Old news from Armidale and New England

Friday 11 October 1907, The Sydney Morning Herald

AN ISOLATED TOWNSHIP.

A deputation from Walcha was introduced to the Under-Secretary for Works, Mr. Hanna, yesterday by Mr. Lonsdale, M.L.A. Ministers will not receive deputations till tho want of confidence motion is disposed of. The deputationists, having come a long way, were allowed to approach tho “Under-Secretary in the meantime.

The object of the deputation was to put before the Minister reasons why there should be a railway extension from a point on the Great Northern Line to Walcha township. It was submitted that such a railway would open up good agricultural country suitable for closer settlement, and make largo quantities of timber accessible to market.

One member of the deputation stated that hundreds of tons of excellent potatoes, the best that could be grown, were being allowed to rot because it would not pay to get them to market.

The length of line asked for as an instalment was 13 miles, and the final argument advanced was that large quantities of fodder could be grown on the high lands during drought for use on the low lands. Incidentally it was remarked that the highlands generally should be utilised in the way suggested, so as to provide a safety valve for low-lying country addicted to periodical drought.

Mr. Hanna, in reply, promised to lay the request of the deputation before the Minister. Its arguments, he said, were sufficiently strong, at all events, to justify a careful investigation of the claims made.