. The faob was sometimes overlooked tbab inora was being spent year by year over successive years than had been, proposed under che progressive polioy initiated by Sir Julius Yogel. The completion of the North Island Main Tru^k line was tbe most important work in hand, aad tbat line would absorb socle £400^)00 during the coming ytar. While the Government was anxious to recognise promises made by its predecessor* 1 , it had to deal with ciroumstbnces as they existed at present. Old promises were coming to light' every day in regard to various matters, and those promises made or represented to have been maie in past days could not be allowed to override exigencies of t~day. The Government would carefully oontider all matters that had been laid before it*

A similar reply was given to auother deputation that urged tbe extension of the Culverden line to Waiau .