D.—2

4

form a part of the trunk line will come within the scope of your Commission, I am sure the deputation will be glad to hear from you that one or two at all events of these lines will so come within the terms of your Commission. The Chairman; I can only state, gentlemen, that the Commissioners are in search of information, and will most gladly receive any information upon the subject which has been committed to them for investigation, from any quarter from which it may come. I am quite aware, from my own personal recollection, that the line originally contemplated by the Government in 1873 and 1874 proposed to form a connection with the west coast of the Middle Island; and I observe, from the terms of the resolution which has been transmitted to the Commission, that the deputation were instructed to collect statistics and information regarding the different routes northward as well as to the West Coast. Although, as I have already said, we cannot report specially upon any West Coast line, so called, we shall be very glad indeed to receive information upon any portion of that line which can be said properly to form a portion of the main trunk line northwards —that is to say, that any portion of the line from Canterbury northwards across the ranges to the West Coast, which might properly be taken to form part of the line to the north, would be held to be part of the subject on which we desire to obtain information, and on which it would be competent for us to report. The only question is as to the form in which that information should be communicated to us. I think it would be convenient if the deputation would see fit to appoint one of their number to prepare information ; to get up all the statistical information you desire to give upon the question of this route, and'present it in as compendious a form as possible to the Commission. Ido not know whether I have sufficiently answered the question which Mr. Richardson has put to me. If there is any other information the deputation wish to have as to the intentions of the Commission, and the purport of their visit, I shall be very glad to give it. Mr. Weston : I understand, from the remarks you have been good enough to make, that you would not regard a direct line from Christchurch to Brunnerton, for instance, as a line within the terms of your Commission. The Chairman: No, clearly not. Mr. Weston : Would you and your colleagues regard a railway from the Hanmer Plains to Nelson Creek as a line coming within the terms of your Commission ? The Chairman : I think not, unless you could show us that that was really a portion of the trunk line north. That is the indispensable limit, I take it, of our jurisdiction. Mr. Weston; From the answer you gave to my friend Mr. Richardson, I conclude that you would regard a line from the Hanmer Plains up to Reefton, and from Reefton direct to Nelson or Blenheim, as the case might be, as a line coming within the terms of your Commission ? The Chairman : Not even so, I think. I did not specify any particular route. I said generally that any line taking the west side of the main range, that could be shown to properly form a portion of the main trunk line, would come within our inquiry. Mr. Weston : The Commission would not even bind themselves to take Reefton en route ? The Chairman : Not specifically at present. We can only bind ourselves to that which is within the four corners of our Commission, and the making of a line to any particular point on the West Coast would be certainly outside it. Mr. Weston : I followed you somewhat carefully, and you stated, I think, that you would be glad to consider any portion of the line that might ultimately lead to the West Coast. The Chairman: To receive information upon it. Mr. Weston: To receive information upon it; but of course it is perfectly evident that a line the half length to the West Coast would be for all profitable purposes per se useless. Mr. Button: Would it be outside the Commission, in the report you would send in, to make any reference to the strong representations that might be made as to the urgent requirements of the West Coast line ? The Chairman: We should be prepared to receive that as part of the information which the Committee might submit to the Commission. Mr. Weston: I understand you to say that you would not report specially upon information of that kind—that it would be beyond the terms of your Commission. The Chairman: We would be glad to receive it, but we have no authority to make any report upon it; it is entirely outside the scope of our Commission. The Mayor : If that is your answer I think our mission here is almost useless. It was understood, by the terms of your Commission, that it was part of your instructions to examine and see the utility of a trunk line to be extended along the West Coast to Nelson. Of course, as far as Canterbury is concerned, we consider the East Coast line and the inland line completely premature and not beneficial to the public. We consider the only line in the interest of the public would be one via the West Coast, and I think the province is unanimous in that opinion. We have formed a league composed of the representatives from the different local bodies, who are all of opinion—not one of them against it —that the £180,000 should be devoted to the construction of a line via the West Coast. If the Commission of course are going to examine the best route, we want to ascertain positively if it comes within their instructions to consider the advisability of constructing the main trunk line via the West Coast, because we consider the other lines are premature. They are at present fancy lines, and the country cannot now afford to construct these lines. They will not pay the interest on the capital expended, and besides they will not be beneficial to the public. Mr. Weston: If I may be pardoned for again rising, Mr. Chairman, it seems to me, from the remarks you have made, that after all you will be left pretty much to one of two lines —either the East Coast proper or from Canterbury via Tophouse. I was going to ask you whether you could not regard as within the terms of your Commission Reefton as a point en route. [Plan produced and explained to the Commission.] Mr. Beese: Prom the answer given to Mr. Richardson I gather that the Commission are prepared to receive any information with regard to the necessity for a railway to the West Coast, so long as we do not pretend to lay down a particular route,