RAILWAY NEEDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1430, 3 May 1912, Page 6

RAILWAY NEEDS.

THE NEW STATIONSP.EEDING..UP,THE TRAINS. ;;; THE-T-E.AItO LINE:''; ; Pursuanb to an arrangement which .Mr. A. L. Herdman, 11.1'., made with tho Minister for Eailways (tho llon'.'A. M. -Myers) ten days ago, local members of Parliament waited upon tho Minister yesterday in reference to a new railway station at Wellington and other matters. Tho members present were Messrs.. Herdnian, . Fisher, Hindmarsh, and Dr. A'ewman. It was stated that Mr. \V. it. D.-liell was unavoidably absent through urgent business : Mr. llerdman said ho luul brought under the notice of tho i'orm«iv.Mihis(er;/for Railways. (Hon. J. A.; Mi|lar)';tho advis; ability of constructing'a new-railway sta--;tion for Wellington, if net' 3 f i". ,"31 iI i a r"in-" 'formed him that the'question of a new railway station would.not bo considered ■until tho ILutt line'had. been duplicated : and the reclamation work completed. At the time that seemed a reasonable objee-' tion to expediting tho;;constructiou of. a central station. 'Subsequently 'he again interviewed Mr. Millar, ifh'o reiterated his former statement! Ji'ow-the Hutt line had been completed, and tile reclamation .work finished, and it seemed that tho';,obstacle which existed during Mr. .Millar's term of office was removed, and there was nothing, as far lis the deputation could see, t'o pre--vent tho Department going on with tho new station. It was hardly necessary to advaiic&any argumenf as to the need" for the new station. It was admitted that .the present-two stations-were- and it,seemed absurd, to have two stations, one at. Lanibton and one' at' Thorhdon', and couuting-.in To Aro stalion, three,-lor. tho railway'traffic of'-'Wellington/"ln' flic'iii-' terests both of the city ..and efficient ad-; Diinisird'tioli 'of' the' rainvXy 'sen-ice,"these' should .be done away. jvith, and".'a'n np-tb-'date station erected. The object,,oJ:\the deputation, was to .know who-. ther-i t : was the intention'of - the' Govern- ■ lneijtj ,t;a .proceed, with tho•'erection, of 1 a iiew station', -and,'it SO,' the site of tho station.,,., ...,,,

MTV'Fish'er "Supported the 'feniarks made . by.Mr.-Ilenlman,--mid-said' the;;.reasons' why flte'lo'cal' members 'liad"eomo to tho .. Minister to .th(i;preserit they. had* '' no invitation to as--f.icintc themselves' with the deputation tho tMinis'er wy's to receive oil the follow-' : -.uig morning. Te Aro Station. Dr. .Newman referred to the agitation : for .the removal of the Te Aro Taihvay station, but'hoped that the .Minister; u'ould , not ngrcc to this. The To . station served a very large.'.numfjer.-'ol:' people, and in,the coursp of.'a'few years trrirto would lie largely and die 1 was of opinion tlfatJgijQils 'trajfic shou'lil'' he taken (lov/n tliere. -'- Ono 'rpa.-on that "he did ilat Tc Aro sta-, tion-done away with was "that he believed' • that it woiikU.-be' the first section of a railway ,i\;h{ch"' would eventually go . through to>Miramar. There was a large area of building land on tho other-side of Mount.Victoria, and in years to come there' would bo some sixty thousand or 'seventy; thousand residents in that local- ■ 'fy-"' llvwould-be a; inconvenicnco' ...to-tjiese peonlo to come to a station right Py the'northenv'e'ndi 'of;the: city. ~' Dr., ■Newman expressed his willingness to ac- . company the Minister over the ground, and point out the desirability of extending the. railway ;to Miramar. . .Ho-further urged the speeding-up of nil passenger feeryico trains'in the. district, arid-referred particularly to .the length of tirao occu- ' pied-by the-express trains between Wellington and-New Plymouth, and 'Wellington/and -Napier. ' The journey to New . Plymouth. was-exceedingly tedious, as was ' also ; that to' Napier,'under tho present ■: time-table. Ho also urged some bet'er consideration being given to the handling .of holiday traffic. Many holidays were • epoilt through the Into running of trains on the return., journey,, and tlirp.ugh over-., crowdi'nglU' /It.'jwaS' rioPuncommon expm--ence fo fifid the carriages' in'a' dirty con-' dition. 'l'heso matters, wanted remedying.

„The Minister's Reply. " The Hon. Mr.. Myers expressed his pleasure at meeting the Parliamentary representatives of Wellington, and ho corild not understand; the omission to noiify them as-members of Parliament of the public, deputation which was. to wait on him in regard to this matter on tho following morning. It was probably an oversight. ' Ho believed that in such matters' of public'importance as this it was proper that members of Parliament should accompany deputations • to Ministers of the Crown. It was the .invariable practice elsewhere. The deputation would readily understand that as lie-was' meeting another deputation on the following morning on tho same subject, he would prefer, wailing until he had an opportunity of hearing their representations liefore-giving a reply as to the action' the Government,would :t?ko. in tho.matter of the'erection of a. new station for Wellington! "There'was evidently a difference of opinion' as to the of the retention of the Te Aro station, and-ho-did not feel..called upon, to express any opinion at' thc'vmonient'in regard to it.' • Speeding,Up the Trains. . . Tn regard to speeding-up of the trains, die Department, had now in hand a programme providing for improving the grades on the various main lines, and this had proved. one of the principal difficulties in accelerating the speed of tho trains. A policy bad been determined on, which he would at the earliest opnortun- J ity make public; as to the Department's"': Intentions in this respect. '- He was in sympathy with the deputation in their request that express trains should be fast trains, and difficulties capable of being overcome.would engage liis best attention nt the .earliest moment. The delays and overcrowding in respect to holiday traffic refefred-ti-bv-Dr. -Newman,- as well as ft\s .complaints as to the condition of .carrjagfis,wt)uld J>o inquired jntp, and in; ■this ■ connection he referred to the intention! to .appoint two. superintendent* of triifljr—One foi' tlie'North'lsland; and one for 'the South Island. These officers would devote their'a'.tention to travelling throughout each island, and it would be part of their duty' to report on such mnttiJrsl. Tho Ministers assured the deputation that 'during the time lie had the houour of presiding, over the Railway Department hu would endeavour to bring about the utmost efficiency in Ihn Department for which.he was responsible. He ventured to' lioiie that by pu'-suin? «i sound nnd progre-sive policy good results would Ve achieved. PROJ.EST 'F R.O W vX.H ? .'Cp U NTR Y. ;j 3XTEAVAGANCK AND ' BOEIiOWING. Tho City Council has arranged that a deputation of members of all local bodies in Wellington shall wait upon the Alinister for ltailways this morning to urge, 't.ho claims of a new central railway station 'Jor"Wellington. Tho letter from tho fjitv Council inviting tho Harbour Board to 'be represented camo' before tho.board yesterday afternoon. Mr.'''Fletcher's motion' that: the wholo' board join tho deputation met with somo opposition. Mr. Cobbe hoped that tho board would decline to have- anything to do with thisdentation. It meant the expenditure of a great deal of money, and if those who wero advocating it were to go into tho country' and see tho disabilities which settlers, the backbone of tho country, had to put Up with, they would bo chary about recommending the expenditure of piich a large sum as would be necessary. The money- was'■ more needed • in tlie unroaded backblocks.. than in tho cities, where.;thero -were already reasonable facilities. , , Mr. Daniells said the money was needed to lay the foundation of_ tho CMntry's progress and prosperity. .Necessaries were all thaV ought to be, provided just yot, the . ornamentations . ico.nld' come "afterwards. What wag an urgent need at the .TPelHngtttn..-station* W&a iricreitecd..protection against weather for passengers taking-trains.and alighting, from them,Slr. Freeth pointed out. that the preBent system ot railway control in Wellington" was necessarily awkward, inconvenient, and wasteful, owing to the inadequate facilities for handling traffic. Ho hoped that the deputation would go to the Minister seized of the idea (hat a new station in U'elliugtcn *ti a necessity in the interests not only of Wellington but of tho whole comuinnitv. Mr. MacFarlano opposed thq jnotioii oa

the ground that money ivas needed in the country. JJe admitted that shelter was neeo.sscirw Mr. Fletcher, said thai it was not contemplated that any elaborate structure should bo built, but our present station was not worthy of a little wayside town. Mr. Oflbbo repeated his protest iiKnin>t tho spirit of extravagance, with the resuitaiit 'borrowing cnniinp in it*, train, that was growiusf up in the country. Ono (lay ifc" ivould nil .havo to be paid tor by the bnckbloeks. Mr. Havknrss and Mr. Kenner urged that, the station was necossarv. Tho motion was carried on the voices.