The Premier on the Coast.

Manawatu Herald, 10 January 1905, Page 3

The Premier on the Coast.

The Premier, replying to a depu tation at Hokitika on Friday nighl stated that it was necessary for bin to return to Wellington at once, owing to important duties, including the setting up of land and othei commissions. The Government, he said, intend to ask Parliament nex session for a special grant to carr telephones to the back blocks. Thf Agent-General had been instructed to select an additional submarim mining engineer for the colony. Speaking on the Midland railway he said it should have been completed five or six years ago, and the colony had been retarded for years through the delays arising from the contract.

He spoke of the indifference of the Canterbury people in the grea' Work through their continued prosperity. The line would be a great service to the east coast and to the whole colony, and it stood on ar equal footing with the North Island trunk line. His view was that the Midland railway had not had proper attention and he had no hesitation itt expressing that opinion. He hoped Parliament would provide funds to complete that portion of the line within two years at the most, and the flow of traffic between the two coasts would surprise them. Dealing with prospecting, he urged local bodies to set aside a portion of the goldfields revenue each year for the specific work of prospecting, and he asked the local bodies to suggest alterations in the mining regulations to facilitate prospecting generally. Westland had a great future in store with the unearthing of its mineral deposits. The Premier left for Greymouth. via Stafford, Goldsboro* and Kumars on Saturday morning. As there was some difficulty in getting the miners who work in the Westport district to load the Mercedes with coal for the East, Mr Seddon appealed to and communicated with the heads of the Miners’ Association, drawing their attention to the matter, when the miners promptly replied, agreeing to load the boat without any delay on their part.