DISTRICT NEEDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 238, 2 July 1919, Page 3

DISTRICT NEEDS

" DISCUSSED BY CONFERENCE

RAILWAY, DEVIATIONS

ADVOCATED

A conference between representatives of local bodies and chambers of commerce in the Wellington Province began at the Farmers' Institute yesterday morning. The invitations to the confer: ence were issued by the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce. Tho objects, roundly stated, were: To conSidor means of improving the communications • betweon Wellington City and tho country districts; to discuss the opening of lands for closer settlement; and to suggest measures likely to promote the general prosperity of tho province. There was a, thoroughly, representative attendance of delegates.. Address by Mr. C. M. Luke, Mr. C.'M. Lv.lte, president of tho convening 'body, addressed the delegates. He welcomed them to , the conference, and observed thjt it was nearly five years since the last conference was held. Tho delegates would remember how kindly the-Government listened to their former proposals before tho war overshadowed everything else. To refer io the results of , the war- would take a long time. Tho number of those who had been broken by the catastrophe was beyond estimation. Not only had human life been lavishly -wasted; material that made for the social , and commercial welfare of the world had been destroyed in quantities- that were- hardly suscopt ible of computation. We had fought if)i tho weak, but had we a more tranquil j atmosphere now or loftier ideals since i tlie war had ended? In some ways thfc outlook to-day was not more peaceful than it hajl. been yesterday, and unless the spirit of co-operation hud tho brotherhood of man were fostered a better ouitlo"k could not be hoped for. We had to realise what was due. to the other fellow as- well as to ns, By hearty co-operation between men the world could bo made to produce not only what was essential to the -existence of the race; but even ordinary luxuries for all. He looked forward to a realisation of 'the higher ideals that made human life endurable. • It wa9 for the. conference to support aything that would tena to the advancement of the Dominion. Tt was a day not only for thinking in millions, but for acting in millions, and .carrying out the great public works required. On the agenda paper wore several matters of very great moment. There was-, tho question of deviating the Rimutaka. and Pnekakariki railway lines. Ilydro-elec-

. trio power was'another matter-second to ~ none in importance. What the Dominion needed was greater employment of its "white fuel:". The conference should endeavour to persuade the Government of' the sincerity of its d&siro to co-operate'in the' promotion of worthy objects. • The country -required better roads, straighter and easier roads. ''In my opinion," concluded Mr., Luke, "this meeting is fraught with' very great importance. Tho potentialities of this district are great, and it is for us to leave that impression, on the community and the Government of the day, and urge the carrying out of these schemes we propose. 1 hope : that as a result of our deliberations very, great benefit will accruo to the district and to tho Dominion." Mr. G'. E. Mackay (Mayor , of Wanganui) moved a vote of thanks. to Mr. Luke. -' '

Mr. M. A. Carr seconded the motios, which was carried by-acclamation. Mr. 'Luke,was appointed chairman of tho conference. The first session' was adjourned at 10.30 and the delegates took 1 a motor trip round the city. Rimutaka Incline. , At tho "afternoon session Mr. W. A. Hutton (Greytown Borough Council), moved: "That- the question/ of , doing away with the'Eimutaka railfway : incline and the finding*of 1 a better route, to the Wairarapa district from Wellington is a most pressing matter, and that the Government Iks urged to proceed with the work." Mr. Hutton contended that the present route had outlived its usefulness.

Wairarapa should be brought moro closely in, touch with'; Wellington. As things were now it was impossible.- to send out Wairarapa. produce expeditiously. Frozen carcasses en route for the city were delayed longer than was good for the meat. The people of .tho district had put up long enougli -with their old handicaps. If the cities were to be relieved of some of their congested areas the country must ]» more extensively opened up. He that if .a route other than the incline' were found the saving on it would more than pay the interest on the loan required. Thero was a strong case to be laid before the Government in support of the proposa; contained in thejomit. Mr.' T. 0. Haycock (Featherston) supposed tlio remit. The present route, tie said, was an embargo on the prosperity of tlio district. ' ■ Mr. If. A. Wright, M.P.. (Wellington), locked upon the incline a-s an engineering blunder. 110 thought, with the two previous speakers, that the question of what new be adopted might with safety be left to experts in tho service of tlio Government. Money expended upon a new route would be money well invested'. . Mr. E. Larkin (Greytown Chamber of Commerce) said. that his ■■ chamber advocated no special route. It only wished to see the conference, with united front, demand a sensible deviation. Mr. F. T. Moore; iJohnsonville) held that the best, route for a new, lino would follow the waters of the Hutt River, then go by tunnel through to the waters of the Tauherenikau. Greytown could by that way Iks reached in less than two - hours.

Mr. AY. Cotton (Lower Hutt) felt 6ure that tho Government had made up its mind where the new lino should go. . What was wanted was pressure upon tho Government in order that the work should bo proceeded with at once. Other speakers supported the remit. On the chairman's suggestion, tho conference considered, along with the above remit, the following ono sent forward - by the Wellington Central Chamber: ' —"That the conference call upen the Government to proceed at once with the deviation of thevßiiriutaka line, and 6end a stroiig 'deputation to urge upon the Prime Minister and tho Minister of Public Works the necessity of an early start being made with the work." Mr.'Luke said that it was as vital to ! the cities as to the country that the rural areas should'be developed. It was suicidal to neglect the establishment of a railway that would not only by its savings repay tho loan upon it, but would even givo a surplus for further railway development elsewhere. L'raba'bly there was before the conference re question more important than that raised by the remits under discussion. Mr. Coleman Phillips (Greytown) gave an historical sketch of proposed railway routes to the Wnirarapa. ' Mr. Byron Brown (Otaki) thought that the conference should urge upon the Government the necessity of imposing a betterment tax,on the-lands through which any. new deviation might pass. Mr. B. G. H. Burn (K.irori referred to a statement that on account of the difficulty of transport no milk was coming into Wellington from the other side of the Rimutakas. If that was a fact, be said,' the whole body of citizens of , Wellington would be behind tho conference to back its proposals for a deviation of the present route. Tho remits were unanimously adopted. Paeknkariki Line. Mr. Luke moved: "That tho conferonce call upon the Government to proceed at, once with the deviation of the'vPaekakariki, line, and send a deputation to urge upon the Prime Minister and tho Minister of Public Works the necessity of making an early start with the work." The mover argued that the same considerations applied to that remit as applied to the remits touching upon the Rimutaka deviation. 'The remit was adopted. As an addendum to the three remits quoted above, Mr. Luke moved: "That ill the event of a fayoura.blo reply being ■waived' from the Government on tho ';estion of deviation of the R.imutakn .i:. - Paekakariki lines, the Government ii l ? requested to set up a board consist- ' -jf engineering and commercial ox:t.-, to determine tho best routes, and

to ensure that' tlieir proposals bo carried into effect." Mr. Moore wished to see the remit altered to urovide for the submission of the board's proposals to local bodies. Mr. Luko would not consent to the proposed change. The remit wiis adopted.

An Hast Coast Railway. Another remit dealing with railways was then discussed. It urged the establishment of nu East Coast railway. Mr. A. Harris (Wanganui) was not prepared to opposo the request of any district: for development. He warned the conference, however, to beware of making too nianv applications to the.Uurornment at the present time. Mr. A. Hunt (Wellington) thought that Pongaroi). whence the remit came, was particularly unfortunate in the matter of railways. He considered tne remit deserving' of support. Mr. Coleman Phillips was prepared to suppo'it.' the remit it the words "East vCoast railway" were made to read "i'ongaroa railway." The. remit was finally adopted without alteration. , Mr. E. 11. Crabb (Palmerston North) moved: "Jliat the time has arrived when the Government should construct the main arterial roads of tho Doiuimiosi. with-a vieiv to the formation of perm.iv.ent highways; that all local bodies bo ui Red to co-operate in the work of putting the main roads in such permanent condition in respect to the surface and width as to carry with safety the rapid-lv-increasing number of power-driven vehicles."

Mr. Crabb said that the urgency of tho question lay in the fact that the aver axe speed of traffic to-day was three times what it used to be. The problem of roads was now a national one.' The strain upon the railways would be to some extent relieved if the roads were put in a better state for motrf traffic. Tt was desirable that the local ljodiea should ,be relieved in some degree of the 'construction of roads that really were not called for by local needs. The conference adopted tho rernjt. It then adjourned till to-day.