SWIFTER TRAINS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 8

SWIFTER TRAINS.

: FOR THE WHOLE ISLAND. ■•• CONFERENCE AT PALMERSTON, (BT COKEESrONDBira.) Palmerston North, May 11. To-day delegates from the various district Chambors of Commerce met at the Borough Council Chambers to discuss the railway arrangements in, connection with tho district service, and to consider suggestions for its improvement. Mr.'Johnston, president of the ..Palmorston North Chamber of Commerce), presided, and'the following delegates were, present:—Napier; Mr. F.. W: Williams; Carterton,' Mr. G.. A. Fairbrother; Masterton,: Mr. 'Cruiokshank;- Foilding, Messrs: Tolley; andiJrarnwoll;- Palmerstbn,- Mr. H. Hayilon; Dannevirke,; Mr;' Bain. The Mayor was'.also ■present, on! behalf of the town; and, among ■others' in' attendance,; were Messrs; D/r^uick/Sl-i , ., 'Cohen, Elliot, and J. T.' Lang. , . .■:''. ■:.■■:.■''.■■ ■■■ 1 .' : ," ■' ""■ Chairman Outlines the Position. ; The chairman said that his chamber, was of opinion' the' conference could arrive at some definite' conclusions to place before the new Jtlinister-for .Railways and thus' greater'facilities would bo given for .the passenger and gob'ds'trafflo Between the districts represented. Xhey 'would' remember that, in February, 1906, ..they bad, a large and influential con'ferenco on the' subjects' to . be considered that day, and other matters. '• The result of that conference wjis.that a large and representative deputation waited on the late I Colonel Pitt (then Acting-Minister for Railways) ,-.-,-ati Wellington, and .they anticipated ;sbme satisfactory;results which never, came. Sincb'then matters had entirely altered. The Government had taken over the Manawatu Railway, the : Main-Trunk.lino had been orf bned,. 'and a completely/ new service had beep, running for six months, with results /far in excess of the most sanguine ; anticipations, i ■Also, • the Hon. J. A. Millar had been appointed Minister for"Railways, and :considerable.changes.had been mado in the Deparjmient.-Therefore, they were of opinion '■■ that ;tho,time had now arrived to again make ■.ropresentatioh to the Government, and push these representations home with such good will that their request might bo granted. They considered' that, now that- tho Manawatu- line had been. taken over, and the. .Main Trunk line opened; the community.: interested'■must .refuse .to accopt,'tho usual Departmental reply: ''The existing business is not sufficient to -justify the; expenditure involved in running such, etc. , . . They 'desired more frequent and faster services .' between the . railway sections ./on the East and-West Coast and with the Mam Trunk line, and a faster intermediate ser:vioe. It jappeared very strange a ■through connection in one day to New Plymouth from any point north of Dannevirke and south of Mastofton,' or from any point north of : Wariganui to any pomt beyond 'Dannevirke and Masterton:should bo so long .'refused. '■■'':.'' '■'• 'I■.■ ...,'■/■■■■■ ', ■■-■■-1. ■ •'.■.'.■•■'•■•■

South Island Better Treated. ' v Compared to tho railway service over theeeo itibns indicated., the 'southerri services were 'better treated, faster,in every instance, He quoted figures, showing ithat the net revenue on ■'.'the'. Hurunui-Bluff ■ section of £287,195 for 1908-was : 'equal to £2 7s. 10d. cent, on the' cost' of.;construction (£11,997,562), or "a return of £223 per mile, as compared with the New Plymouth-Napier- ' Wellington section,;in "which !th'e not revenue of £255,852 equalM £4 Us. Bd. per cent, on ;the cost of • construction'. (£5,580,650);/ of- a 'return of £522 pdr..mile'.;-'Mr. Johnston added ■that there was no desire for local benefits in calling tho. conference.j: If it greater, 'advantages to run trains,' .now stopping,here 'over'night/to'-'Wobdvillo, . Wanganuij .or Dannevirke, by all nieans'let them endeavour ;to ob.tain the, increased services.' ."Theirfide-' ■sire was' the greatest good for.the greatest: 'nninber. • .Sf'vrsM ,<i?t\?yi . ;'/.. v .- '; ■.'- The Dannovlrke Proposals.' .•./' — ,';The Dannevirke proposals, which were vdis.cussed first,..were.as follow:—•;<;■; ,'.!;'■: ; :/ ' (1) That't£e mail train/leave : Napier.' '■ at, say,.B a.m. ihstead.of 8.45, as.at pr&/ . f: sent, 'so'as'" to; enablo a connection being / ■■made.with the.Auckland express at Pal- /. ■ ; merston North', and' so reach ..Wellington/o .at 4.25 p.m...: /. .- -;M .' ; r .': , ■•• ,'-.:.". (2) That the Wairaiapa express roach • : .-.Woodville at about.one o'clock—the same',--, ' ; time. as .the Palmerstpn train ■ via : Mana-. ' watu, instead of at'nine minutes past , :' , ' • two as at present, and , thus enable the; .. express to breach' Napier, an hour earlier... ':; (3) That, the train-'which leaves Darine- ■; ' virke at 8 a.m. be delated until 8.30, and -arrive at Palmerston atrths same time as

at present; also that the train which ; leaves Palmerston at 6.10 p.m. shall \ reach. Dainevirke: at '7.30 p.m. instead of B.p.m.N "■'' ■'■■• ■:/'■' <f v- ..■ ■■■■'•■ f ■ i■■••■■.**' : ' ' (4) That a dining car'bo ■: attached to the IVellirigton-Napier express, and to tho-Napier-Wellington.express.-■•* ' > ; : "'(5) That fares to Wellington-via Manawaffl.bo.redube'd'lacbbrdingto mileage. '■■" Napier suggested-that it ..was. most im- ' pbrtant to'havb a^good , connection-with, , .fellington, but they also have endeav-, bured'to-make the connection with Auckland and Now Plymouth as. serviceable aa ■ possible, -and .they recommend;that the : main passenger' train, connecting Napier . with.'other'sections, bo on tho Imea of'a /'.time-table' attached, v . ": : -.' .■

1 Mr. Bain (Danneyirke), alluding to the -first proposal brought forward by Dannovirkei re-ferred-'to- the proSts of the Napier-Welling-, ton section, and said .that they had | not received any benefit from the taking'over, of the. Manawatn line, which was. the shortest way to' Wellington,; and the.:natural .one'for .the - distric't; ,; He;,could 'not see any objection to.tha proposal,'.which'would give them extended time in Wellington for. business,purposes. They also thought.that, if the mail train from Wellington" was .taken over the Manawatu lino to Napier,'fully an hour conld bo saved on the journey, and further, they saw no reason why tho .people of Hawke's Bay should ho compelled to . go over tho Bimutakas to Wellington when the llanawatu' route : was the' shortest and' quickest, deferring to tho other matters brought forward by his chamber, Mr. Bain said that ho. saw no reason why. they should .not' bo granted. -They wero all very, reasonable. v '" VVhat Napior Wants. Mr. Williams (Napier) referred to the reception by the Department of tho requests of bis chamber in _ railway matters, which had been disappointing. They were particularly desirous of connection with the overland express, but the reply to them from the Department' was practically? that passengers from ' anywhere elso than on the line of route were not desired.'.-; The whole, difficulty conld be obviated by accelerating the speed of the through train from Napior, and the only difficulty likely to be met was in the case of the return''journey .from Wellington. ' hours elapsed between- the arrival of the, overland express in Palmerston, and the arrival of the slow train at night in Napier.--yet they; could t ,not get there,, the connection "being missed hero. A train left Woodville at .3 o'clock for Napior, and the overland express arrived hero at 3.10, but, as stated, there was'no connection, with them. -The greatest necessity,was facility of communication with Wellington as against Auckland. ..... V ■ f'The Walts'at V/oodvillo." -He commented 'very "_ adversely : upon the waits at Woodville, which wero most annoying, , and there wa3 no reason- why" ' 'they .should .not bo entirely obviated. If they had to wait thoy preferred to wait in Palmerstcn, but, by a common-sense rearrangement of the time-table,. all delays could bo avoided in tho through journeys., Practically all they askod for was tho accelerations of an already existing servico, and its extension to Palmerston, which, from its : ppsitidri'i was the : dividing place north and 50uth.,,,,1t, was no good having half the division at one place (Woodville)'and half.at another (Palmerston). Hβ thought the 8.15 train from Wellington should bo delayed a bit; and tho early train from Napier put forward'a bit, thue allowing connection, with the New Plymouth sorvico hero at. 11.45.' Their ideas might probably, conflict with Wairaraoa, and they would

have to hear the opinions of the others. Napier wished to be as fair as possible in the matter. - . The Walrarapa View. Mr. Fairbrother (Carterton) said that, at tho last' conference, thoy had too many romits, and drowned the Department with a multitude , of requests.. He had come with the same proposal as last year, and would be quite satisfied if they got that through. It had' taken him part of three days to get to the conference at Palmerston, and he was penalised £1 in doing so. The people who came from the Wairarapa. to Palmerston, and they wore many, would rather pay an extra five shillings for the privilege of getting there in one day, and that could bo done by starting the morning Masterton train from Featherston. . ' Jir. Cruickshank referred to the desirability of starting a train from Foatherston about sis o'clock in tho morning for Palmerston. Then the 5.10 train from Palmerston might easily be accelerated and taken on to Featherston. If tho northern East Coast oxprcss were started earlier it would give Wairarapa people a chance of connecting with the Main Trunk at Palmerston. , ■ Mr. Williams jwinted put that, if the northorn East Coast mail started earlier ■from Woodville, then Main Trunk passengers for Napier would miss it. The trains through Woodville seemed to be run entirely for the benefit of the refreshment rooms.. v . Mr. Fairbrother said that he understood that the new policy on the railways, consequent on the taking over of the Manawatu lino, meant the cutting out of some of the Wairarapn trains. ' One of those proposed to bo cut out was the 5.10 train from Palmerston to Masterton, and that was the very train which they were wanting most. . Resolutions.' (Br TBZJtaßirn— raxsa issocumon.l s Palmerston North, May 11. Tho following resolutions' were parried at the conference of delegates of Chambers of Commerce to-day:— (1.) That the Minister for Railways be urged to expedite the rail -sr s between the East and West Coasts by . -.mgm.g 'or a passenger train to leave Napior sufficiently early'in the morning to reach Palmerston North at, say, 12.30, and so connect with the mail train to New Plymouth going north, and the Main Trunk express going. south;'also a train to leave Palmerston after the arrival of the Main Trunk express from Wellington, and the New Plvmouth express from 'the north to reach Napier on the same evening. This service might take the place of the present service from Napier to Woodville, leaving Napier 6.50 a.m., and the Woodvillo to Napier train, arriving'at , 10 p.m; (2.) That the Minister be asked to attach a- dining-car to the mail train from_ Napier to Wellington, and vice versa via Wairarapa. (3.) That the morning train, leaving Woodvillo for Napier at 6 a.m., leave Palmerston North instead, and the afternoon train from Napier, arriving at Woodville at 9.15 p.m., go on to Palmorston North. (4.) That the north train now leaving Masterton at 6.30 a.m. start from Featherston instead, and be timed to reach Palmerston to catch\.the New Plymouth mail, and the-train leaving Masterton at 9.10 p.m. for Featheretori be delayed, or, in the alternative, that the last-mentioned train be timed to arrive earlier so as to catch the 9.10 Masterton to'Featherston train. "•: (5.) That a connection be made (to run to Masterton and south of it) with the proposed early train from Palmorston to Napier, and connection, be made from Masterton at Wopdvillo with.the evening train to Pahnerston'North.." '. ■'-■•"" ' ' , ' (6.) That tho Minister bo asked to. dolay the train leaving Dannevirke from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., same to'arrivo at Palmerstonas at present; also, that tho'train leaving Palmerston at 5.10 p.m. bo delayed so as to reach Dannevirke at 7.30 p.m. ' .' (7.) That the Railway Department give an extension of tho present train service, so that connection can" bj mado from north of Palmerston with' the early; and late through train service with Wellington' from Feilding. A deputation; consisting :of two members of each: or thp : chambers represented, will, wait on'the Minister at an early date..'