THE AKAROA RAILWAY DEPUTATION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 375, 24 February 1880, Page 2

THE AKAROA RAILWAY DEPUTATION.

We extract from the Press the following report of the interview between the above deputation and the Minister for Public Works which took place in Christchurch on Thursday last:—

The deputation which was introduced by Mr W. Montgomery, M.H.R., comprised Messrs "Williams (chairman Akaroa County Council), Waeckerle (Mayor of Akaroa), Garwood, Shadbolt, G. R. Joblin, Piper, Th acker, Parkinson, Barker, Bradley, Gebbie, O'Callaghan, and Coop.

Mr Montgomery, in introducing the deputation, said [that they had waited upon the Minister for Public Works with reference to the Akaroa Kailway, concerning the pushing forward of which there existed considerable interest in the district. The gentlemen he had the honor to introduce were not only men of a representative character as settlers in the district, but also as representing the opinion of the residents.

Mr Williams said that they had waited on the Minister with respect to two questions connected with the Akaroa Railway. The first of these was whether the Government would call for tenders at once for the plate-laying required on the contract now in course of formation before the formation was completed ; and secondly, whether contracts would be now called for the formation of the line at present authorised. What the deputation wished to impress upon the Minister was the necessity of the work being pushed forward as rapidly as possible, so that they might not be driven too far into the winter. The formation of the first portion was very nearly completed, and there seemed to be no reason why contracts for the plate-laying upon it should not be called for at once, so that the two might go on simultaneously.

The Minister said he saw no objection at all to tenders being called for the platelaying as required by the deputation. There was a small vote left, and he (the Minister) had no objection to the course proposed. With regard to what Mr Montgomery had been urging upon him, viz., the further pushing forward of the line, that would, of course, depend on the appropriations made by Parliament for that object. He had called for tenders for the survey of a further section, and tenders for formation would follow. As to the further prosecution of the work beyond that already authorised, that would, of course, depend on the vote of Parliament.

One of the members of the deputation inquired where the terminus of the next section would be.

The Minister said that Mr Blair would perhaps state.

Mr Blair said the line would come in at some convenient place near Little River, on a low level.

In reply to a further question, The Minister said that he thought he had given the deputation every assurance as to the prosecution of the work that they had a right to expect.

Mr Joblin asked the Minister if the Government had considered what would be done in case of a blocking up of the Lyttelton tunnel at any time. With a railway at Akaroa harbor the difficulty would be met.

The Minister said that such a contingency had not been contemplated by the Government. - He could assure them that the railway would be gone on with as speedily as possible. Of course as regarded the further extension beyond the point already authorised, that would depend upon the decision of the Commission and Parliament. In some cases circumstances of a commercial character, and in others a necessity for opening up the country might be urged before the Commission, and no doubt the residents would be able to lay such information as was necessary before it.

In reply to a question from one of the deputation as to tie intention of the Government to push the railway on to the harbor of Akaroa,

The Minister said that he could not reply to a question like this.

Mr Garwood said that he desired to point out that Akaroa was completely isolated from the rest of the districts, and received not the slightest benefit whatever from the public works of the colony. They were really now as much isolated as in 1840, and thus they felt they had a right to demand from the Government that the railway should be pushed on with.

The Minister said he . thought he had answered the request of the deputation fully, and had given them all the information they were entitled to extract from the Government. All he could say was, that the Government would push on with the work so far as the money voted by Parliament went. But they must remember that no Government could promise that anything would be done beyond this, until the money was voted by Parliament. The settlers of the district would have ample opportunity of laying their case for a further extension before the Commission, and it would then come before Parliament, where their representative would have a voice. Mr Montgomery said he desired to thank the Minister for the courtesy shown to the deputation. So far as he understood the intentions of the Government, as stated by Mr Oliver, they were that the tenders for plate-laying on the permanent way already formed would be called for at once, and before the completion of the formation ; that tenders for the survey of the second section had been called for, and tenders for formation would be, and that any works beyond the grant already authorised, would depend upon the report of the Commission and the appropriation voted for it by Parliament.

The deputation then withdrew