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Sess. 11.—1879. NEW ZEALAND.

LOCATION OF COMMISSIONER OF RAILWAYS' OFFICE IN THE MIDDLE ISLAND (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO).

Laid on the Table ofthe House of Representatives with the leave ofthe House.

No. 1. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin, to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Sir, — Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin, 25th July, 1879. At the last meeting of this Chamber the following resolution was unanimously passed— namely:— " That, the object for which the Commissioner of Eailways for the South Island was temporarily removed to Christchurch—namely, the effecting of certain improvements for the better carrying out of traffic on the Canterbury lines —having been attained, this Chamber is strongly of opinion that the Commissioner should now be permanently settled in Dunedin." In order to lay before you more fully the strong reasons which exist for preferring the request indicated in this resolution, the members of the Chamber have joined in a memorial which I this day transmit to Mr. E. Oliver, M.H.E., with a request that he will present it on our behalf. The Committee feel confident that an investigation of the circumstances will induce iv your mind a conviction of the reasonableness and propriety of the change now asked for. I have, &c, The Hon. J. Macandrew, Minister for Public Works, J. S. Webb, Wellington. Secretary.

Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin. To the Hon. James Macandrew, Minister for Public Works. The undersigned members of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce desire respectfully to bring under the notice of the Government the necessity which now exists for the removal of the Commissioner of Eailways for the Middle Island to this place. Your memorialists would respectfully represent: — 1. That, however desirable it may have been, before the completion of the main trunk railway, that the Commissioner should be located in Christchurch, the necessity for such an arrangement is now entirely done away with. 2. That Dunedin is now as nearly as possible the geographical centre of the railway system of this island, aud that all that portion of the line the traffic on which requires the most vigilant supervision, on account of the sharp curves and heavy gradients, lies in the vicinity of Dunedin. 3. That the creation of proper station accommodation at Dunedin and Port Chalmers is one of the most important of the works at present requiring the attention of the Commissioner, and is one which is of vital moment both to the business community of this provincial district and to the success of the railways themselves. 4. That the lines now open for traffic in the Provincial District of Otago exceed 422 miles in length, whilst there are only 318 miles withirr the Provincial District of Canterbury ; and it is therefore not proper that the head-quarters of administration should be so far removed from this district. 5. That the public feeling here in the matter is very strong, aird has been intensified by the recent removal of the local paymasters, a step which seems to indicate a determination to centre all the management permanently in Christchurch. I—E. 1.