Ashurst Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 18, 11 August 1891, Page 3

Ashurst Notes

[OUE OWN CORRESPONDENT."] The goods traffic at our station is increasing very rapidly, we hope in the course of a few months the railway authorities will recognise the fact that we ought to liave~a station' master. I am - told by those who are in a position to know, there are many stations on the New Zealand Eailways that have a station master, where there is hot so much traffic as at Ashurst. There are now three sawmills in the vicinity. The timber does 'not all go away by rail; but a good deal of it does. This week, , for instance, the platform is piled up with about 3 loads waiting for* track ;, and some has remained on a waggon 3 days because no timber truck was available. Four truck loads of timber and bricks were sent away by Saturday morning train. There should have beep 3 truck 3 put in for loading but there were none. If we "had a. resident station master, trucks «ould be telegraphed for when required. Two trucks of perishable goods were consigned to Ashurst; no one to look after them — things have been stolen from the goods shed, which is always open to passers by. '-The platform for loading and unloading is 'only large enough for one waggon to draw, up. at a time. These things are> forcing themselves upon our. Attention more i and :inore: : as : we see the -traffic increasing^ In the natural order of things it must-increase, when our large area 'of back .country is taken into consideration. . There is ; a chepk at present upon the opening tip' of the Pohangina--country^- by the jf land benig withdrawn from' the- Small: "Farm Association who wished to take it up, but that cannot last long.-. "With the commg : spfmg we ought ~to move in .the^matter . and petition the powers that be; to attend to, our requirements. I have, no doubt, with the appointment of a stationinaster, would come the removal of.?ithe;;Post office and Telegraph. At HaJcombe: station I believe 'the stationmaster attends to his platform ■and the Post office as well. I am informed, that the signatures of those favourable, to a separation of the Pohangina district; from the Kiwiiea Road Board, are being 'obtained. A gentleman is making. the round af the district. H>; has a wide extent of -country to travel oyer. .... .■•';■"