Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 - 1916), Thursday 8 September 1898, page 15


BOUSE OF ASSEMBlY. The Assembly went into committee on the Rea~propriatioii of Loan Moneys Bill. The third schedule was discussed. Mr Yllingworth moved to strike out the item York-Greenhills , railwaj of £20,000. He charaicterised the line as one of the ,greatest political jobs ever perpetrated in any of the Australian colonies. The Premier : What was the job, and who got anything out of it ? Mr .tllingworth: It was a bribe to a constituency. -The premier : You must not say those things. Mr Illingworth : I will if I think they are right. The Premier : Well, I will say something about you. Mc Ilhingworth : Say all you like. I am not frightened. The Mt. Hardy Estate had been purchased by the Government after .its value had been enhanced by that railway, which would never pay tle axle grease. It had been understood that the line would be built out of the revenue, and now. the Premier wanted to build-it out of the loan. The Premier said that over £32,000 was spent hom the revenue on the work, but owing to the state of the finances it was deemed advisable that the balance should be voted from the loan. He considered Mr lllingworth's remarks unworthy. As to the Mount Hardy Estate, it was well worth £1 an acre, which the Government had given for it. Mr Mlonger characterised Mr Illingworth's remarks as nasty, dirty ones. Being in the House, he could not give Mr Illingworth the lie direct, but he would like, to do so outside. Mr George said that the original vote for the line was £30,000. Now it appeared that it would cost over £50,000. This showed how faulty the estimates wore. Mr Leake said that had it not been promised tha\ the line should be built from the revenue it would never have been authorised. Mr illingw6rth's amendment was negatived. On the item, " Survey of railway to Menzies to Mt. Leonora £4000," Mr Vosper moved to strike the item out. The line might never be constructed,and the money might be devoted to something more urgently. needed. Tne- Premier contended that the railway was one which should certainly be constructed at tlhe earliest -moment as it was a railway which would pay. The desire of the Government was to weld the goldfields' districts together. He advised members to take a trip for themselves into the outlying goldfields, and see the progress that was going on. iMr Ewing supported the survey. Mr Moran thought the survey would

probably be successful in opening up a fresh water belt and thus save the costly gdlilelds water scheme. Mr} Gregory spoke strongly in favor of making the survey, and the construction of the line. Mining operations in the district through which the line would pass were on a very sound basis.' Mr Illingworth supported the amendment. It was wrong to make a survey when there was no hope of the line being constructed. Mr Kingamill w°s of the same opinion. Messrs Rason and Morgans favored the item being left on the schedule. Mr Morgans said that the value of the gold from the district through which the line would pass would for this year be £150,000. There were mines in that locality which would compare very favorably with any in Kalgoorlie. Mr Wilson agreed that the railway to Mt Leonora would be ultimately necessary, but there was no need to go on with the survey until there 'was some immediate prospect of the line being constructed. The Premier expressed aurprire that Mr Vosper had opposed the item. He referred to the attitude of antagonism Mr Vosper had adopted to the goldfields water scheme when he was connected with a certain Coolgardie daily paper. This attitude had done con

siderable harm and polluted the atmosphere of the goldfields. Mr Vosper rose shortly afterwards, and said --" I wait to take this opportunity of refeLring to the wanton, foul, deliberate and untruthful insult passed upon me by the Premier. It was absolutely and utterly false.' I have had other experiences of his personal enmity towards myself. By adopting such tactics the: Premier is degrading the tone of debate, lowering himself in the eyes of the country, and behaving in a manner quite inconsistent with the high office he holds." Mr Leake said that. he survey was a miserable attempt4to redeem a shattered promise. If .the, survey were required it could be made out of the revenue. Mr Holmes said that if only the goldfields water scheme were abandoned he would willing v6te for the survey and construction of the line. A division was taken and the item. passed by 20 votes to 14. Mr Leake moved that the item, "Survey of Railway from Coolgardie to Norseman" be struck out. There was, he said, less chance of this railway being constructed than t4atfto Mount Leonora. The Premier said that the Dundas ?,!4 was a promising one. It would greatly expand by the granting of railway facilities. - He took that oppor

tun'ty-to reply to Mr Vosper's criticisms earlier in the evening. He had not in. tended to say that Mr Vosper conducted a newspaper of an immoral. claracter but merely that his paper had trajuoed the characters of honest men, and did -his best to vilify everyone who was good in the colony. His paper had lived on traducing and misrepresenting Jounest and decent people. Mr Wilson urged that the linefro n Esperance to Norseman should bessubstituted for the line from Coolgawrie to Norseman. If the Government were not in a position to build.the lice from Esperance it should be handed oivr to private enterprise. Mr Vosper said he would oiq. be ,satisfied with a line right through: from Coolgardie to Esperance. Mr Conolly supported the item es on the schedule, as the only means which promised to give the Norsemai ~the greatly needed railway communication. At this stage progress was rep.9rted, and the House rose at 11.20. At the Boulder Court on Monday morpipg, before Messrs Hopkins and Green,P.,'tR young mal named Charles Flemftig.' V fined £7, in default three months' tmisr9I ment, for playing the fascinating t?a e termed "sweat " at the old Boulder on C~i tday evening. T. Burke called on fOr r, similar offence did not put in an apperqt oe and his bail was estreated.