The Otago Central.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 368, 28 May 1903, Page 5

The Otago Central.

Though the Canterbury members on their return to Christchurch disclaimed having made any pronouncement with regard to the results of their inspection of the Otago Central Railway, beyond saying that it must be carried to a paying point, the views of the correspondents sent on behalf of the Christchurch papers may be worth quoting as generally expressing the mind of the legislative visitors. The " Lyttelton Times' " representative says: The termination of the line at Alexandra will not satisfy either Clyde or Cromwell, and it is quite, certain that agitation will not cease until Wanaka, at any rate, is reached. The extension to Alexandra, it must be noted, though presenting no engineering difficulties, will be more costly than is stated by many of its advocates. The river Manuuerikia will have to be crossed twice by bridges, this involving a large expenditure, and it is suggested that a way out of the difficulty would be to locate the terminus (for the near future) on Dunstan Flat, between Clyde and Alexandra, which would obviate the necessity ot crossing the river, and would serve both towns, as well as the principal producing localities hereabouts. Clyde, at the farthest, will, as far as appearances and prospects indicate, have to remain for many years the terminus. Clyde and Alexandra are about equidistant from Ophir, and the only apparent reason for departing from the most direct route and taking the line to Alexandra is that it has the largest population of the Vincent County towns. And the special of the " Press," w bo, be it noted, is a member of the House, says: The Canterbury members have travelled some seven hundred odd miles; they have carefully inspected the country for sixty miles? beyond the present terminus of the railway; every inquiry has been made as to its potentialities and population. What is. the summary of these? First, that the railway should never have gone via the Taieri Gorge. But it has been sent via the Taieri, and has been finished for over 100 miles ; it has surmounted the worst of its difficulties, and is now formed to within a few miles of Ophir ; in fact, it is expected that by next Macch trains will be running to that township. From Ophir to Alexandra, the principal town on the goldflelds, is a distance of twenty miles. Few engineering difficulties lie between the two towns ; two bridges and a cutting comprise these. This twenty miles ought to be done, and done at once. From Alexandra to Clyde is a distance of seven miles over flat country. The construction of these seven miles could be considered when it was seen what sort of a return the Alexandra-Duneclin line is going to make on the cost of its construction. From Clyde to Cromwell is a distance of fourteen miles. This fourteen miles runs largely through the Kawarau Gorge, and presents engineering difficulties of magnitude. It is questionable whether or not these fourteen miles should ever be made. The question of their construction might at all events be left for a future generation to decide on. At present all indications point to the fact that Alexandra ought to be the line's present terminus. Then the Otago Central ought to pay interest on its cost.

In his report of the Parliamentary tour, the representative of the ''S'outh*ern Standard " (who accompanied the party) says, inter alia : " . . From the dredges a visit was made to Mr Iversen's fruit gardens, situated at the toot of the Earnscleugh Hills, and here the party got a glance of the remarkable results to be achieved from irrigation. In the midst of a bleak, bare, waterless waste, Mr Iversen's vinery stands out green and coollooking, like an oasis in a desert. On one side of his boundary fence lies nothing but a mass of twisted rock and dusty gravel; on the other, pear and apple trees grow in abundance. Water from the hills has wrought this transformation. The fine growth evinced by all of Mr Iversen's plants showed the visitors what fertility there is in the Earnscleugh Plain if properly irrigated. The party waxed enthusiastic over the excellence of the products, particularly the genial member for Dunedin, Mr J. A. Millar, who bad been unmercifully twitted by his Canterbury colleagues over the barrenness of the country passed through the previous day. Prom Iversen's the party once more struck the desert of sand and rocks, and, passing through Conroy's Gully—where as many as 300 miners worked in the primitive style shortly after the first gold rush— Dawson's gardens were reached. Here the fruit grew in greater plenteousness than at Iversen's. Grapes hung in abundance on the vines in the open air. The 16 acres comprising the garden are covered with peaj and apple trees. Quinces grow to an enormous size, and it would be a difficult matter 4o find in the whole of New Zealand a bigger and more healthy class of fruit than in this isolated little vineyard. The goodwife treated her guests to the best her garden had to offer, and as she loaded several of the Canterbury members with her choicest grapes and pears, she confidently expressed her belief that " this would put three miles on to the railway." The party then drove to Alexandra, the centre of the gold dredging, industry, and a go-ahead municipality of some 900 inhabitants. Here they were met by the Mayor, who extended a hearty welcome, headed the usual deputation, and, with other leading townsmen, sat down to a splendid dinner prepared by Host Milne, of the Bendigo Hotel, and formerly a resident of Wyndham. Alexandra, like Clyde, has evidently confidence in the future, as the Council

is initiating a water supply scheme costing about £1,500, while the borough is bearing a rate of 3s in the £.—[The reporter has made a slight error in his figures. The Alexandra water scheme will cost over £7OOO, not £ISOO, as stated above.—Ed. ,A.H.] The report continues:—To the much-vexrd question of whether or not the Otago Central railway will pay as far as one's observation in a hurried visit allows him to judge, the present production of the country is too limited to warrant an optimistic reply. The line is now open for traffic for 106 miles from Dunedin, 11 miles will probably be opened to Ophir, princi pally through difficult country, about next March, and 20 miles will fetch the line to Alexandra, to where passenger- and produce traffic alone should be a source of considerable revenue. To stop the railway at Ophir, after piercing the difficut country east of that place, would be unwise, and to make the railway bear interest on the cost of construction, it should be taken over the level tract of country to Clyde and Alexandra. With its terminus at Clyde it would certainly pay better than at Ophir. To take it thr&igh the Cromwell Gorge, for another 20 years at least would be a waste of money. At Clyde the terminus would be within a day's journey of Cromwell and much of the country towards Hawea. The engineering difficulties to be surmounted if an extension beyond Clyde were decided on would entail huge cost. At Clyde the interior would be well served, and until private enterprise steps in and assists in developing the resources of country by irrigating some of its bare wastes, further extension would not be justified. Much of the country can be easily irrigated, water being abundant - and not difficult to conserve; and, if an irrigation scheme were put into effect, then the Otago Central railway, in spite of the mill-stone hanging on to it in the shape of the Taieri Gorge section, would not be a burden on the taxpayers of the colony. It certainly should be pushed forward to Clyde with as much speed as funds will allow, but there it should stop until other parts of the colony have their needs attended to.

Much of the success of the trip is due to Messrs Gilkison and Stronach, members of the Otago Central Railway League, both of whom accompanied the party throughout, taking charge of a vehicle each, and pointing out various features of interest during the journey. The Canterbury members intend to made a more leisurely inspection of part of the route next year, including the Wanaka country, and they will then have a comprehensive knowledge of the whole of the interior.