THE RAILWAY SITE QUESTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5531, 18 December 1878, Page 2

THE RAILWAY SITE QUESTION.

A public meeting of the citizens was held in the large hall of the Athenaeum last evening, to consider the proposal of the Government to retain the present site at Pipitea Point as the permanent location of the railway terminus. At the commencement of the meeting, owing to the early hour for which it was called, there was not a very large attendance, but a quarter of an hour after proceedings had been commenced the room was tolerably full. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and read the requisition (containing 246 signatures, principally of business men) inviting him to call the meeting, and his answer thereto. He proceeded to say some blame had been cast upon his action in calling this meeting for the same evening as that for which the meeting to consider the Chinese question had been called ; and he wished to explain that the fact of the matter was that he could not get another room within a convenient period of time, and he had either to make the arrangement he had made, or else postpone the present meeting for at least a week. (Hear, hear.) He thought it was possible that the business in connection with the railway site might be got through before 8 o’clock, and he hoped that all would endeavor to assist toward that end, because he was pledged to commence the Chinese meeting at that hour. He had received a letter from Mr. Hunter, one of the members of the city, regretting that illness prevented his attendance, and another in similar terms from Mr. Krull, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Both gentlemen expressed sympathy witli the object of the meeting. (Applause.) Mr. T. Kennedy Macdonald then came forward and said : Mr. Mayor and fellowcitizens, —I have been asked to propose the first resolution, and in doing so, with the fact staring me in the face that others have to follow, and that the meeting must close by 8 o’clock, I shall not attempt to make a speech, nor is it necessary to do so, for I am sure that the resolution I have to submit is in entire harmony with your feelings. It must bo patent to all that the present railway terminus can only be regarded as of a temporary character—in fact, it has always been so regarded — because it is bo thoroughly unsuitable to the wants and requirements of the city ; and we shall be absolutely wanting in our duty to the city if we do not urge upon the Government, that as a purely local matter, hut of the greatest possible moment to the passenger trade of the city, it is absolutely necessary that the station, should be placed much nearer the centre of population. (Cheers.) I have no doubt from what I have heard to-day that if the deputation which I believe ia to be appointed to-night will only put before the Government fully and fairly the views of tho citizens, the Government will entertain proposals for a change, and either give a site where suggested, or else specially reclaim laud for the purpose of a railway station further out than the Lion Foundry. But however that maybe we must agitate in'this matter until we accomplish our purpose. (Applause.) There is nothing to be got from any Government without previous strong, agitation; and however much a Government may desire to see the citizens fairly treated, you cannot expect them to act unless you put forward in clear and unmistakeable terms what are your wishes. (Applause.) I hope the deputation will do this. (Cheers.) Without further wasting the time I will move, —That tho citizens of Wellington desire strongly to urge upon Government the absolute necessity of removing the site of the railway station to that portion of the reclamation nearest the Queen’s wharf, (Applause.) Sir, S. Brown: Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, —X have great pleasure in seconding the re-o-lution proposed by Mr. Macdonald. There ia no doubt that the question which we have this evening met to discuss is a very important one, perhaps more so than people might suppose at a first glance. The value of city property is involved to a large extent, and the results to flow from a settlement of this question tatiafaotorily would not only affect property in the immediate vicinity of the proposed new site; it is a question by which all city property will to some extent be affected, for it ia a wellknown axiom that if railways are not brought to the town the town will go to the railways. In the early days of railway enterprise no fact was more clearly ascertained than that. (Hear, hear.) I might mention the instance of Howe, The railway was allowed to terminate within some short distance of the place, and the result was that in three years a new town had sprung up around the railway station, and in the old town grass grew in the streets. T h re is another consideration. The situation of the railway station a considerable distance from the wharves will very materially increase the charges of the port. Carriage between the wharves and the railway station will become a heavy item which cannot fail to make itself felt in the operations of commerce. Nations or communities, like individuals, can only progress in mercantile matters by being able to successfully compete with their neighbors, and anything which will tend to overweight them in competition cannot fail to have a most depressing and damaging effect. (Applause.) I think in this matter that the mere present value of the reclaimed land should receive but slight consideration, at any rate should not be allowed for a moment to weigh against the great commercial interests at stake in the settlemeu of this question. Therefore I heartily second the resolution. (Applause.) The Hon. Mr. Gisborne, M H.E. : I will not detain the meeting long, as I know time is precious, I quite agree with the principle of the resolution, but I think there is one point to which tho attention of the Government should be specially directed. I hold as an incontrovertible principle that between the wharf and the centre of the business of the town and the railway terminus there should be the least possible difficulty of communication, because anything which interposes obstacles in the way of traffic of passengers or of goods between the business portion of tho town, or between the wharf and the terminus of the railway system, merely adds so much to the coat of imports to the consumer aud deprives the producer of so much of the value of the exports—ia fact, it Is so much taken out of the pockets of the inhabitants of tho country. (Applause.) But there is this difficulty : In asking the Government to remove the railway-station altogether to a central portion of the town you thereby ask the Government to provide in a central position in tho town land sufficient not only tor the passenger traffic, but also for the traffic of goods, and that I believe would involve such a largo extent of land that it would be almost impossible to satisfy the requirements of the resolution. I think it may be met in this way—that there should be a railway terminus for passengers in a central portion of the town, either on land already reclaimed or laud to be reclaimed, in the vicinity of the Post Office, Telegraph Station, and Custom House, aud also that there should be a goods station, which (wherever it is situated, whether it is at Pipitea or whether it is nearer the central business part of the town,) should be connected with the wharf by a special line of railway. (Hear, hear.) In that way you will bring the wharf into immediate communication with the railway terminus for the traffic of goods, you will also have a passenger railway terminus in a central portion of the city, aud the difficulty tu which I fir.-t alluded to will have been got rid of. (Hear, hear.) The large quantity of valuable land which must necessarily betaken up if the two stations were put together would not be required. (Applause.) X do not object to tho resolution, but I hope the deputation which I understand is to submit the views of this meeting to the Government will point out this mode of obviating the difficulty in connection with tho supposed necessity for the reservation of a large quantity of land in the middle of tho town, I believe the system I suggest has answered very well in largo seaports in England, aud I do not see why It should not answer here. In Liverpool, for instance, there is ft passenger station in the centre of the cityj and all goods go direct to the wharf, so that while the commercial and producing interests arc conserved by a direct line of railway In connection with the shipping, the convenience of the travelling public is also consulted by having a station in a more central position, I make these remarks in order to meet the difficulty which may be suggested as to the expense of reserving a sufficiently large area to meet the terms of tho resolution. Mr. T. W, Pilcher : I should like to move an amendment to tho effect that instead of the railway station being placed near Mills foundry it should be placed in Diver-street, that is, nearly opposite Mulgravc-street. It is useless to suppose that the station can be placed near Mills' foundry. It would occupy a very large piece of ground,, aud tho result would be that or five streets would bo blocked up, including the much-needed extension of Featherston-street. It would cover at once at least fourteen acres, and when the projected Hutt-Waikanao lino is complete, aud the present lino further extended, it would require forty or fifty acres to give sufficient accommodation for the station,

So that the land nt-ar Mills' foundry would ho quite useless. The land lower down would bo much more suitable. , Mr. W. T. L. Tn.VTF.fls ; It -would be far better, I think, instead of this meeting pointing out any particular spot on which the station should be placed, that the resolution should simply deal with the question in general terms, and ask the Government to place the railway station in a position of a central character relatively to the city as a whole. I would submit it is not convenient for a public meeting of this kind to fix the particular position in which the station should be placed, whereas it is convenient and proper that such a meeting as this should ask the G vemment to place the railway station in such a position ns to make it re tdily accessible to the largo number of persons likely to travel on the lino, either citizens or persons about to visit the city. Whether the spot referred to would be a proper spot for the of a passenger station is a very simple quedioufor inquiry by the Government, and should not be of so much importance to the meeting as the question of getting the station in a more central position than it now occupies. 1 take it th it is all wo have to deal with, and that weshoul' leave it to tho Government to select the par ticular site, rather than attempt to point out one, a course which would afford the Government, or any who perhaps may bo interested in opposing the rerpoval of the station, im opportunity of showing that tho particular site chosen would not be one of an advantageous character, taking the whole matter into consideration. If it were pressed upon the Government to place tho station in a more central position, and left to them to decide what that central position should be, if at all inclined to move it, all that would completly meet the necessities of the case. The great bulk of the population is at To Aro, and beyond question tho present station is absurdly remote from that end of tho town. That could bo impressed upon the Government with tho greatest earnestness, but further than that we should not go. The Government must be left to decide which is the most convenient and suitable spot for the purposes of the traffic. That is the course I suggest. (Applause.) The motion was then put, and declared to be carried, with only two dissentient voices. Mr. J. H. WALLACE ; I have great pleasure in proposing the next resolution, the object of which is to appoint a deputation to wait upon the Government to express the views of this meeting. X quite agree with what fell from Mr. Travers in the few remarks he made, and I am sure the deputation will be able to point out all these matters and discuss the whole matter with Ministers. Citizens must regret greatly that the reclaimed land has passed out of their control, for if it had not been for that unfortunate occurrence we should have been able to make onr own arrangements for the Convenience of the public. It is certainly very important that the station should be placed in a central posi ion, and no doubt when the Government find there is such a strong feeling abroad in reference to the subject, they will give effect t» the wishes of the people. I have to propose,—That a deputation consisting of the following gentlemen not with the Corporation and wait upon tho Government with a copy of the foregoing resolution; —His Worship the Mayor, Hon. Kandell Johnson, Messrs. Hunter, Bartou, Walter Johnston, M.H.R.’s, Messrs. Travers, Levin, Mclntyre, Dr. Newman, Messrs. Macdonald, S. Brown, Dawson, Nathan, Harcourt, Gardner, and the mover. (Applause.) A Voice: Did yon say Barton ? (Alaugh.) Mr. Wallace : I said the city members, sir. (A laugh.) A Voice ; Ob, sold again. (Renewed laughter.) Mr. Gabdsee : I have much pleasure in seconding the resolution. Daring the past week plans have been issued showing the portions of the reclaimed land which it is proposed to sell and those which are to be reserved for various purposes, but no reserve is made to enable tho railway to he carried into the centre of the city. Now it no reserve is made it will simply involve the re-purchase of portions of this land at great cost, and tie object of this meeting, as I take_ it, is simply, if possible, to arrest the sale, in the interest of the city. Various schemes have been suggested by the speakers to-night, and by the morning and evening papers. Whether these are good or had time will determine, but in the meantime we must bring pressure to bear to have the station removed from its present site, and afterwards discuss which is the most feasible scheme. It is said the Government propose eventually to have a fresh special reclamation, or carry the line right out to the wharf. No doubt that would be a great_ convenience, and probably the Government intend well, hut there is no knowing how long this or any Government may stand, and it is desirable to have something done at once on the land that is reclaimed. The motion was carried unanimously, and a vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the proceedings at 8 o'clock.