MANAWATU RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 3

MANAWATU RAILWAY.

SETTLERS AND MINISTER. LOSSES OF THE LOCAL BODIES. NUMEROUS IMPROVEMENTS DESTRED. Tho Minister for Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar) was occupied for nearly two hours yesterday afternoon with a series of deputations on matters arising out of tho taking over of the Manawatu Railway by tho Government. The first question discussed was tho loss of revenue to local bodies along the lino owing to rates being no longer paid on the. railway property. Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., who introduced all . tho deputations, said that tho first one represented tho Horowhenua County Council, 'Hutt County Council, Makara County Council, Lovin Borough Council, and Otaki Road Board, all of which received portion of the local rates formerly paid by tho Mana,watu Railway Company. Tho Johnsonville Town Board and Onslow Borough Council were also interested, and Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., had expressed his sympathy with the : object of the deputation. Wellington City Council was similarly affected, and also, to a less degree, the Kairanga County Council. .The' local' bodies had suffered through past Governments not having caused the company to make roads on land cut up for settlement, as would have been the case with Crown ■ lands. There was also -the question of special rates for certain works, to which the company had contributed, and if these were discontinued the other contributors would be prejudiced. He submitted that the case for the local bodies in regard to the special ■rates was unanswerable, and in regard to the general rates tho case was very strong. Mr. J. M'Leavcy, chairman of tho Horowhenua County Council, said 'tho general and special rates paid yearly to the county by . the' company were £550 13s.- 4d. and £87 Bs-.; respectively. He hoped the Minister would adopt the tapering-off principle, which had been favourably mentioned by his predecessor. There was also tlie State Farm ■within the county, which paid no rates, and thus made the position of the local authority all the harder. 'Mr. Richards explained that the county had received an average of £583 per annum from the company in rates on the line and the land. Tho latter was a diminishing quantity and had almost disappeared. Had the land been Crown land, tho local body would have, received much more as "thirds," and would not have needed to raise loans, which now-totalled''£s9,ooo. Mr. F. W. Venn said that, owing to the interposition _of the Government, there had been no special loan rates levied on the railway since 1890. He submitted that the Government could not morally get out of paying the special rates, which had been levied before that date. Mr. Galloway (chairman of the Hutt County Council) said the county stood to lose in rates on the railway property. Some .of the farmers were paying one-third of their incomes in rates and taxes. Other members of the deputation gave the losses to their local bodies as follow— Makara County Council £157 155., Otaki Road Board £44, Levin Borough Council £44, the total being in round figures £1050. Mr. J. R. Stansell (Shannon) said the taking' over'of the line had meant a loss to his ,district. Freight rates had been raised 30 to 40 per oent., and even the freight on timber'had gone up 3d. per 100. This was a reason'.why the request of the local bodies should be favourably considered. He also complained of the train service. The Minister's Reply. The Minister, in reply,. said ho did not know what his predecessor in offico had promised, but the position was that tho Government could not sec its way to - pay any part of the general rates. Tho principle was laid down, not alone with regard to the Manawatu railway, but with regard to all Crown lands, that tho Government did 'not pay rates. If any departure were made from that principle in one instance, demands for similar treatment would como from all parts of tho Dominion. The local bodies might have to stand a certain loss, but they should not forget, that they had been in a particularly favoured position in receiving rates from the company. No other local bodies were getting revenue from railways -in their districts. The position "in regard to the Midland railway was analogous. A company was granted the right to construct it, and was given land, large areas of which were locked up for years and years. If the request of the deputation were granted, there would be a demand of tho same kind from local bodies throughout Westland, Nelson, and a great part of Canterbury. The right to rate Crown lands had never been admitted or conceded by any Government. In regard to special rates, however, there was a good deal in the contention of the deputation, and it was a question whether the Government was not liable under the Act to pay tho same special rates as the late company. He was getting the opinion of the Crown law officers, and the Government would act accordingly. There was no desire to shirk any legal liability, and. personally-he was inclined to think that tho Crown would have to pay the-special rates. As for the loss of "thirds" during the existence of tho company, it was a question whether the sums the local bodies would have obtained undei that head would have been anything like what they had gained through the enhancement of land values caused by the existence of the railway. If the Government had sold the .land years tgo instead of granting it to the oompany, tho thirds would not have amounted to very much. Coming to the complaint as to increased freight charges, Mr. Millar said it was time that the Manawatu Company had special rates for goods to and from Foxton, and when the Government took the line over tho Government scale, as existing right through the Dominion, came into forco- To that extent there had been increases, but taking the rates on all classes of merchandise he was satisfied that thoso charged by tho Government were as a whole lower. The railways could not carry kerosene as cheaply as tho ships, and if tho ships liked to bring the rate down to 7s. Gd. per ton, the Government would not try to compete with them on it.

Mr. Stansell: "Galvanised iron used to be carried at 225. 6d., and now it is 205." The Minister said there was a schedule for the whole country, and he could not make differential rates. WANTS OF LEVIN. A Levin deputation with the Mayor (Mr. B. R. Gardener) as chiof spokesman asked the Minister for Railways yesterday for crossings at or near Makomago Road, and other roads in the borough. The Minister promised to consider tho matter. Mr. F. W. Venn asked the Minister not to close any of tho existing crossings at Shannon. Mr. Gardener also put in a plea for Levin being mado a stopping place for the Main Trunk through expresses. At present tho trains, crossed at Ohau, and ho suggested that thoy should cross at Levin instead. The importance of the town justified this, and it would be the means of obviating much inconvenience. The Minister said tho train was a mail train carrying mails between Invercargill and Auckland, and the Department did not want traffic between Wellington and Auckland by that train. The 7.50 mail train from Wellington (shortly to be 8.15) stopped at Levin. Oliau was t selected for the crossing place because of the watering facilities. When Levin got its water supply, and when tho trains could be accelerated, say, within 12 months, ho thought they would probably bo able to make Levin a stopping place. PAREMATA FACILITIES. ' Another deputation of a dozen settlers asked for a trucking yard for stock and other facilities at tho Paremata railway station. Mr. Field read a letter from the Gear Meat Company in support of the request for trucking facilities, and stating that tho Manawatu Company had promised to provide same. Mr. Galloway (chairman of the Hutt County Council) said that the Horokiwi Riding comprised 60,000 acres, all farmed in small areas, and Paremata was its only rail.

way station. Stock for tho freezing works had to bo trucked at'Porirua or Upper Hntt, and loss of condition was caused by driving thom such distances. Mr. Galloway also submitted that tkoro should be a stationmaster or tablet man at Paremata, as at Tawa Flat, Plimmerton, Porirua, and other stations, and that tho station should be lighted at nights. A siding for loading wool was also required at Fukerua. , Mr. J. Poarco also urged tho claims of Paromata. Ho complained of the difference between fares on tho Ilutt line and the Manawatu line, instancnig the return faro from Hayward's to Wellington, Is. 5d., and from Paromata to Wellington, 2s. 9d. Before the lino was taken over it was announced that the fare from Paremata and Plimmerton would bo Is. Bd., but that had not been carried out. Mr- Jones, representing the Farmers' Union, gave reasons for tho erection of a goods shed at Paremata station. SUBURBAN AREA. Mr. Field, M.P., supported the previous speakers, and said there was a strong feeling that residents on the Manawatu line were not being treated. as favourably as others in regard to a suburban service. Ho submitted that the "suburban area" should extend to Plimmerton. The Minister, in reply, said tho Government was being asked to put up new station buildings all along the Manawatu lino, in place of those which tho people had been satisfied wiTn for tho last 15 years. He was getting a report on tho whole question of station buildings on the Manawatu line. It was true that tho amount of money borrowed for the purchase of the lino was larger than actually had to bo paid to the company. This was so that necessary improvements might bo made, and they had to strengthen all tho bridges, and relay the whole line from Paekakariki northwards with 701b. rails. These alterations wero absolutely necessary, so as to make tho railway to carry the traffic. Tho Government had already made somo small but necessary improvements at certain stations, and intended to mako others from timo to timo. He would obtain a special report as to Paremata, and the amount of trade dono there. He did 'not think a stationmaster and tablcl-man could be placed thero. Every tablet-man cost £130 a year, and if the hours were long, two were required. There would always be small flag-stations. It might bo possible to put up a parcel-room if tho traffic did not justify" a goods shed. If -he had surplus money to throw away, he might be able to do all that was asked for, .but when he had to scrape up' every shilling he could to keep things going along, ho could, not afford to givo them what might Tie called luxuries. He would get a report on the question of a siding at Pukcrua, as well as on tho Paremata station. As to the suburban area, the original intention _ was that it should include only localities where people could livo who went in and out of the city 'daily. He was now informed that settlements of that description were growing up on tho Manawatu line, and ; if on further inquiry it seemed tho proper thing to extend tho suburban area beyond Johnsonville—its present limit —that would be done. He was not going to incur a loss of revenue by making a sub-, urban area of what was really an agricultural district. '