RAILWAY REQUESTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 2

RAILWAY REQUESTS.

REPLY TO RECENT DEPUTATION;' WELLINGTON TO OTAKI INTERESTED. About three weeks ago. a deputation representing residents witliin tho suburban area on the Manawatu line and people as far north as Otaki, waited on the Minister for Railways (tho Hon. J. A. ■'■Millar) regarding an railway sorvico. • . The Minis r ter's' decision -,has now been communicated to Mr. J. P. Luke, ll.l\, in the following letter'' ./■'' ■ , "; ■ ' "loth February, 1909. ' "With referenco : to tlio' representations I made by the -joint deputation, introduced by you recently' in 1 'connection with the Wellington-Longburn line of railway, I have the honour to inform you that the suburban area in any part of the Dominion has been limited to a distance of 20 miles, and in so far as Wellington is concerned the . sub-; urban rates . apply on the .Wairarapa lino, between Wellington and the-Upper Ilutt, and. on the,Longbuni line between Wellington and .Johnsonville, and at the present juncture,; I regret 1 cannot seo my .way to extend, the' limit, beyond the 20 miles, nor can I, at the present moment, comply with your-request to extend the issue of suburban tickets on tho Longburn line to stations beyond Johnsonville. Insufficient Population. "As you. are, aware, the : Government has only recently .acquired this line; the settlement is _ very sparso. ahd the population is totally insufficient to justify the issue of suburban tickets :, over ah extended , area. The experience; of tho /Wellington Manawatu Railway Company r has; demonstrated beyond any doubt that -the pas.senger traffic.betweeii Wellington and Johnsonville and-the jhten-; mediate stations to Paekakariki did riot pay, and I . ani aw.arei that while 'tha line was run by the company -frequbnt .efforts were made by : those residing' along' tho'line between Wellington' and Johnsonville to induce, the company to" run additional : suburban trains.* After giving ■ the .matter full .consideratioii .those concerned were required by the company, to guarantee -a' certain' amount per annum to' recoup the company against any loss.. that might accrue 1 from the running of the extra .train, and the guarantors had -regularly to.pay ' the: company 1 the amount they; had guaranteed.'- A guarantee was in existence when the'., negotiation's between; the Government / arid the company, for the acquisition of the lino, .were - put .in. training,, and : I understand.- that those, concerned requested that the guarantee should' --and.:the ;:tra.in . discontinued- as :it was not .paying, its -Way a few weeks prior: to the .'acquisition of .'-.the'.'lin'i by tho Government. Extra Trains. ■ "Since taking over the. line; the Government has' put ou additional . train: services between .Wellington : . and Johnsonville. -without a.-guarantee. They do not,, howeverj, pay their ; yay, arid-'■ as '. the country; between' Johnsonville- . and.■ -Paekakariki is',, more sparsely populated than that lying" ibbtween': jJohnionvillo , arid-' Wellington, ' there: is "no' donlit whatever,- that, at the. -present time there is no justification .for. extending the subufbaiv area; beyond Johnsonville. . As the number.: of .trains ..running ';'on the':L6ngburn line will gradually.increase, tlies circumstances may alter, materially, and"!.-shall ..then have: pleasure in; giving %e ", question of- the. further extension .of the issue .of suburban, tickets consideration. ' : ■ , ■ .- "■■' 1 Stopping Places. "Will! respect to arranging ; .stopping places so that . or. visitors, can reach any. station'.between-.Wellington \and l'aekakariki, before 10 a.m. aiid .return' -to town ■from. those places between, the hours of 7.. p.pi. arid .9 p;m. ,' I would point olit that . this .would practically .--mean . the iriauguration of .'.'additional ' over a hilly .country. 27- miles' in extent,''''-through a . sparsely-populated .district, 'wliero' there'is no immediate - prospect.of tho' business - payings. the . bai'e working: cost.;of running .the; I regret, -the; request , cannot- be complied with. 1 ' ' ' i Tho iPaekakarikl Train. : "The request to delay the departure of the .6.45 a.m. • train;from Paekakariki- until 7.25 and, time. it. to arrive in, Wellington' at 8.50 is, ill . effect,' asking that a train which run for. goods as well aS passenger, traffic,; and .which' would not pay under any circumstances, shpuld be • converted, into a purely ■passenger.train to:;run ,ori the-same tiriie as the mail' train; "jphis. would involve' the cutting :' out-' of various stopping' places,asid would, I liave ho doubt, inflict : considerable hardship on-the residents of the district at . jyhieli' np. stop.; was, made. Under, these' ciriOumstarifces, I- regret I cannot comply with tho Yequest..' ~. '■■■■;■' - -. '■ - ■

Trains Must Pay. ■■.■■■■? proposals to run the; 5.20 P' 1 ? ?'"ngton-Johnson ville. train 1 on ;to Paekakariki on %e'days of. the,week,'and ; thetraiu frbm Wollington.to JohriMriyule on .to , Paekakariki- on 1 " four, days of the .week, _. .cannot,. I regret' to say.; bo. entertained 'at 'the"'' i.presentmoment. . Tho cost .of . running such trains over extended areas' Would- be out of all proportion to. the receipts, and while T am desirous of giving the: residents- along the. Longburn Railway. Reasonable V.facilities: to travel , between their-homes, and -the town;; 1; desire . that; it.should';,be, understood that Such facihties can only be given'when ther.o is' a. reasonable; prospect. ot a paying; business' eventuating;,;.'V-; ■■■"> "Tho Manawatu Railway Company, with many; years of experience,. could..not; see itsway, to do as much in. the'-matter of train services; -as the Government has already done, .and in these circumstances you; ivillj 'I-'thmk *: agroo. that,it woiuld -be unwise for - tho Gov--oidment to .'immediat-eI)V. place .011 the line, agreater number of '-trains' than there is reasonable hope .to suppose may. pay their way,- : if not immediately, all .'events in the ..near future.. v--.-;. '"'.'l: V Sunday Traffic. ; : .-"The', question as 'to. whetlior the Sunday trains can ; ,bo:continued - all':the.year-round; to Otaki will depend very largely on the patronage; theyare accorded,' but I, regret that. I cannot entertain the'suggestion ..to run an entirely new servico from Otaki to town and back.'on Sundays. , I Single Day Return Tickets. } "Witfi regard, to the ": issue of-, single : day return tickets, I desire to point out that the. residents, on-, the Longburn line are in pre-' oisely the same position' as. residents on the Hutt lino,: that is, they can obtain cheap tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays at the same rates and under the . same con-: ditions as are ■ iu operation between Wellington' and the "Upper.Hutt on those days; The practice of issuing day return tickets, which was at one'time in- operation. on -the Gov- . ernment railways, was : discontinued many years ago, and I regret that I.cannot see my way to reinstate it. Unwise to Make' Radical . Changed' , "Tho Government has expended a very large amount of money ta acquiring the Wel-lington-Longburn railway from' the Manawatu Company, and. in: view of -the companyfs experience, extending over many years, that I tho passenger business between Paekakariki and Wellington did not . pay -working . .'expenses, it would, in my opinion,'-be unwise I for . the Government to make any radical changes until it has had :at least, twelve months' experieirco in tho working of the railway.; As you are aware, ■ a large number of improvements are'being mado to the ' lino with a view to'increasing its capacity' and a very close _ check will be 'kept on the traffic; and such improvements as are found to be warranted .'in tho train.; sen'ices rwill be made from time to time. as. circumstances necessitate. —I am, etc., . .. . "J. A..MILLAR."