ISOLATED KAIKOURA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1832, 19 August 1913, Page 6

ISOLATED KAIKOURA.

PLEA FOR ACCESS,

THE SOUTH MAIN TRUNK,

ANNUAL DEPUTATION.

The grievances of isolated Kaikoura wero put beforo members of the Government by a representative deputation from Marlborough yesterday. The deputation, which was introduced by the member for ITitiruniii (Mr. G. Fortes), asked for tho more speedy construction of the South Island Main Trunk railway, and also for. the immediate bridging of tho rivera on the road between the railheads at Parnassus and-Flaxbourne. The Ministers present wero tho Hon. W. l'\ Massey, tho Hon. W. Eraser, the Hon. J. Allen, and the Hon. W. H. Herries.

Mr. S. Andrew, chairman of the Kaikoura County Council, was the first speaker. He enlarged upon the difficulties of getting to lvaikoiira, and of coming away from there. Sometimes tho roads were blocked for a week by floods in the rivers; last winter the 1 mails had been held up tor that time. He thought this state of affairs should not be allowed to continue longer. Through communication between the railheads should be.made as speedily as possible, and to establish this, traffic bridges should bs put over the streams on the route. This woidd cost about .£12,000, but it would aJlow a fast motor service to be run, and would allow settlers to get 6tock away more easily. Ho would press also for tho pushing on of the construction of the Main Trunk line as a national work. To this end he asked for a vote of, eay, £100,000 on tho Estimates.

Mr. T. Gee, chairman of the Cheviot County Council, said the previous Government had been committed to tho railway, but it Jiad never been undertaken seriously. The firat sod on tho lino had been turned at Picton 35 yeare ago, and somo 35 miles, about a mile, & -year, had been laid since then. Surely no slower progress coutd have been- made'. He urged that the bridges aind the road could be made good for an 'expenditure of .£12,000, which mig'h.t, ho suggested, be all expended in one, or at most two, years.

Mr. B. A., Maude, chairman of the Kaikoura E-oads and Bridges League, supported the • appeal for bridges over . tho Kaitaura. rivers, the only rivers unbridged between Blurt' and Picton.

Mr. R. F. Coulter, chairman of the Marlborough Railway League, asked for resumption of the work on the South- Island Main Trunk line. It was time, ho thought, that this .line should bo treated as the North Island Main Trunk line was, and that it should bo giveu preference as tho most important public work in New Zealand ,at present. Tho line went through fertile land all tlio way. Tho, late Minister for Piiblio Works (Mr. E. M'Kenzie) had promised to build the lino to Kaikoura from tho south in eight years, and Mr. Massey had endorsed that as a fair proposal. Mr. J. Davison, chairman of the Kai-k-oiira Railway League, supported the appeal to have the railway completed speedily, and Mr. J. Armstrong, chairman'of this Awatere County Conneil . urged tho need for the bridges also. Mr. Armstrong also suggested that the Government should take over the road between tho railheads, and maintain it in such shape that a fast motor service should be run over it.

Mr. A.. W. Rutherford, formerly member for Hurunui, Mr. G. Laurenson, M.P. for Lyttelton, and Mr. C. Parata, Jl.P.j supported the;demands made by the .deputation. Justice Will be Done. The Prime Minister said lie could endorse all that had bean said about the necessity for -bridging the rivers -between the railheads. Some of tho rivers to be crossed on that road were, be thought, amongst the worst and tho most dangerous in 'New Zealand. A contract had beetn lot for tiro bridging of tho Hapuka, which was a particularly dangerous river. His advico to the Minister for Public Works would be to make some provision in this year's Estimates for the bridging of the other roads on tho route. Referring to the request for the railway, he reminded the deputation that Mr. Eraser had had a difficult: task when ho camo into office. There had been a number of railways in hand, and Mr. Fraser lrad come to the conclusion that the proper thing to do was to finish the Aulways

that were near completion, and to go on with the others afterwards. It was admitted by the Government that the South Island Main Trunk lino must be completed; it was only a question of timo. For his own part he could with eafety assure the deputation that their railway would have the consideration it deserved when the Estimates were bein.g framed. It was quite impossible for him to say rnoTe than that. ... Need for Caution, The Hon. W. Fraser said that ho had at different times been to Kaikoura and knew of tho conditions thore. In regard •to bridging the rivena lie was a great advocate of this being done, but he would not make any direct promise as to any amount, but he was certainly prepared to allot something towards bridging . the -rivers. Ho further hoped that the bridging of these rivers would be done in two years—if they could be done sooner he would do it. They had to remember how many applications he had. Already up to this date ho had received applications' for new' votes, apart from amoftits voted last year, but not spent, totalling six or seven times the'amonnt. lie could give. Some places made, exorbitant demands, but it was liis duty to allocate the amounts amongst them in relation to their requirements.

In connection with the railway ho pointed out that a considerable sum had been spent on /it last year. A sum of .£20,000 had been voted for the north end, and up to Maroli 31 there had been spent .£21,000. For the south end ,£30,000 had been voted, and to the same date .£23,955 had been, spent, while moro had been expended since. He bad-said last year that lie would have to go on with this line, tat he wanted to look round and fee what lie could do with regard to the route, because ho had heard from his engineers that, there were great difficulties ahead. Mistakes had been made and he did not,, want more to occur. Up tho Conway, for instance, he was told there was a stretch of ten miles wfosre the cost would be .£20,000 per mile. If by waiting a little and preparing fresh plans ho could rave a few thousands ner mile then he would be justified. The plans for tho line might eventually have to be altered, as he desired to see if he could get a route from Parnassus to Kaikoura which would cost liim less than the engineers said it would. In conclusion Mr. Eraser expressed his appreciation of the capacity of Kaikoura and said ho would be very pleased to see it connected by the railway with both Christclnirch and Blenheim. The question was one of finance, and he would endeavour to do justice to the line.