CROSSING MENACE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 148, 8 June 1935, Page 5

CROSSING MENACE

Elimination Urged DANGER TO HUMAN LIFE iUy Telegraph-Pifeae Association.) WELLINGTON, June 8. Taking up a suggestion by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the executive of the Associated Chambers ol Commerce of New Zealand, at its meeting yesterday, decided to urge on the Government that action be taken for the elimination of dangerous railway crossings. It was reported that the Auckland chamber had said there were a large number of level crossings in the vicinity of large cities which still proved a menace to human life. In a time of unemployment like the present, a systematic programme for the elimination of level crossings which were a menace to the public was worthy of careful consideration by the Railways Department and the Unemployment Board. The secretary of the association (Mr. A. O. Heany) reported that he had had a discussion, on the proposal with the general manager of the Railways Department (Mr. G. Mackley), who stated that the Railways Board was not unsympathetic, but the elimination of all the dangerous level crossings in New Zealand would mean a vast expenditure which the board was not prepared to enter into, especially when it was spending the taxpayers’ money. Mr. Mackley had pointed out, however, that the British Government had offered to contribute 75 per cent, of the cost of eliminating dangerous crossings, and already about a quarter of a million had been spent in that connection. The New Zealand Railways Board was prepared to consider bearing a reasonable share of the cost of eliminating dangerous crossings in the Dominion.

(The meeting resolved to take up the proposal of the Auckland chamber, and to make representations in favour of the Railways Board, the Unemployment Board and the Government collaborating on the subject.