TE ARO STATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1974, 3 February 1914, Page 8

TE ARO STATION.

THE PLEA FOR GOODS-SHED. RAISED ONCE MORE. Matters connected l with the Te 'Aro Railway Station came up at last evening's meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. • The City and Suburban Railway Improvement Committee submitted a report, through Mr. J. W. Brodie, regarding tho erection of a goods-shed at the station. The committeo suggested that) us the new Manager of Railways (Mr. E. H. Hiley) wrs making a survey of tho whole railway system, the time was opportune to again approach the Minister of Railways..

The recommendation to interview the Minister was seconded by Mr. A'. Leigh Hunt, who spoke at somo length. He recalled the incidents in connection with the last deputation, which Waited on the Hon. TV. Herrics, and went on to state that ho considered that the deputation was right in drawing tho conclusion from-the Minister's remarks that the only difficulty in the way of a goodsshed was finance. Tho Harbour Board had been approached by the. Government in connection with a certain resumption of. land, but tlie board had seen fit to make an effort to retain it. The Government wished to resume some 9J ncres of reclaimed land at Te Aro for railway purposes, and it had power to take it at the actual cost of reclamation. That was the sore, point with the board. The speaker went on to say 'that a petition bearing 7500 signatures had been presented commending the very proposal which the chamber was now urging. The position at Te Aro was growing more acute each' year. The traffic was steadily on the increase, and tho congestion on the waterfront was becoming more pronounced. The Hon. C. M. Luke (chairman) said that the present Minister, of Railways had taken up tho matter of properly Utilising tho.Te Aro Railway, Station, nnd had given every indication that he was impressed with tho necessity for the erection of a goods-shed. Finance however, was the only bar. In view of what had happened last week on the London money market, when tho New Zealand loan wfcs rushed and over-sub-scribed, tho circumstances had changed considerably. The Government would now have money in hand, and it would be an opportune timo for.it to. set the work gome. The city could not extend much, at the Thomdon end, but must extend southwards. Kilbiruie would in 20 years' time haie another 20,000 people living there. He also'.expressed the opinion that {the population of Island Bay and its surroundings would increase in a few years. . [ Mr. Leigh-Hunt suggested that a delegate from the Farmers' Union should bo included in the deputation. : The chairman, in dealing with the objections raised regarding a railway line passing through tho city, said that in tho citios and towns both in Canada and America one found the whole of the railway traffic passing through the main streets, with.stations in the hearts of tho towns. It was time that this bogy about the danger associated with tho trains going through the city .was exploded.. After furthor discussion the motion iv.as carried.