SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 13

SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS.

* r ■ - ' MEETING AT KAIKOTJRA [fbom oub special coekespondent.] ' Chrlstchurch, March 27. i\'. A largo, and representative gathering fmet .. :V.y '■ at; Kaikdura to., discuss' matters' 'in; ; connec- . tion with pushing the South 1 - Island, and. East , . •,; Coast Main .-Trunk railway .towards oomplo- - tion. Messrs M'Calluni and Coulter (presi- '•% deiitand.vice-president respectively; ofthe , : y . Marlborough Land 1 ... and Railway League) with '.tboso present. ', .;'' : . : 'i 7 M'Callum 1 said7the-;railway had; been. . \ ;.p6mpletbd ,to_Seddon,;'and 'very soon another, ... V . section'to "Ward would bo opened, and the I s -. Flaxbourne .district would benefit ,to & ' greater - extent 'than; was dreamed -of by! the ;;settlera.' : It ; wis-unfortunate that the' Government had ceased work at the Domot end .: of the lino,-and ho thought it a pity tho'Kai- : koura people did not bestir-themselves more ' to keep: tho work going from tho southern end. 'Ihd peoplo appeared too well off to ex- . Crt themsolyes to any;-extent'of agitation. • If tho Kaikoura residents; did. not assist in ','tlio united "agitation 'for -the' completion of . , ... Hhe rajlwayj the opportune, time might' be lost. . Tho Government had;'said that by ; Christmas the North Island-Main Trunk line : would bo off tho stocks, and the late Pre--7.-7 , mier had on different occasions '; stated '.that 1 tho South Island > Mam Trunk" lino would some sccond in importance. Tho Governneiit probably had been paying too much : . ..: ! ittention' to; tho Midland' Railway, 'but. now 'fio-Arthur's Pass tunnol contract had beon ]<t liothihg coujd bo dpne further ■; on that- ' - .. 'liio until .the completion, of the timiiol, when ' ; tlo lino-to the .West Coast would be practi-' caly flmshsod. This. work, would tako six jr i; : ytsirs to. completej' and by that time the line :: Th>y wore discussing should be. well in hand.' 7' It ,vas not 'desirable to discuss tho question' of i route. There were two routes suggested—one via the coast from Cheviot; and - .'V-tho''other via Wjiauj' but they now. learned that an intermediate routo had been surveyed ■ alonjr through the Mendip Hills, by tho : Coni. waySfver?and' down through the Greonburn into.'Kaitoura. They asked that somo. route ' 6hooiild.be definitely-fixed upon; and the t. ' worki*'.of''construction , prosecuted . with tho uutmost haste. . ' ; _ After further discusion, it was decided that it is highly desirable in tho interest ' of tho* Dominion that tho railway' between' ■ ricton', and Christchurch should bo completed: at the earliest possible'moment'to " oonnect tho link between Seddon and Do- ■ inett. ;' It was suggested that all tho railway ■ leagues should combine and form ono'South Island Main Trunk, Railway Leagtio. ■ : Mr. Goulter approved of the idea, and ' . thought'; tho league's headquarters sshould 'be at - Christchurch,. where thoy wo.ild bo ; closer in touch with the Canterbury Members of Parliament. , .