THE PASSENGER STATION SITE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 752, 7 September 1878, Page 2

THE PASSENGER STATION SITE.

'»'' ■- A deputation of about a dozsn ratepayers waited upon the members for the district (Messrs. Hislop and Shvimski) last evening, with a view to getting them to use their influence to prevent 'the site chosen for the passenger station being altered.

Mv. Wansbrough said the deputation wished to lay before the members their views upon the subject, and drew attention, to the resolution passed by the public meeting. Although that meeting had been noisy, it was tolerably unanimous upon the matter. The rowdiness of the meeting was owing to the Mayor, as Chairman, not attempting to keep order, but acting in a dual capacity. Not one of those who had been instrumental in getting np the meeting appeared to propose any resolution, and those who attended for the purpose of supporting the Gasworks site were taken aback. Ho argued that the site chosen by Mr. Conyers was the best, as there were no engineering difficulties in the way such as . JTild be met with at the.Lagoon. If the passenger station was near the Gasworks it wottfd be accessible from several streets, while, if the Lagoon site was chosen, it would be greatly confined. What the deputation desired was that the members should use their influence to prevent the Mayor, contrary to the wishes of a large, majority of the public, getting the site changed. The position of Mayor gave its holder a certain amount of influence, and as the Mayor had also been a member of Parliament he knew how the ropes were pulled, and seemed determined to use his influence and knowledge in order to thwart the wishes of a majority of the public. It was in order to counteract the effects of that influence and knowledge thai, they asked the assistance of the members of the House for the district. Mr. Amos said he had attended Mr. Conyers in his inspection of the several sites, and had come to the same conclusion as that gentleman, viz., that the site near the Gasworks was the propev one. If the Lagoon site was chocen it would be eighteen months or two years before the station could be erected, for, after reclamation, the land would take some time to subside, and even then it would be continually necessary to raise the rails. There would also be same awkward curves, which, from an engineering point of view, it was always necessary to avoid. The deputation strongly objected to the stand taken up after the public meeting by the Mayor, who had said at a meeting of the Harbor Board, that he would not recognise the resolutions passed by the meeting. He (the Mayor) had held out a bait of L3OQO of the ratepayers' money towards filling up the Lagoon, and had endeavored to persuade the Harbor Board to use its influence in order to induce Mr. Conyers to adopt the Lagoon site. A numerously signed memorial was shortly to be presented to Mr. Conyers in favor of his proposal, and the deputation wished the members to use their influence towards preventing a change in Mr. Conyers' views being brought about by the Mayor. Mr. Hislop said it would be better for the deputation to avoid reference to any differences which might exist between the deputation and the Mayor, and to confine themselves to giving such information as they .might think it expedient for the members to be placed in possession of. Mr. Shrimski 3aid he did not see any necessity for the members to interfere ; in fact, as the question was merely a departmental question it was out of thenpower to do anything. He felt sure that no influence which might be brought to bear upon him would induce Mr. Conyers to alter his views. He (Mr. Shrimski) viewed the proposal to use a portion of the Esplanade for the purpose of a railway station with some amount of jealousy, as it was a public reserve. Mr. Hilliker pointed out that already portions of the esplanade had been taken for other purposes, and that therefore the objections to using a part of it for a passenger station were greatly reduced. After some conversation upon the matter, the deputation withdrew.