"MUDDLING ALONG"

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 62, 7 December 1920, Page 8

"MUDDLING ALONG"

I WELLINGTON'S NEW STATION PROGRESS LEAGUE ACTIVE WANT PRELIMINARY WORK STARTED The burning question of providing a new railway station yard at Wellington ivas discussed at last night's meeting of the Central Progress league, thero being a unanimity of opinion among members that work preliminary to the actual construction of tho new station and yards should be commenced without further delay. The subject was bracketed in a report tabled by the secretary (Mr. Q. Mitchell. M.P.), which ran aa follows:— "Those in authority maintain that the most 11 rnoilt railway work in our district is the retaining wall and the reclamation necessary to increase tho railway yard accommodation in Wellington. They claim this on the ground that it is u."sound business to innko better arrangements to bring goods to tho city when tho present accommodation here is inadequate to economically nnd efficiently handle the present trnfific. They assert that this work is so urgent that it should have priority over all other railway development works in our province.

A Surprising State of Affaira. "In view of this statement, and the prominence given to the urgency of this work by your league and tho members of Parliament, also the statements and nroniisos made bv tho Primo Minister and others; it is surprising to learn that not only has there been no definite arrangements made to carry out this w.dertaking, but the threo bodies concerned (tho City Council, tho HarbouT Board, and the Railway Departments havei not yet come to an agreement about their joint interests. It has not jet even been decided who is to carry out the work. In fact, no final decision has yet been come to on tho matter. • "The Prime Minister stated that the material was on the ground. Such is not the ease. Nothing is being done, nor likely to be done, unless our public men and 'community genorally are f.upared to take a much firmer stand than they have hithorto. This Temark applies also to ' the general railway development in our district. It is years since the urgency of this work was recognised and demded on The Harbour Board always was, nnd is now, I understand, ready, and anxious to do its eharo to havo the work carried out, but like our other railway works it had not been gone on with.

"Must Wo Muddle Along?" "Must Wellington, the_ capital awl principal city in our Dominion, tho most important harbour and greatest shipping centre, muddle along with the present woefully insufficient yard accommodation, and facilities for handliuß trafhc and Roods? Must we put up with Hyo little pokv disconnected stations, which are a disgrace to our country. Must've continue with the inconvenience, -want of o r K'ini«aHon and national inemcency, which is probably unequalled in any other iinpnvtant centre in Iho world? Must we remain choked at tho neck of ouroutli'ts i"to the pounlrv nt Paokaktiriki and the Rimutakfrf, nnd he content to .have the small vote on our othor liupartant railways underspent that the Jaws lotc may lie overspent in other parts of the Dominion? Ato wo .to stand idly by until others are- satisfied, and loso our place and prestige in doinir. Ur wul we demand tlwt our centre kpop ever in the front rank in the march of proßrecs and development?"

1 City's Progress Arrested. Mr. W. Stuart Wilson said tliat the construction of tho new station and yards at Wellington was,the most important work ahead of the Government lrom ii national as well as n local point of view. There was not a sixth-rate cjtj in Australia or Canada that would with the poor railway facilities that lington had. Whatever line of action was decided upon, it would bo necessary for the league to move energetically ami without delay. In this connection ho montione<l that lately three Cabinet Ministers had visited Palmerston North, and statements had appeaml in tho Press to the effect that tho Government was going to spend ,£500,000 in deviating the railway in .that district. If they were not very careful this work might, hang un the construction of Wellington s -now station. In emphasisinghe f.onfrestiori caused, in the city. Y' 1 . 80 " "f, 1 ' 1 thero was not the slightest doubt that uarßo was being diverted f"™ ton because the railway facilities were not equal to copias with it. The city of Wollinpjton was really hems arrestee in its development owing to the want of propor facilities for handling commerce. Tn +lie course of a general discussion scverat members urged that whuo tho new railway station was still a lone wa y off, immediate attention should ho clveri to the work of reclaiming the aTea of .10 acres between Waterloo Quay and lialwarra. so that the department, would Ke in a position to extend the railway yards, and thus relieve the congestion.

Wanganul Sympathetic.

Mr W A. Veitch, M.P., said that would support the agitation for the immediate construction of the retaining wall necessary in connection with reclamation operations. He pointed out that until the Department had more land lor extension purposes it could not linnrovc matters. That made the reclamation work all the more necessary ami urgent, and he hoped they would be able to convince the Minister that the work should ho. proceeded with at omo. After further discussion, the report wns adopted, and. the following iholhticn carried unanimously:- That a deputation wait on the Minister of Hailway; in reference to pushinpr on with Uie'retninin!: wall and reclamation for the railway yard in Wellington, and settinc up of a commisison of commor"nl men and experts to decide tho route of th» Rimutaka and Paekaknnki deviations." ■