King Country Chronicle Wednesday, January 27th, 1915 RAILWAY FACILITIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 740, 27 January 1915, Page 5

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, January 27th, 1915 RAILWAY FACILITIES.

The opening of the Kawa bridge, over the Waipa river, will give the settlers an excellent opportunity of bringing before the Minister of Rail-

ways the urgent necessity of increasing the facilities at the railway station. The matter i 3 of extreme

importance to the settlers, and the early accomplishment of such a necessary work will be tha means of saving much trouble and expense to the settlers. The rapid progress of the district, due to the efforts of the settlers, has already rendered it imperative that additional facilities should be provided at the station, and the opening of the bridge over the Waipa will increase the traffic to a-very large extent. That Kawa is .destined to become an important ' centre on the line has long been the opinion of those acquainted with the potentialities of the district Which it serves. The establishing of the Government reformatory on the east and the erection of the bridge on the Jfl-est of the railway are two important factors in the increasa of railway business, and each year must see a considerable swelling of the volume of traffic. Similar conditions exist in many King Country districts, and it is undoubtedly the duty of the Department to keep pace with the growing requirements of settlement. A co mP«hensive and costly scheme of railway improvements is in the air at resent, but this is more in the Lection of improving the established fler vice of the large centres than cf providing the initial requirements Lential to the progress of new dis-f-"tB It iB to be hoped the settlers *m lose no opportunity of urging 2 claims of the growing centres, Z »•* every efforfc to keep l e Strict in the van of progress an the pomtaioß* .. ~.;.;....: , ,_^_^____^_

Repotting to the Minister for Internal Affairß on the position in regard to the Dunedin Central election, Mr J. W. Salmond, Solicitor-General, expresses the opinion that the Govemor-in-Council has power to validate an election which, as regards all the candidates, has been invalidated by some irregularity, but has no power to declare that a candidate who has been validly elected, has not been elected, and to confer the seat upon a rival candidate. The power of validation extends to the election as a whole, not to the respective rights of rival candidates as between such candidates. Tfie only euthority which can determine their rightri ib the Election Court, and there is no place for the exercise of discretionary, executive power.

We are sorry to state that the Rev Mr Duthie, who has been officiating in the Congregational Church, terminates his ministry amongst us next Sunday. Mr Dulhie has made his mark even in the short time he has been in Te Kuiti, and will be missed by many. Mr Duthie is a missionary from India, and has been home on furlough and a much-needed rest. He haß.-done splendid work in the East, and great success has crowned his labours. The claims of the East again assert themselves in Mr Dutl ie*s mind, and he feels he must get back and labour on.

At a special meeting of the Te Kuiti Borough Council on Monday evening, the revised by-laws were considered. After the revised regulations had been fully considered the first instalment wag duly passed. A further meeting to consider the bylaws will be held on Monday evening next.

On Monday evening at a special meeting of the Te Kuiti Borough Council the resignation of Mr E. H. Bartley, electrical engineer to the Borough, was received. Mr Bartley stated he had decided! to accept the position of electrical engineer to th 9 New Plymouth tramways. The resignation was accepted with regret, appreciative reference to the services of Mr Bartley being made by several of the councillors.

The inqueßt on the victims of the Tatingamutu railway fatality was held on Monday. T- verdict returned vias that the was purely accidental and that no blame was attachable to anyone. It is considered that the cause of the accident was probably the falling out of a pin used in the coupling of the carriages, thus caching a connecting-bar called a '"stretch" to drop down and trip up one of the truckß, thereby derailing the others.

In regard to the proposed base hospital at Trentham, some doubt" has been expressed in Wellington as to whether, when it is erected, its maintenance will fall on the ratepayers. Questioned on the subject by a reporter, the Prime Minister sai.l the position was that the Medical Association has the matter in hand and contributions are being asked for. If, after the hospital has been erected and properly equipped there ars any funds remaining, thsse will be used towards the maintenance of the institution. If sufficient funds for that purpose are not forthcoming it is intended by the Defence authorities that the hospital shall be maintained out of the Defence vote, and that it shall not be in any way a burden on the local ratepayers.