OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY

Dunstan Times, Issue 955, 6 August 1880, Page 3

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY

A meeting of the Clumber of Commerce, Dunedin, was held on Tuesday afternoon last to consider the question of the Otago Central Railway, as referred to in the report of the Public Works Commissioners. Mr E. B. Cargill occupied the Chair, characterised the report as a sweeping one, and after all that had been done in connection witli the line he said the proposal to stop work and alter the route by the way of Livingstone was a monstrous one Ho read the following telegram from Mr Pykc,— “ Mean to make onslaught on Railway report. Would strongly urge deputation come, if Dunedin not to be snuffed out in favor of Cam,wu.”

Mr (Jeorge Bell, Mr Begg, Mr R. Gillies, an I Mr Ashcroft having spoken all iu favor of the line, and adverse to the report Mr Mackeiras proposed the following resolutions : —“ This Chamber views with alarm and distrust the report of the Royal C mimission ou Railways, in so far as reference is made iu the report to the Orago Central railway, Ist. • The Chamber views the report with the utmost alarm, inasmuch as it recommends that this central railway should be altogether abandoned, and that in the lace (n) of the amount of money already expended in its construction—about LIOO.OOO ; and ( hj) in the face of the unexampled care with which all the preliminary inquiries and surveys were made and brought under the notice of Parliament before the construction of this railway was sanctioned.’ 2nd. ‘ This Chamber views the report with the utmost distrust, inasmuch as it clearly indicates a desire to recommend that the railway connection with the interior of this Provincial District and the seaboard should be by an extension of the Livingstone branch to Xasehy—a route already ascertained to be beset by far greater engineering difficulties than that by Strath Taieri, besides running through a much inferior tract of country.’ 3rd. ‘That ns soon as the Strath-Taieri lino reaches the Sutton Stream it will begin to open up land for settlement; it is extremely desirable, therefore, that the construction should be proceeded With to this point as speedily as possible, when sufficient land could he sold to carry it on to the Taieri Lake, as provided for in the schedule of the Public Works Appropriation Act, 1879.’ 4th. 1 The Chamber expresses the earnest hope that the Government will refuse to give

effect to the recommendation in the report in so far as this railway is concerned ; and that they will, on the contrary, continue its construction as speedily as the state of the Colonial finances will allow.’ ”

Mr G Turnbull thought tire resolutions scarcely sufficiently brought out the fact that the Chamber did not wish to press unduly on the Government as to the completion of the line. The principal point was that this route was the best. He cordially supported the resolutions, and thought “distrust” a mild term to apply to the Commissioners’ report. In order to bring out more clearly the feeling of the Chamhe", as he ‘understood it, lie moved that the following be substituted for section 3 of the resolutions as read “3rd—Tint the Chamber hj. s no desire ti press any demand for immediate expenditure on this line of railway beyond what can be prudently appropriated in - lie present state of Colonial finances, but would urge most emphatically that there should be no departure from the decision arrived at after a most full and careful investigation of the several suggested linen of communication with the interior, when ihe preference was almost unanimously accordel to the Otago Central overall others ; and would further urge that the portion already under construction shouhl be completed and the line continued as far as Sutton Stream, by which a considerable extent of good land would be opened, and thoreafter continued from time to time as funds were made available from land sales oi otherwise.”

Mr Ashcroft seconded the proposal for the substitution of this amendment, ami it was carried without opposition.

Mr Rattray then moved—“ That a copy of these resolutions be forthwith wired to the lion, the Minister of Public Works, Mr Vincent Pyke, and the City members, with a request that they support the views of the Chamber as set forth therein.”

Seconded by Mr J. Cargill, and carried. This concluded tho business of the meet