WHAT ONSLOW ASKS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1547, 17 September 1912, Page 2

WHAT ONSLOW ASKS.

BY DEPUTATION.

FROM MEMBERS OF CABINET

Voiced at some length, several wants of the borough of Onslow were presented before Ministers yesterday by a deputation from the Borough Council. They were introduced to the several Ministers to be interviewed by tho member for tlie district, Mr. AV. H. D. Bell.

Workers' Homes at Kaiwarra. First they trailed oh the"Minister f6r Labour (the Hon. W. F. Massey) to su<;gest to him tho expe'diency of the Labour Department erecting a number'of workers' homes there. There was a piece of land which had beeu taken under the Public Works Act in connection with tho Hittt Road scheme, and it oras- held by the i Railway Department.' The Hon. YV. Ifs Massey said he rrould have the matter inquired, into. If the Railway Department Wero generous enough to hand the land over to the Labour Department he could assure the deputation that the workers' homes would be gone on wifli. - Government Departments frequently mads ItArder bargains, with each other thfth private individuals did. . ». . " Postal Facilities. The same '.deputation, interviewed the Postmaster-General re postal facilities at Jvgaio- and Khandallah. Mr. P. Holdworth (Mayor :of Onslow) stated that tho population in this district had increased very much of recent years, and ho understood that the Postal Department had secured a suitable site for ah office at Khandallah. If new post offices could not bo biiilti'the residents were very -anxious that there should, be riioro frequent .Clearances of pillar-boMs, and'better deliveries. Now there was only one delivery per day. Another member suggested that one of "these three-wheeled chariots" should be detailed'for service at Ngaio and Khandallah. Several cornplaints were made against the uncertainty' of the delivering of telegrams. The Hon. R. 11. ItliorJes said the delegation had made the needs, of both Ngaio alii Khandallah apparent to hinij but he could make no promise without .makiDg inquiries, and he would have inquiries made. He would consider the advisability as had been suggested of establishing a post office in connection with the railway station at Khandallah. Khandallah had the advantage in regard to a.post office, because a site had beeii chosen, but this did not mean that a post office would bo immediately built. The Postal. Depart-ment-had sufficient foresight to buy sites in growing country townships- before they u-ero actually needed. He recognised, that Khandallah hud Ngaio would soon rcqttiro post offices. He would-suggest .that ifr, Bell, tho hienibor for tho district, should take him round the locality; he cduld then find out for hiniFelf the needs of the district, and he would also get reports from his Departmental officers. -

• Tram! or Railways? Later they asked the Minister.for Railways (the -Hon. W. H. Herrics) to consider tho .advisability.6f Ifein'ovinij '.the cihbargd Ah tramways oh the Hiltt Road. ' By the Hutt'.Railway and. Road Improvement' Act,' v the. . council were prevbntcd from .extending .the

present. tramway system out as far aS ' Kaiwarrn, and, now. the Onslow Borough Council, it was stated,, desired to rcmovo'the embargo.' Their second-re-; quest ■referred.. to the present railway crossing for .vehicles and foot passengers at Ngaio. It had been, long contended, it was" said, that the present crossing was. unsafe, especially in view of the fact that, it w'us used extensively, by school children.

Mr, Holdsworth complained aleo that tho tfaihvays did not give such reasonable facilities for. travel jnto the city as the residents • desired. They recognised that it would bo expensive to extend'tho city service to ICailvnrjrn.i but there were other and cheaper Methods of running tramwhys nowadays. He contended that there \vhs a'real demand for n tramway''service at least as for as Kaiwarrn. which was already au important manufacturing centre. . !Mr. Herrics: What is your intention with regard to the tramway? Are you going to take it dp the Kaiwarra Valley? . ■ Mr. Holdsworth: Wo aro going only to Kaiwarra. . Mf. .Herrics: And stop there? Mh Holdswoith: For the present, yes, Mr. Holdsworth and other hipmbofs alsoinformed the Minister that the .distance to Kaiwarra from the city was just less than a rililo., . , : Mr. Stafford said the residents were not allowed, to catch the trains, that would suit them freiu Kaiwarra. The train arriving iii the city lit 0 a.m., for instance, did itat step at Kiuiviiirn, Jf tlie° trainservice were, more suitable there would be no need for trnnis, The Minister, in reply said the subject of the embargo was a very important one. It not only affected Koiwurrh) but all the places along tho Unit Koad. From his' recollection, the local bodies ngrced'to the clause in tho Bill with their eyes opeii. It was pointed out that tlley would ruo the day; and this "had ho'doubt happened; But the clahse was there, and he as Minister for Railways would-have to eoiydder very carefully.tho proposal to repeal it. If. he granted the concession respecting Kaiwarra, he might be asked to give it to the Hutt, and this of .course would ruin the railway traffic. . lie could hot hold out much hope of the request being granted; He could pee that Kaiwarra \vas in father n. different position from Hutt.. He would like to .know- whether it was intended to take the tramway rigbtbut to Khandallah; As Minister for Railways, he ratist see that the traffic was not taken away from the railways, but he woiild consider the. mottef and go into it tfith the General Manager for Railways: With regard to the subway at Ngaio. .he w'.is . informed it wortid cost a' considerable'ffttm lot money- i .£750. He would be glad to know whether the local, body would be ' prepared to fliiil a sun'iof money, poSsibly to be assisted by a Government'subsidy. Ho could not think of spending oil the ..money necessary, and he could not" even promise .anything in the way of a Subsidy until after March ill of nefxt year. If the local body was prepared to bear any portion of the cost lie would be prepared to consider the Micrtjo'i of snbsidv. . In nnstfer.to Mr; Bell, the Minister said that if the local bridy undertook t" do the worh in anticipation of a subsidy, ho would consider the question of making a promise, of. A Subsidy. _ Mr. Holdsworih said Onsloiv was a struggling, boroiigh; And subsidy was out Of the question until it was known what tlio Hutt Road noil Id cost.