Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1897. Gravel by Rail.

Manawatu Herald, 9 March 1897, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1897. Gravel by Rail.

• — ♦ — = — - If the investigations by the Mayor and members of the Public Works Committee do not result in the purchase of a gravel pit at Palmerston; their efforts will dot have been thrown away, as it will have let in a little knowledge both to the public, who Want gravel, as well, apparently, to the managers of our local railway. For years both the Borough Council and the Manawatu County Council have desired to purchase gravel from the railway pit at Palmerston North, but; the stereotyped veply has been that their requests omnot be complied with as the railway had hardly sufficient gravel for their own requirements. This is a statement of, perhaps, a fact, as viewed in the Departmental light. It is exceedingly probable that the actual area of the pit owned by the railway is only sufficient for the railway requirements, but the way the statement ; has been made has led the public , bodies to suppose that near the pro- , sent railway pit no further area of ; gravel was to be obtained, as, otherL wise, the railway authorities doubting the lastinor of their present 1 supply would have taken steps by the purchase of adjoining properties to - have secured it. When the Mayor - raised the question of getting PaU [ merston gravel the sanle old theory . of the supply being short was raised, 1 but when he and Cr Hennessy visited the locality they had offered to them, and have still under offer, an area of , land adjoining the railway pit, which ! has a face of twenty feet of gravel t Thus the inability of the department being able to secure a further supply is at once upset, and the fact that similar quantities of gravel already L used on the railway is still obtainable, and workable by the sidings already leading into the pit. It is just one of tho=e things " that no fellah can understand "' as Lord . Dundreary would have said, why the railway authorities should throw any obstacle in selling and hauling gravel , for the local bodies— they do nothing , which does not pay them, and they do not urge that their prices are not payable ones, but the excuse is, there is a shortage of metal. Why some ■ one could not have ascertained that this further supply of metal existed, is unexplainable, we must therefore suppose that the railway is paying well enough and therefore it is unnecessary to open up further revenue producing works. The difference between the railway supplying gravel, to its only hauling gravel from the pit belonging to a local body, is of great difference to the local body, but not bo to the railway. In the first place the local body has to go to the outlay for the purchase of a pit, which is out of proportion to its need for gravel for present uses, it would have to go to the expense of putting in a siding, simply for its yearly requirements, and it would have to make all arrangement?, at a distance with hands to fill the trucks just; when it suited the department to carry it. On the other hand by the department purchasing an acre or so, they are able at onoe to secure a demand for it from many local bodies, the men employed in their service at the railway pit could load, and at the times most suitable for haulage, without logs of time, and as the gravel would- be the property of tbe department, the whole face of the pit could be utilised with out making unnecessary and expen sive sidings. The local bodies deserve the consideration of the department and thus the purchase of an extra area for the Palmerston pit would be a wise and appreciated step, which we trust will promptly be considered, thus saving our local bodies a large and unnecessary expenditure. We think this point should be impressed upon the Minister for Railways by both our local bodies who want gravel to get their roads in order, and properly put, now they are in a position to assure the railway of a secure position as to gravel for all requirements, i 3 likely to be favournby considered.