OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 21743, 11 June 1934, Page 14

OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE

REVIEW OF| YEAR GOLD MIKING AND UNEMPLOYMENT The annual report of the President; of the Otago Expansion League (Mr J. J. Marlow), which will be presented at the annual meeting, states, inter alia; The hopes which were confidently held a year ago that men would soon be working on the Cromwell Flat have not been realised. Fresh leads have been discovered, and, according to reports made public, the geophysical survey has given indications of much gold amid the gravelly sub-strata of the plain; no steps have yet materialised for the miner to get after it. The history of the year is one long record of obstacles—physical, legal, mechanical, departmental. The hopes of the local authorities that the active, resumption of .mining would'relieve the unemployment position by putting into work at full pay the idle men of the district, and perhaps even enable them to draw upon outside districts for extra labour have not materialised. The league does not desire to minimise the difficulties, or to lay the blame promiscuously upon any shoulders, believing as it does that both the State departments and the local authorities are sincere and singleminded in their efforts, at reaching working arrangements. The league proposes keeping the question before the legislators and administrators, thereby endeavouring to stimulate progress. ■ Over and above the question of alluvial mining on the fiats and reefing iu the hills,, the question of the gold in the Molyneux—the. great natural sluicebox of Otago—is constantly arising. Old miners and young alike are satisfied that if only the water could- be held up for a few weeks so that men could get down into the bed and along the submerged banks of this great river, much gold could be won from ; pockets and crevices and lurking behind great boulders or rocky ledges. The. closing of the Kawarau gates brought down the level of the main river, and gold was found in many places, especially in the rocky gorges between Cromwell and Clyde, and Alexandra and Roxburgh. * Those who know the river declare that its wealth awaits the adventurous seeker. To secure this end, a proposal has been, made to close the outlets of Lakes Wanaka and Hawea by the erection of great barrages which would regulate the flow of the river. These, acting in conjunction with the proposed new dam- on the Kawarau. would reduce the main stream to a mere trickle from the tributaries for a few weeks during the frosty pr; t of the year, and so a close examination of the river could be made. During this period a groat quantity of gravel could be hauled up on the bank and carefully washed after the water bad been released. The league has put the pro-' 'posal before the Government, but neither the Public Works nor the Unemployment Board- can be induced to adopt- it. THE HAAST PASS R.OAD. Since the infant days of Otago there have been those who Have said: “ What is there beyond the; ranges; go and see.” and since Julian Von Haast discovered the natural gateway that bears his name there have been those who have visualised a road across the pass to Westland. The Haast has the lowest altitude of any pass in the Alps, Under I,Booft above sea level, and is the natural site of a road connecting east and west. Prom the Otira route i'n northern Canterbury southward to the sea only goats and alpinists can face the strenuous task of crossing the “ great divide.” yet this section holds in the Haast by far the easiest of the gaps in the great mountain chain. _ln these days when the road has gained Its old supremacy and mechanical traction has placed, at the disposal of the millions a rapid system of transport, there is no valid reason why the great through road should not he linked up. The owners of motor vehicles are paying, and paying heavily, for the privilege of' travelling, through the petrol tax and the tyre tax. and common justice demands that they , should have free access to all parts of the dominion. The construction of the road is purely for the benefit of tourist? and travellers, and it makes . convenient short link between two of the many attractions of the South Island—viz., the Western Glacier and the Southern Lakes. . , A great deal has been said of late ol the pushing forward of the worL of the road extension in the Eghntqn Valley, and some are prone to see iu it a menace to Otago; Tbe league does not share that view, but metaphorically takes off its hat to tbe man who had the vision to place a road to Milford and the courage to carry it through. If the West Coast road can he earned down to the Hollyford. so much the better, because so much more ot the wonderful coast and mountain scenery becomes accessible, and the fact that a great main road is running so close to the Haast makes the construction of the road from Makarora an absolute necessity. RAILWAYS BOARD AND RAILCARS. For well over a decade the Railways Committee of the Otago Expansion League urged, amongst other things, the need of a Railways Board and also the advantages that would accrue ’from the introduction of the railcar unit on the New Zealand railway system. Eventually the Railways Board was created, and the excellent results attained by that body are a striking tribute to its chairman (Mr Hi H. Sterling) and also to its members. Jt is particularly pleasing to the league to see the changing opinions of the board and members of the railway service towards the railcar unit. For many years now the league has been in touch with makers of railcars in several countries, and has been well supplied with data as to the successful running of these small and mobile units on suburban and branch line traffic. In most cases duplicate copies of all information, including graphs and specifications, were sent on to the responsible officials. In order to avoid the latest information as to railcars and their propulsive power being pigeon-holed and overlooked, arrangements were also made with the various makers to keep the essential men m the service posted with the information also. It is, therefore, pleasing to see the changing opinions and the realisation dawning that the day of the railcar unit has undoubtedly arrived, and how especially it will suit Now Zealand conditions on suburban and branch lines. This mobile and adjustable unit, which in a few seconds may be changed from about 11)0 to 2a))-passenger capacity, and on which the fuel consumption would be in relation to its size and loading, would undoubtedly ■ prove economical and satisfactory in every respect on many lines in New Zealand.:

BLUFF-MELBOURNE STEAMER SERVICE. The question of the _ South IslandMelbourne steamer service is still with us, and apparently np nearer k satisfactory solution. The failure of tbe effort to float a company to undertake the service was keenly felt by all wellwishers of the south, and fhe hopes of an early direct connection have receded;, Efforts are being made to work up an enthusiasm over the centenary celebrations and to utilise that spectacular event as a means of restarting the service by catering for the holiday-makers. Together with the Chamber of Com-, merce, the Manufacturers’. Association, the Shippers' and Importers’: Association, and others, the league has endeavoured to stimulate sufficient interest in the question to enable them to move for the reinstatement' of a regular time-table, making Hobart one' ot the ports of call. At the close of the year no great success had attended the united efforts of the societies, and the fear has grown that any service:which might now he inaugurated would be a' purely passenger one, limited to the most popular period of the centenary celebrations, and in no way calculated to further the interests of close commercial contact with the Commonwealth. ' ' . , ' SOUTH ISLAND TOURIST LEAGUE. In December. 1932,' the first steps were taken to bring about the forma-, tion of the South Island Tourist League, and the league was requested to undertake the duty of communicating with the local bodies and others interested seeking their co-operation in creating a body strong enough and; real enough to handle this important, and beneficial service. With few ex--ceptions. the local bodies were enthusiastic, real in spirit, but lean of purse, the transport services were lukewarm, and the accommodation interests in many cases hostile. At present the question remains in abeyance because a still wider project embracing the whole dominion is being considered.

ROADS ALONG LAKE WAKATIPTI. The subject of roads along the shore of the great lake was brought before the league by petitions from the inhabitants of Glenorchy requesting the league’s assistance in pressing for the construction of a road from Queenstown to Glenorchy. The isolation of the settlers at the head of the lakeeven with the steamer service—is admitted, but under present conditions the league could not urge the expenditure of so large a sum on a . road without through connection. The construction of a road from Queenstown to Kingston had been undertaken some years ago, but during the “ economy period” construction was abandoned. Representations were made to the Government that this work should he completed, and fears were expressed that the opening of such a road would sft reduce the revenue of the steamers on the lake as to lead to their withdrawal. The question of road versus steamer service will require most care-, ful consideration, and must form the subject of scrutiny by the most inter-’ ested parties.