WELLINGTON'S NEEDS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 71, 17 December 1920, Page 7

WELLINGTON'S NEEDS

RAILWAY STATION AND RECLAMATION -THE WAIRARAPA DEVIATION' i ■>> . . ... .. ■ MINISTERS ASKED FOR DECISIONS "A largo deputation, organised by the Central Progress League, interviewed trip : Prime Minister (Mr. Massey) and the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Coates) yesterday morning to ask that Wellington's rienv railway station and -yards *hould bo put in hand and/that the Rimutaka. and Paekakariki deviations should bo undertaken. Dr. Ai, K. Newman, M:P., -introduced the' deputation, and the'othfer members of Parliament present were-Messrs. J. P. Luke, W. H. Field, R. A, Wright, G. R. Sykes, and "K. A. Atmore-Apologies were received from Messrs G, Mitchell, M.P., A..,D. M'LeOd, M.P.. and H, P. Hudson, M.P., Mr. J. G; Harknesa, chairman of tho Harbour Board, and Mr.C. M.LultOi president of the Cbntral Progress League, ■were present, as well as,.other members of the league l . . . Dr. Newman said that the deputation was very muoh in .earnest in.asking that ths Government should proceed at once to sectlo tho routo of the Rimutaka deviation. Tho Minister of Public Works had said that ho,would set up a commission for this purpose, and the deputation asked that the question of route should be settled \|inally before the next session of Parliament.- Then it asked also tltat tho Thorndon reclamation,, necessary in connection with the improvement of the railway, facilities at Wcdlington, should be put in hand. >This work had been delayed for a very long time; Them were about 2000 mon employed on railway works at present, and not one of them •was in Wellington province. Mr. Massey: What railways would you like built?

Dr. Newman: The Wairarapa deviation principally. I regard this as a. most urgent work, Dr. Newman mentioned also the Paekakariki deviation.

I THORNDON RECLAMATION. • MrJ.P.'Luke, Mayorof Wellington, 6aid that two years ago the Railway Department, the Harbour Board, and tltt City Council had come to a fixed conclusion regarding the reclamation work and the site of the retaining wall. It was true that since then some now' conditions had arisen, and tho decision had required to be revised. Thei city wished to assist the Railway Department, and the City Council haa abandoned n.good many of its privileges .in order to get a settlement. The Railway Department and, the ±l«r hour Board had decided to increase the amount of tho reclamation. Ho would not urge that the retaining wall should' be undertaken at present, because -hli believed that the shortage of cement was an obstaol'e, but delay in the erection of the, wall need not- prevent the- remodelling of. the railway yard and the erection of the' new station. - Both these works were highly important to the city of Welling— ton. The City Council had done all that it could do to expedite''matters and wns prepared to proceed at once with its share of tib work, / Mr. Luke agreed also as to the. importance of the deviations. Wellington ought to know quicklyi whether or. not the Himutaka deviation was going to involve the cwwtructio-n of a line through the Wainui Vallny. He 'believed that such a Jino would jeopardise the city's water supply. He believed that the Minister-'of Public Works would give •Wellington a fair deal, ■.- -. Mr. Coates: You are getting a fair ideal now. '■'■.. Mr. Harkness said that he wished to emphasise the magnitude eh well as the importance of the Thorndon reclamation. An'-area of at Jeast'-fiO-acres-was. to-bo; filled by'the Harbour Board, and a very valuable aeßet was to bo created. The work concerned -the wholk country.-. It would give vastly improved railway facilities at Wellington, and it would mate, possible the erection by the board of. coal'stages for the quick and economical handling of coali Tbje reclamation involved tie construction of a-long'cencrete wall, part of it where the water was from 30 to 40 feet deep, and the operations would Tequirb' a period of three, or four ■years, witli plenty of labour available. Pilling could proceed' simultaneously wTKi the construction of the wall. He did not think that the cement difficulty need delay thb'work, since the prices of ira'ported cement and local cement were coming closer together, and supplies could >e obtained from abroad. The Harbour Board had an expansive dredge, which had been practically idle for several year*. This <k'Mge could,have 'been sold for .£30,000 or .£40,000 -during the war. but the board had retained it, at a considerable cost, in order that the reclamation might be undertaken. The delay was very disappointing. RAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S CLAIMS. The Railway Department, added Mr. Harkness, had stated ' originally that it would require 30 acres of reclaimed land. The Harbour Board had. said that the full 60 acres ought to be reclaimed, in order to avoid extra expenditure later, and it had been willing to do the work and take the other'thirty acres. Now the' Railway Department declared that it wanted the whole sixty acres. Ho was not there to Taise any difficulty. The Department proposed- thai the Harbour Board should have the use of the reclaimed land 182 ft. Bin back from the. rdtaining wall. This arrangoment, with a 47ft. road, would, allow only 110 ft. for sheds and other purposes. Mr. Massey: Forty-seven feet for a road is hardly enough. , Mr. Harkness: "I am giving you the exact position, and explaining why we are complaining. We have agreed to this, under compulsion, but we are asking for more." Mr. Harkness added that the space proposed to be allowed the board would not be sufficient for the needs of the city ton years hence. But the board was- hot causing delay. It. was prepared to do tho work, the' cost to be allotted between the board and the department according to the allocation of the'reclaimed land. "The t>oard was ready T>ut it could not'make a start with the work until tho Government gave the word-

Mr. G. R. Sykes, M.P...urged that surveys for the Kimutnka deviation should be put in hand'at once, in order that the commission appointed to decide the routo should have full information before it.

Mr. W. H: Field, M.P., said that extra goods accommodation was more important than extra passenger accommodation at Wellington. But if the erection of the new railway stationV ns going to be delayed for many years, the Railway De..partment ought to arrange to bring the northern passengers to Lambton Station. He thought that there hail been "enough surveys of the Rimutaka'. deviation,' nnd that tho Government recognised the importance of both, the' deviations. Mr. C. M. Luke supported what the other speakers had say. He thought it most disappointing that all thcßO important works' were still being delayed. MR.. MASSEY'S REPLY." ; : : Mr. Massey, in reply, said that ho had Teceived a Teport regarding the reclamation from the Railway Department. It was as follows:— "This matter is now being dealt with, and the Department's engineers are at the present moment in conference with the.engineer of tho Harbqur Board. In undertaking a work-of this magnitude the plans must provide for tho requirements of- the city and the growth of the business for many years ahead. The original plans drawn up nnd.'published in theißailway statement ' of 1914 have since undergone revision, and fresh estimates wore drawn up. These estimates, owing to the advancing post of labour and material, are now out of date, and are under further revision. The total sum involved in the construction of this work. a« based upon the original estimate, was very large, and tho additions brought about by tho advances in prices since tihe war nnvo raised further and upecial problems. It is clearly of the frnst importance in the interests of economy that onoe a start is made the work shall be proseouted. with vigour and without interruption. To tibia..end **>* Tin—rliiiiiint must be wtfaflsl tt*S :

it has both the necessary labour and material; in sight. The problem of carrying on the 'traffic on i!ho area required by the new station will bo sufficiently serious in itself, and it is a first essentialthnt it shall not bo further complicated by delay from any causo. Tho present situation is anything but favourable for tho.supply of men or material. I havo been -inlormed officially that labour, such as'ireq'uired-for u work : of this sort, is scarcer in Wellington thanin any centre in tho Dominion. The Department's permaiiont staff for the carrying on of its regular' business has been below its establishment in 'Wellington ever since the war, whereas in Auckland and tho South Islnnd the shortage is relatively unimportant.. While the housing difficulty remains acute, it is, howover, quito oii't of the question to transfer labour from other centres. .This does not mean that it is not intended to go on with the Wellington station. The retaining wallwill take some time, and, until it is gone on with, mid t'ho reclamation is•well advanced, the space necessary for the new goods yard will not bo available, but there is a considerable amount of preparatory work that ivill-.be undertaken immediately tho preliminaries are settled by tho engineers." ABOUT DELAYS, Mr. Harkness remarked that no largo number of mon -would be required to put the reclamation ivork in hand. The number of men who could work on the retaining wall would bo limited. ■Mr. W. Stuart .Wilson Baid that reclamation had been completed in Auckland. > The ivork had been done by the Harbour Board by arrangement with the Government. A similar arrangement was desired in Wellington.

Mr. Massev: It! will come as quickly as we can make it. The Prime Minister, proceeding, said that several revisions of thei original scheme had been ' necessary. Tho engineers of the Railway Department and tho Harbour Board had lieen in conference for some time. The qnes'Hons under consideration could not be settled quickly. Dr.-Newman: It has been going on for years..: Wo want finality.

. Mr.- Massey: Rome was notl built in a day and neither can Wellington be bo built. I mil as anxious ns any man in this room to see the work' proceeding. The Prime Minister referred to tho shortage of cement, which was duo to the shortage of coal, and said that the posi-tion-in Oihis respect was improving. Ho assured tho deputation that there would be no waste of time ns far ns the Government was concerned in dealing with the Wellington • works.' Tho engineers • had got to reach a decision and' make their reports to tho Department and the board. When a decision had been reached, there would bo no delaT nhout getting to work. Mr. Wilson: Toil can make them come to a decision. You are head of the Government and you enn tell them to eomo to a decision quickly. Mr. Massey. I don't want them to make mistakes,

Mr. Hnrl.-ness: We hare Agreed to the Department's proposals. We don't think we have been fairlv treated, but we have hsreed. The only point under consideration by the engineers to-day is the point as between the Railway Department nnd the Cib" Council as to the compensation to bo paid. That dors rot affect, the process of tho retaining wall. Mr. J. P. Luke: Wo leave tho whole miration of comoensatiop in abeyance. I have i told the. Department that re are Drpparcd. to do that and not bo a disturbing influence. ' Mr. Mnssey: Werr well. We are beginning to" see a little daylight. THE DEVIATIONS. Turning to the miestion of the deviation, the Prime Minister said that the Paeknkariki deviation was more a miestion Of rond than of railway. .Tho Rimiitakn deviation had been under discussion for a quarter of a century. Ho was not eoing back on the promise that he had eiven to a very impressive Wairorapa deputation some months ago. Ho had promised that as «*>n oa possible » survey would be made, but unfprtiinaW*there,wn,s a shortage of, engineers. A 'commission to'decide the route had been suggested. Who would appoint the commission ? Mr. -- C. M.'Luke: The Government.-

Dr. Newman said he thought the districts "interested ought to be represented on the commission. He did not believe that new survevp were needed. Many surveys had been made at different times.

Mr. Massey added that suggestions on this point ought to go to the Minister of Public Works! whose duty was to dooide what was the best route and then ma'k"e a recommendation to Cabinet. A suggestion had been made by .xjen well aunlified to express an opinion that tha grade difficulty on the line oyer the Rimutakas could, be overcome by tlfa use of electric traction. He knew from his own experience that trains much heavier than the New Zealand trains went oyer steep grades on the Canadian-Paono railway, where electric traction had been developed to a considerable extent. That point would require to be considered by any tribunal appointed. The People of this country were keen about the development of .hydro-electric power. Mr Coates also replied brieffy. He said that he,.wanted the right thing done regarding the deviations. It was a question of cost and running charges, and his engineers were aware that he wished to have- definite reports regarding the' proposals. He did not know that surveys would - be necessary. He vould keep-in close touch with the members for tho districts interested nnd advise them of what was done.