NEW RAILWAY STATION FOR HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 144, 6 July 1937, Page 6

NEW RAILWAY STATION FOR HASTINGS

The first visit of the Hoh. D. G. Stillivan to Hastings in a ministerial eapacity can scarcely be described as being anything of a pleasure jaunt, for during his stay his tiine has been very fully occupied with the offidial bttsihess to' tvliich hb has devoted himself. Howevef \SrideIy ohe may differ from sbme of the eventual aims of our Labour Governmfent — espbcially with their ultimate broad purpose of socialising,. * that is, of reducing into State ownership hnd eontrdl "all meaiis of production, distribution and Cxchange ' '-^-and from sbitte df the feethods by which they seek to adliieve those erids, there canhbt but be admiratioh for the Well snstained zest, energy and vigour which the iiidividual mefdbers of Cabinet have displayed in carryihg out their tashs. Since taking dffice tllfey have in no way spared tllemselves of per- ^ Sorial effort. Hbwever, so far As Mr. Sullivan is concerned, he is well qtialified tb Stand iip to the exactionS thus inade upoli his physibal and mehtal resbtlrces. As Cabinet Ministefs go, he is Still ybliiig, oiily in his 55th yeaf, and is Sefemirtgly hlessed with rohust health. He has also the advantage of having setved h long apprehticeship, as inemher Of Parliaifieiit for bibse bh a Score bf yeafB, aS a nieniber of the Cotificii bf his rihtive city and latterly as its Mayor. He is thtiS pretty well inured foi* the heavy demands which his miilistefial duties make npon hiin. Of the variouS questions to which he haS heen called upon to give Atterition here in Hastings, perhaps the oiie in Which the burgesses are fbr the mbment most generally interested iS* the prbvision bf a riew railway station for the toWn," a subject that has at varying intervals heen under consideration fbr soniethirtg like qudrter of a century. As fbr the iieed of more ample accbinnlbdation aiid improved equipment to cope with the contiiiually groWirig trade of the town and bf the highly productive adjacent cbutitry districts there can he no manner of dbuht. That this Will only be accentuated by the Government's policy of concentrating transport onto the railWayS goes Without saying. Thus it may be said with confidence that there is UO towri in the Dominion of like! Status where mohey can he better spent in the provision of station facilities. The progress of the town has been steady and solid, and everythiiig points to its continnance and at an accelerated speed. With all this the Minister has# we bblieve, heen I thbirotighly inlpressed, so that we shonld he able tb place every reliaiide upbii his promiSe that the qbestibn of providing a new station will have early and seriouS considefation bnce the location of the site for it is decided upon. With regard to the cost, it cannot he tbb bfteii Stressed that Hastings iS uniquely placed in having, by way bf a pracCtially privatfe ehdowment, a most valuable stretch bf btiSiness frontages in the heart of the town, being land Which was originally given for the laying ont of a railway statibh but no lbrig'er iieeded fbr that ptirpose. Rfom that endowinebt the Railway Department has for two-score years or moTe been deriving rental revenues which, capitalised at interest, Would probahly cover the expenditure now required, to say ribthing bf what niight now be gained by reftlisation of the frfeehold, taked, Wfe understaiid, at SbMbthitlg lifee £125,000. It may thus be said that, when the new station is instituted, it will have heen at virtually no cost to the Department or to the taxpayers of the country.