Grand opening for tunnel

Arthurs Pass township, on the Canterbury side of the pass. — Otago Witness, 7.8.1923
Arthurs Pass township, on the Canterbury side of the pass. — Otago Witness, 7.8.1923
Wellington: On behalf of the Government, the Hon J.G. Coates (Minister of Public Works) has issued invitations for the opening of the Arthur’s Pass section of the Midland railway at Otira on Saturday, August 4, at 1pm. As it will be necessary to forward railway passes and to arrange steamer and railway accommodation for those who intend to make the trip, answers to the invitations are expected not later than July 25. Accommodation for Ministers, members of both branches of the Legislature and others from the North Island will be provided by the Government on the ferry steamer leaving Wellington at 7.45pm on August 3, and on the same vessel for the return trip on Saturday, August 4. In addition, special trains will be run from Christchurch to Otira, and on the West Coast from Ross, Greymouth and Reefton to Arthur’s Pass and back to Otira. Full particulars of the time-tables will be issued later on. Unfortunately the accommodation available at Otira will not allow of complete arrangements being made to provide luncheon, and it is anticipated that considerable difficulty will be experienced in even supplying counter refreshments to all.

Politicians exchange barbs

A representative deputation of South Island members waited upon the Hon. J.G. Coates to ask for the institution of a flat rate on goods transhipped from Vancouver and San Francisco mail steamers at Wellington and Auckland. Mr Sidey, who was the first speaker, said that goods landed at Auckland from Vancouver for Wellington paid only the Auckland rates, and goods landed at Wellington from San Francisco for Auckland paid only the Wellington rate. To South Island ports there was an extra charge. The south contributed equally with the north, and should therefore have equal privileges. Protests had been made and no notice had been taken of them.

Mr Coates: "You are quite wrong, Mr Sidey, and you have no right to say that."

Mr Sidey: "I beg your pardon. I mean that nothing has been done."

Mr Coates: "Yes, that is so, but that's a different matter. You might say also that nothing was done in Mr Seddon's time when your Government had the matter in hand. Why didn’t you do it then? It was brought up regularly."

Mr Sidey said he knew that the other Government had done nothing, but two wrongs did not make a right. Mr Coates (jocularly): "Yes, I know, Mr Sidey; but the point you made was that I have been neglectful of the representations made to me. When you say that, I can turn round and ask why didn’t you do something."

Churchwoman ‘lived in God’

St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday took a memorial service to Miss Ada Neale, a devoted church worker, who passed away suddenly on July 15. Canon E.R. Nevill officiated. "True Christianity was the life lived by the man or woman in close relation to Christ, and such a life, controlled by love, had been lived by Miss Ada Neale." She had been a devoted district visitor for many years, and was one of the eldest of the Sunday school teachers. She had lived in God. What had struck him most was her entire unselfishness — her entire giving up her life for love. Selfish people laughed at unselfishness, and said that it did not pay, but it was when one saw such a life that one realised that it was the only one worth living." — ODT, 23.7.1923

Compiled by Peter Dowden