Mataura Ensign GORE, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1884. MR. DRIVER'S SPEECH.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 360, 27 May 1884, Page 2

Mataura Ensign GORE, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1884. MR. DRIVER'S SPEECH.

Ab nearly as -we could ascertain, thirteen gentlemen went to Mr Drives' i meeting on Thursday evening armed with bitterly-worded motions of want of confidence in their member as representative for Hokonui ; but after the hon. gentleman had in a plain,practical manner unbosomed himself on the questions that are at present agitating th« country — and this part of it especially— the hard Hues round the frhirteen's mouths were observed to undergo considerable relaxation, grim igsages were replaced by satisfied J tountonanees, and instead of being sent to Wellington lessened in influence and hurt in spirit by an adverse vote from ttte people be represents our member %aa< accorded a very patient, goodhumored hearing and an exceedingly ' ordiai confidence vote at the hands of those whose deputy- he has been in Parliament with a very fair degree indeed of 'success. Mr Dpivw .spoke

well and to the point. He pretended to no great oratorical powers ; but there is a mine of practical eloquence in the challenge he threw out to the two thousand electors on the Hokonui roll : Could any of them say he had ever made one pledge during hie candidature in regard to a road, railway or anything else, that he had not faithfully carried out ; or could anyone gay he had ever received any communication from an individual or a local body that he had not attended to 1 Bold words these. It remains with the electors to disprove them. Our columns are as accessible to Mr Deiver's opponents as to his friends, and we invite those who are dissatisfied with our member to fearlessly expose him instead of meanly calumniating him behind his back when he is absent from the district and unable to reply. There was one point that Mr Dbiver cleared up in a specially frank manner ; it has 4 been currently rumored that he would not seek re-election for Hokonui but would transfer his affections to Bruce, but this he stoutly denied, and unmistakeably led his auditory to understand that before the close of the present year he would again be soliciting their suffrages un* less in the meantime he was clearly convinced that they were dissatisfied with him and did not again require his services. Another satisfactory intimation was that regarding the Gore-Kelso railway, the construction of which he promised to support irrespective of route ; and if he and Captain Mackenzie work harmoniously together next session we have little doubt that the line will be gone on with, to the mutual advantage ef the S*ate and this district. A considerable Bum of money is already on the Estimates and available for the line, which we yet hope to see running through the fertile districts between Gore and Kelso, and connecting with the main trunk line at this end at a spot where it will confer the greatest benefit on the greatest number of those deserving settlers who have taken up land on the eastern bank of the Mataura. The principal part of Mr Dbiveb's address was devoted to an explanation regarding the Waimea line, and he succeeded in placing his own and the actions of the Eailway Company before the people in a much more favorable light than that in which they have been viewed before. He clearly showed the difficulties Under which the Company had labored from its initiation ; how, from various causes, it had been compelled to borrow large sums of money at an extortionate rate of interest ; and how it would have been debarred from carrying on had an amendment of the District Railways Act (necessitated by the coming into operation of the Bating Act of 1882) not been obtained, so that the obnoxious amendment promoted by other menJ and other companies was notamat^fl for which his constituents could bla^B him. Although Mr "Driver did niß enlighten his hearers on the point, iv would appear probable that the Company has obtained a further loan from the Government, and now occupies a much sounder financial position than it has done for some years; but for all that, the whole of the rate now being levied and the succeeding one will be required to pay off pressing liabilities, and will not find its way into the pockets of the shareholders, who, although guaranteed seven per cent on their outlay have only so far had to pay calls and look pleasant, Their case is equally hard with that of the taxed settlers, especially those who have paid enhanced values for their land because the line was constructed ; and we say, with Mr Dbiver, that the only remedy for both parties is that Government should take over the line, which, with economical working, weuld give a very handsome return on the outlay incurred. The strongest arguments may be adduced in favor of this course, and as these have been very ably summarised by Mr W. Henderson, secretary to the Bailway Tax Committee, in a letter to the Dunedin Chamber of Comioerce, we make no excuse for reproducing the gist of his statement here. In the first place he points out, as Mr Driver ably pointed out on Thursday evening, that the Waimea Plains Railway Hae should not be looked upon as a distript railway — that is, for the benefit of the district through which it passes. It it really a main trunk line, connecting two Government lines, shortening the distance between Dunedin and the Lakes, and enabling goods and passengers to reach the Lakes in one day's travelling from Dunedin instead of two. Then the prospectus issued by the provisional directors of the Waimea Plains Bail way Company itates : " The provisional directors deem it scarcely necessary to point out the great advantages that will accrue to Dunedip by the construction of the proposed line, reducing, as it will, the distance between that city and the Lakes dis- 1 trict by about fifty.three railes ; besides opening up about half a million of acres oi the finest agricultural Jand in the colony, including tfeat in the celebrated Waimea Plains, Wantwood aad gwitzers district*, and a large tract extending* from the Vive Rivers Plains towards the ffi Anau Lakfi ; and, upon the evidence of tap Chief Engineer, will bring Kingston in communication with {the city in eight and a-half hours; thus offering residents in the colony, and tourists, facilities for visiting our Lake district." It is evident from this that Du&edfiji was to benefit by the Waimea Bailway j and if that was the -ease why should the few settle]* located in thk district be called upon to pay a tax for a line that is of very considerable benefit indeed to the Lakes and Dunedin? This is where a good deal of the harshness comes in; for if the tax were spread #v»r a gr«ater area them, would be little cause for grumbling even although we were being taxed for a purely jeolonial line tKat should have been bmlt in. $he first instance . by the State. Tbe# therej'is the argument that the line would return a good profit on the outis j were it worked in conjunction with

Government lines, thus domg away with the necessity for a special staff of officials. The sum required to purchase the line .would nofe now be very great, inasmuch as the Company is already indebted to the Government in a sura of about L 60,000; and it ia believed that Government have realised more than would purchase the line right out from the increased prices paid for Crown lands in and adjoining the railway district, and which prices were increased by the construction and running of the Waimea Railway.. Besides the Crown lands already sold, there are large areas in the railway district and neighborhood yet unsold, the value of which is also greatly enhanced, and • which will fetch largely increased prices owing to the Waimea Railway, but not; increased to such' an extent as would otherwise be the case if these lands are to be liable to such an exorbitant rate as 3s 4d in the £. These are the main arguments of the Eailway Tax Committee. Mr Deiver's views seem to be in accord with them, and he has promised to endeavor to have the burdens taken off the i shoulders of the settlers and placed on | those of the State. No doubt he will obtain a Royal Commission to thoroughly investigate the matter ; and if he does we have no fear of the result. We snail revert to our member's speech at another time.