Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1894. THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4656, 23 February 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1894. THE OTAGO CENTRAL.

A meeting of the Otago Central Leu . gue to discuss the manner in wine that line is progressing under the cc operative principle was lield in Dim ediu on Monday last. Tin- legislator ( present, who are supporters of the Gc . vtrnment, tried to pour oil on tli iroubled waterp, but despite the?e el forts one or two members of the con fewice said some nasty things, whie lend to show the drift of public opinio: in Otago on the present system c patohing along-with railway construe tion. " A Mr Brown complained tha to a large extent the iinewaa ut sort c rt'fug>' for iho unemployed. The worl should be taken out of-the oiitegor of relief works and pVoseouted as necessary work, not as one to be.usei merely for (he purpose th labor market." Then Mr Pinkerton M.H.R, who evidently feared lhatM Browu was goiug too far, said hi thought they- should say what the; meant. If it was their desire that th unemployed should besent there m longer, and the contract system tuki the place of the present plan, let tha be fairly understood. For his par he did not think the Otago Centra was being made subsidiary to'tin question of the unemployed.' As l( tlio suggestion about borrowing, lei there be no mistake. If they borroweo it would bo not for the Olago Ce* tral, but for the whole colony, Mi Earnßhaw, M.H.R., who has thai reputation for blurting out unpleasant truths which is so distressing to the Government and to Mr Pinkerton said " he believed it to be an absolute fool that the ivork on the Otago Central had been measured by.the volume pi the unemployed;'' The progress of the Otago Central and the EketahunaWoodville linp reminds us ajmost ol the ballad in ,f Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." " Will you walk a little faster said the whiting to the snail J '" There's n, lobster close behind nic that is treading on my tail," Tlje whiting of toe Executive League demands that the co»operative labourers .should walk a little fasfer for that terrible lobstor, public opinion, is " treading on its tail," Public opinion both in the North Island and in the South is beginning to ask with Mr Brown whether railway making is merely a refuge for the unemplojed ,and to oven venture to affirm the merits of tho contract system, Tho Otagans, however, don't dare to openly (lout the Government with the latter and only ask. that the cooperative snail, should walk a little lasler.