THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1868, 19 February 1880, Page 3

THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

DEPUTATIONS.

This morning the Hon. Mr Oliver received a deputation from the COT/NTT OF AKAROA. 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, Thacker, Parkinson, Barker, Bradley, Gebbie, O'Oallaghan, and Coup. Mr Montgomery, in introducing the deputation, said that they had waited upon the Minister for Public Works with reference to the Akaroa Railway, 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 charaoter 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 respeot to two questions connected with the Akaroa Railway. The first of these was, whether the Government would call for tenders at once for the platelaying required on the contract now in course of formation, before the formation was completed; and secondly, whether contracts -wo old be now called fcr the formation of 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 teemed to be no reason why contraots for the platelaying upon it should not be called for at once, so that the two might go on simultaneously. The Minister said he taw 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 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 Baid 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 farther.question, The Minister said that he thought he had given the deputation every assistance as to the prosecution of the work that they had a right to expect. Mr Jobbin 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 Buch 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 of a neoessity for opening up the country would be able to be urged before the Commission, and no doubt the residents would be able to 'lay such information as was necessary 'before it. i In reply to a question from one of the deputation as to the 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 •lightest benefit whatever from the public works of the colony. Thay were really now «s much isolated as in ISftO, 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 th«y must remember that no Government could promise anything being done beyond this, until the money was voted by Parliament. The settlers of the district would have an 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 ho understood the intentions of the Government, as stated by Mr Oliver, they were that the tenders for platelaying 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.