LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 11

LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY.

MEETING OF THE LEAGUE. CO-OPERATION WITH ROXBURGH RESIDENTS. A DEPUTATION APPOINTED. A meeting of the Roxburgh-Lawrence Railway League was held on the 11th inst. to consider the advisability of sending delegates from Dunedin to join Roxburgh residents in the deputation waiting on the -Hon. R. M'Kenzie (Minister of Public Works), and of a deputation waiting on the Minister on his return to Dunedin, in respect to the stoppage of the railway. Those present were the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.0., Messrs James Allen, T. K. Sidey, J. F. Arnold, G. M. Thomson, M.P.'s, A. Bathgate, W. T. Talboye, H. D. Bedford, A. Moritzson, J. H. Nimmo, W. Barclay, G. L. Denniston, W. Taylor, and Tamblyn (secretary). Apologies * for nonattendance were read from Messrs J. B. Waters, D. Theomin, W. J. Tonkin, W. Gow, and W-. E. S. Knight. Mr Bathgate was voted to the chair, and explained the object of the meeting. Mr Thomson asked what they were going' to ask tfo» Minister to do. . • Mr Allen moved—" That a deputation be sent from Dunedin to support the Roxburgh deputation When, it' waited on the Minister." He thought they should adhere rigidly to the existing gauge. There was no doubt but they could have a line constructed at one-half the ordinary cost, wtich would serve fcbe district for a long tim« to come. Trains which, ran at 30 •miles an hour were not indispensable — in fail, they were not wanted under the circumstance?. Elaborate ralway stations would not be required. In fact, they could almost do without stations to begin with, a.nd much metalling would not be necessary. What was wanted was a less costly ; railway on the existing gauge. It behoved them to help th© people of Roxburgh, who were fighting a battle for themselves— a ' battle in which the people of Dunedin were deeply interested. The district had been misrepresented. He need scarcely remind them that it contained great possibilities. The Government had admitted that there were 6ome thousand acres of fruit-growing land there, which, if settled, would enable many families to make a handsome living. The life of such settlers would be both profitable and healthy, and the people of Dunedin would be neglecting their opportunities if they did not help the Roxburgh people in this matter. He would add to hi 3 motion — "And that a strong deputation wait upon the Minister on his return to Dunedin." Who, he would ask, could foresee what w&3 going to happen? In the future suoh a railway might not only be the j means of supplying their own needs, but also those of outsiders. This land was lying idle because there was no means of j getting fruit away. They must have this I place opened up. He wanted Dunedin to | wake up to this fact. If they failed io ! do so they would find other people, not only agitating for railways, but getting j them, while they were left behind. He wa3 very much afraid that we were going ! to sleep and letting opportunties slip because we were doing too well. He was not going to let this matter rest either here ■ or in tshe House. — (Applause.) i In seconding the motion, Mr Moritzson said that nothing had happened to alter ] their views on this matter since Sir Joseph : Ward had intimated that he would bring down eoine scheme whereby the difficulty '• might be got over. They were still wait- ■ ing for this scheme. There had been a | report to- the effect that the line was being j surveyed over, instead of through, Big I Hill._ The matter was a very urgent one. j In his opinion Otago in these matters had been going to sleep. Seeing that a lot of their trade was being, gradually drawn away to the Bluff, he did not think Otago should take the hint that it waa too greedy, certainly not when the Otago j people were getting nothing, and the people I of Southland everything. He trusted that ' the secretary would work up a strong depu- I tation to wait upon the Minister. j Mr Thomson said that he wa9 co > thoroughly in sympathy with the move- j inent that he wished to make clear his views concerning it. He had no intention of joining any deputation whK-h might wait on the Mini6ter touching thia matter. He thought Dunedin was going deputation road. They had waited upon Sir Joseph Ward had got a real snub from him. Hie exact reason for acting as he did was then not known, but the Hon. Mr Millar had told them later. The Government had not the money. Mr Allen: Brt they hav^ it now. -Mr Thomscn went on to say that they must perhaps pay debts with it. If they ' could get a railway working on a cheaper . plan, that would no doubt facilitate mat- ' ters. It was time the principle of con- ' structin^ railways by means of co-operative labour was pui a etop to. It was purely / political. There were men now who were ; likely to be turned off, and it was the most extravagant way of eonsta-ucting a railway j A deputation from the Otago Central Rail- ! ■way League had recently interviewed t\v» ! Hon. R. M'Kenzie, and they also had re«ei\cd a severe snub. Railways like the Otago Oenti-al did not pay because they had t>- en constructed on this ruinous prin- i clple. He believed that if this deputation waited on the Minister, as suggested, they would get the same sort of snub as they had received already. What was wanted was that all the Otago members should make the most de'eyrmincd attack in the House, and see that railway construction was den© in a proper manner. The Ouigo ' Centr- 1 deputation had been told by ths Minister of Public Works to first get the people on the land, and then the railway might follow. Well, thi D was exactly what had been done at Roxburgh, and tJi~ railway had been stopped. They miwt join together to 6top this extravagant system of constriiction. He was heart and soul »\rh everyone whose aim it was to pu«h on this railway. He believed it h-eld groat possibilities; but he was'bertainly not goui'< to make one of a deputation to pel snubbed, though he did not mind taking oft" his gloves in the House. t Mr Dennigton said he thought it was their duty -to assist the movement. .It might be -true that Sir Joseph Ward had given their last deputation a snub; aL-o that the deputation from the Otago Con- ' tral Railway League had received one from ' bhe M ; nister of Public Woiks, but surely they were not children, who, having reueived a snub, went and sac dcun in a lorner. i

Mt Thomson (energetically) : But I am not going to sit dcwn in a corner. Mr Denniston went on to say that t«. was the duty of the league to wait on the Minister, and lay their views before him as soon as he came to Dunedin. The Hon. J. T. Paul supported the motion. It would, he said, bs taking up a new position in political life if they were to take " Xo " for aii answer. They had h'3ard of such a thing as a Minister bem<* converted— usually by pressure bein«j brought to bear. The Minister of Public [ Works, on returning to Dunedin, would \ have been over the ground, and if be had not got a srood case the league could be trusted to find out its weak points. As to co-operative labour, it would be far better if these political questions were left out of these meetings altogether. From the point of view of the working classes, all waste was criminal, but co-operative labour was miles ahead of the contract system and there was kss scamping. It was the business of these meetings to find out the best methods for pushing on their railway. Mr Sidey said they would be stultifying themselves if they decided to let the matte k u ne - He .. a gg r ««d with Mr Paul in what he had said concerning co-operative labour, and he also agreed with him that this ■ was neither the time nov place to raise a discussion on the question. He was convinced, however, that there was a good deal more to be said for it than Mr Thomson would Le prepared to admit. Personally, he weuld be very pleased to do what he could, an.3 would make one of this deputation with 1 pleasure. Mr Talboys sa-id he was of opinion that it was almost unnecessary to send anyone from Dunedin to Roxburgh, but in regard to ths Dunedin deputation, the Garrison Hall should not be too large to hold it. He had formed one of a certain deputation which had waited on Sir Joseph Ward, who then expressed astonishment because 6ome people believed that the railway would never be extended beyond the Beaumont. What reason Sir Joseph had to alter his mind, he did not know. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The selection of delegates was left in the hands of the chairman and secretary. Messrs Gow and Moritzson having already volunteered. Mr Thomson said that. he did not intend hia remarks on deputations to apply to all deputations. He himself would shortly introduce one. The Minister and Sir Joseph Ward understood the position as well as the league. Mr Allen: Oh, no! Mr Moritzson: Sir Joseph Ward knows nothing about it. Mr Sidey: Ministers have been prejudiced against this line. Why, tho Hon. R. M'Kenzie thought that there was no difference between the interests of Otago and those of" Southland. This statement was received with dissent and some laughter