THE PBIME MINISTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 36

THE PBIME MINISTER

AN INTERVIEW.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS. INCREASED POSTAL FACILITIES. THE RAILWAY "STATION SUB-WAY PROBLEM. ' The Right Hon. Sir J: G. Ward, Prime Minister, bad a busy day in Dunedin the 17th. From early morning until late at night he was fully occupied with public business and matters appertaining to his two portfolios. Sir Joseph, however, -very courteously spared time to accord an interview with a Daiiy Times reporter. THE POSTAL BUSINESS. "The growth ©f the postal and telegraph business," said Sir Joseph, in reply to a leading gußstion, "4hroughoufc the country still 00-ntinues in a satisfactory way, and in the large centres throughout the Dominion .the necessity has •arisen for additional postal facilities. For instance, in Dunedia it is well known that considerable improvements -were made in the present Chief Past Office not very long ago, and it is now a very satisfactory post office indeed for the purpose of carrying on the large business that is passing through this important centre. The same conditions, however, that have given rise to extensions in other centres have occuTred in Dunedin, -and to-day, among other matters that I gave attention to here, was the «eieoiing of a site for a sub-post office in the city. It is only a few weeks ago eince I carried -out a similar work in Auckland, and yesterday morning in Christchurch I also had the task to perform of looking out for^a Bite for a sub^post office there. We established one in Christchuroh in laehfield "street a few years ago, and t3i& necessity' foi a change has arisen and a fresh site is being arranged for. In Dunedin it, is intended to establish a SUB-POST OFFICE NORTH- OF THE OCTAGON in George street. A suitable site for that purpose will be selected in that locality. I may not indicate the exact spot, but the secretary -of thp visited Dunedin a. short time ago and reported to me upon the matter, . and I hope shortly after my to "Wellington to be able to arrange for the necessary site for this new -office. Wihen it is selected it will • .naturally offer very great facilities to those who- have ' now a considerable ■distance to go, either to the Chief Post Office or to Nortli Dunedin to transact their postal work, and it will be & considerable relief to -the main offioe in the matter of the 3ey spatch of mails' and from the city of DunecUn. The growth, as I say, of the postal work throughout the country is increasing very greatly, and the system of giving increased -facilities in the larger centres is necessary for the convenience of the public and also fox the purpose of distributing- the work from the large main offices. POST OFFICE VERANDAH UNNECES- • SARY. "Yes," said Sir Joseph, when the matter •of a verandah at the* Chief Post Office in Princes street was mentioned, "representations have been made concerning a verandah being erected at the Chief Post Office in Dunedin. That cannot be done, and it is not in the interests of Dunedin that it should be .done. The motive that has actuated Dunedin in applying for it is a laudable one — that is, to make provision for the people who are waiting for trams, — but it would in practice, from the point of view of those who require to use the Post Office — and they are very numerous — prove to be not only inconvenient, but detrimental. There are all classes frequently making use of the Post Office, whilst, as you know, there- is also a Post Office Savings Bank, and large sums of money, in comparatively small amounts, are every year deposited in and withdrawn from it. Old people and, indeed, infirm people, as well as young people, make frequent visits "to the Post Office for various purposes, and to expect them to have to work their way in wet weather through crowds of people under a verandah in front of the Post Office would be not only objectionable, but in my opinion most undesirable. It is one of the public institutions that .serves all classes in tb,e community, and should be, so far as its approaches are concerned, kept as free *as possible for those who have work to do at the 1 Post Office. I< am -quite satisfied in my own mind that no Postmaster-general would be doing his duty were he to ascent to any proposal of the" kind. It would be a very bad thing for a city such as Dunedin is not to have its post office in every way up-to-date, both inside and outside, and to make it a loitering place for those requiring to use the trams would be almost intolerable to the users of the Post Office. Apart, altogether from that, there is already excellent verandah accommodation at the Stock

Exchange block and also opposite to the tram terminus, which can be utilised in wet weather by those waiting for trams. The system of showing the destination of the cars in Dunedin is also such that a person waiting at any of these places mentioned -can easily see whan his cax is approaching- and get to it with a minimum of discomfort." DUNEDIN-MOSGIEL RAILWAY \ DUPLICATION. "In order to make myself familiar with what is being done," continued the Prime Minister, " I this morning, in <jompany with Mr F, W. Mac Lean (resident engineer) and Messrs J. F, Arnold, T. K. Sidey, and A. R. Barolay, M.P.*s, went over the Dunedin-Mosgiel railway duplication works. Of course, I knew previously, from departmental reports, the general position, but the work is one of such importance, and questions from time to time 1 arise in connection with it, that it is a considerable advantage ,to a responsible Minister to have the benefit of local kno-w-ledge and~ personal observation.. The work is necessarily of a very substantial character, -and, like all works .-carried oat -by the Railway Department, is being excellently done; and I cannot feel otherwise than pleased at the progress -that & being made, though possibly to those not fa-niliar with it it may appear -to be somewhat slow. The tunnel is expected to be finished in about 12 -months, and when this work is carried through, with the duplication of the lines, the large and growing business in -and out of the city of Dunedin -will be conducted -with much greater comfort and at much less ooßt to the Railway Department than has been possible in the past. , In fact, I may say that had the commencement of the work been delayed much longer, by the time it -was completed there would have been congestion at times and extreme difficulty in carrying out the business for which the railways exist— namely, the carriage of people and goods to and from the cities and the inland towns. When this duplication is all these troubles that arise from tramlines and vehicular traffic, as well as of pedestrians . upon the .streets that at present cross the railway at various* points, ,will have ceased entirely, and the improvement of the looa-i -traffic, apart from that over She railways, -will be such as I am sure will give the utmost satisfaction to the people of the city and suburbs, who are. so directly concerned." * , ELECTRO-PNEUMATIC INTER- ' LOCKING SYSTEM. " Subsequently," ,said Sir Joseph, -"in " company -with Mr MaeLean, I inspected the ' felectro-piteumatio interlocking system power-house, as well as fhe signal-box ■where the new system is to be operated. • -from- The whole matter was explained to me by Mr MaeLean and Mr CheesemanIt is one of the most up-to-date systems ' that oan be provided upon any railway service., and it is to be used permanently for traffic at Dunedin from and after Monday next. In -the matter of the maushalling of trains in the railway yard at Dunedin, it will ~ mean increased convenience, more economical working, and complete safety for the trains that are being handled. 1 " THE HARBOUR BOARD ENDOWMENTS." Last, but not of least importance, the Prime Minister mentioned the vexed question of communication between the city and the Harbour Board's endowments on the sea, side of the Railway Station* He said he -went over the jail-way yard with . the view of seeing the position for himself and of looking into the question of making provision for either an overhead bridge or a sub-way to give access from the city side of the station to the Harbour Board's lands on the other side. Sjr Joseph's conclusions on the subject were summed up in these word*: — "I fully recognise that some provision must be made, and the matter will receive consideration after Imy return to Wellington." 1 .