RAILWAY DEVIATION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2786, 2 June 1916, Page 6

RAILWAY DEVIATION

INQUIRY BY COMMISSION

EVIDENCE CONCLUDED

Further evidence was heard by the Railway Deviation Commission at the Supreme Court yesterday. The Commission is inquiring whether—(l) The main line should be diverted from Levin to Marton; (2) the extension from kandon should be granted and a junction allowed there with tho railway system; and (3) the Eoxfon wharf should lie handed over to the local Harbour Board. Messrs. C. J'. Skerrett and M. F. Luekie appeared for tho Horowhenua, Rangitikei, and Manawatu County Councils; Mr. T. S. Weston; aud Mr. M. i'. Luckie for tho Foxton Harbour Board. The Rail way Department was represented by Mr. It. Myers.

Mr. If. TV. M'Villy, Assistant General Manager New Zealand Railways, examined by Mr. Skerrett, said that he believed tho traffic on the Main Trunk line had increased to an appreciable extent.. A branch line might bo necessary at some future time. The Department, however, would not consider the matter until more important works had been completed. The Department considered the branch railway from Levin to Marton not merely a local, but a Dominion line. During the war it was not advisable to proceetf with any works other than those that were necessary. To run trains over the proposed lino would equal about 80,000 train miles and tho cost would have to be charged against it as au extra charge, as tho traffic would be taken away from an oxisting service. The mileage cost was estimated at 6s. per mile run. The Department objected to •the extension of the Sanson" tramway to Marton, as the line was not considered necessary. Heavy trucks were not allowed to go over tho tramway. The fact that the Government would liavo an option over the line and could take it over if it were found to be a competitor was not a determining factor in the objection to the line. The Marton-Palmerston section carried a heavy traffic, 1 and the section paid its way. To Mr. Myers: About half the trucks used in the North Island could be run over the Sanson tramway. The Manawatu County Council asked 'for a connection at Marton. on the ground that such a connection Would facilitate the transit of goods along the Main Trunk line. For the tramway to run to a dead end at Marton would mean considerable expense in transferring coal, timber, and sheep to the Government line. If the traffic on the existing line doubled itself it could be easily and effectively dealt with, if the extra facilities mentioned in Mr. Hilcy's report were provided. The statement bf certain witnesses that motor-lorries could not serve the Sanson district on account of having to keep to the metalled roads did not hold good in. the ijouth Island, where goods were conveyed by motor-lorries in the Waiuiate district from the homesteads right to Timaru. This motor-lorry traffic competed to an appreciable extent with the railway. : Ernest JI. Hiley, General Manager ot the New Zealand liaiLways, examined by Mr. Myers, said that tho service given by the Department as a wharf-owner was distinct from that of a railway-owner. In England, although railways and docks were controlled by the same authority, tho accounts were kept separate. The charges received from wharfage were not partly used for the upkeep of the port. Tho Railway Company was only compelled to dredgo its own docks and entrances. If the Sanson Tramway Company wero to become competitors of the port railways, they could not expect rolling stock from the Department. It was not desirable to have stock operated by men outside the Department's control. Apart from that, the Department had a business' objection to competitors cutting into its business. In fact, . it would amount to piracy, and was not fair competition. The company would have every inducement.to reduco fares. The Department did not regard. the proposition as merely a tramway to servo local needs, and regarded the scheme as intended to competo with the. Government railway's trade. If it succeeded, it would ta'ke away some of the Department's business, and if it did not succeed the Department would have to take it over. He regarded the argument that tile new line from Levin to. Marton would relieve the traffic on the main line as fallacious.

To Jlr. Weston: There were tinies when no wharfage accommodation would stand the striiiu. He would look into the question as to whether tho Railway ment's'shed was unable to accommodate the whole of the goods 'landed by steamer at Foxton.

To Mr. Myers: The Harbour Board, in the. event, of its taking over the wharf, would require a shed. The Harbour Board would also require to deliver- the goods from the ship's side to the shed; it would be cheaper-to get the Railway Department to do this and pay for 'tho service.

John Massey Dick, shipping manager for. W. and d. Turnbull and Co., examined by Mr. Weston, stated that the Manawatu River was being found increasingly difficult to work.

Alfrod lvingsley Drew, manager of the Sanson Tramway, gave evidence as to the tariff on his line. It' was not tlie case that the tariff was different from that of the Government railways. In most cases the charges were the same, and in some cases^ exceeded them. With regard to benzine and motor spirits, these were carried by motor lorries from tho tram line, Tha latter goods were not included iu the classification of his company. Beuzine was the only product which was carried cheaper by his company than by the Railway Department. This concluded the taking of evidence, and the Commission adjourned until today, when counsel will be heard.

THE CALL FOR MEN

LATEST RECRUITS.

Following are the names of the 41 fit mea out of 112 enlistments at No. 5 Group j Office yesterday:— W. H. Burnard, clerk, City. J. W. C. Backhouse, telegraph fitter, Trentham. W. Mallows, labourer, Featherston. A. J[. Davies, accountant, City. G. A. Tullock, clerk, City. \V. Holmes, 6toreman, City. | N. G. Sturaker, dispatcher, City. G. T. M. Dry den, -warehouseman, City. A. E. Budge, seaman, Newtown, if. Hiks, seaman, City. G. F. Smith, plasterer, City. T. W. Phaup, clerk, City. J. W. Grigor, clerk, City. A. Bradford, stable hand, City. A. T. Moody, labourer, City. J. J. Mooney, cook, City. P. Grainger, City. 13. Mangin, painter, City. A. Barlton, Xew Zealand Railways, Porirua. .S. B. Hodgson, clerk, Khandallah. A. Backhouse, clerk, Brooklyn. H. T. Schlaadt, warehouseman, City. V. H. Brightmore, draper, City. AV. T. S. Edwards, warehouseman. City. J. E. Henderson, blacksmith, City. J. B. Hally, law cleric, Lower Hutt. J. C. Barnard, grooer, Alicetown. C. It. Morrell, teachor, City. T. Lonsdale, fislierman, Seatoun. W. Drysdale, labourer, Eketahuna. AV. Beattie, gardener, Hastings. A. E. Heap, crcam tester, Makino. S. Porter, clerk, City. H. Martin, labourer, Lower Hutt. J. Lowery, labourer, Petone. I'\ Curry, labourer, City. .7. Hanna, fitter, Potone. H. W. Clutterbuck, driver, Petone. W. B. Calder, carpenter, City. J. It. White, labourer, Temuka. .T. M'Donald, stud groom, Porirua. J. S. Ellison, labourer, City. The names of the five men who were sent to Trentham yesterday to join the 17th draft are as follow: R. H. Brown, A. W. Godsell, A. H. Mead, C. Yv. Reaves, E. N. Player was sent in to join tho 19th N.C.O.'s.

OTAGO'S QUOTA

By Telegraph-Press. Association.Dunedin, June 1. The Otaga quota for. the 17th Reinforcements left to-day at its full strength and a few over.

NEW RATES

4 : — incbea.se under, one heading. , The rates for the current vear were approved by the City Council (in committee) last evening. They are as follow General, l-210d. in the X', producing ■£97,291). ■ ■ City Improvements Loan interest, 29-200 d., producing .£5587. ' Libraries, 17-20Ud., producing .£3900. , Sanitation. Loan interest (No. I], 42-200(1., producing ,£9507. Sanitation Loan interest (No. 2), 7.200 d., producing .£1353. Consolidation Loan interest, 20-200 d., producing ,£3891. llelroso Improvements Loan interest, C3-200d., producing Outlying Districts Drainago Loan interest, 140-200 d„ producing £5160; Wadestown Tramway Loan interest, 2 3-sd„ pro-' ducing X 1670. All the foregoing rates are imposed upon the unimproved value of land. The rates on the annual value are as follow:— Water, 2} per cent., producing .£27,500. Hospital and Charitable Aid, 3 2-3 d„ producing ,£18,300. Total—iU7G, 012. As far as the majority of ratepayers are concerned, the only increase made this year is owing to the increased levy made on the corporation by tiie Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. The rate last year l-sd. in. the £ (on the annual value); this year it is 3 7-15 d., or nearly 3{d. This increase will produce the ".£IBOO (odd) needed to meet the ever-growing demands of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

The only other alteration is in the Wadestown Tramway .Loan special rate, which has been slightly reduced, from 2£ to 2 3-sd. in the j. l , owing to some arrears having been wiped off. The new rate demands will be issued as soon as the annual readjustment in values has been completed.