The Pukekohe and Waiuku Times WEDNESDAY, 14 AUGUST, 1912. THE RAILWAY STATION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 23, 14 August 1912, Page 2

The Pukekohe and Waiuku Times WEDNESDAY, 14 AUGUST, 1912.

THE RAILWAY STATION.

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."

■♦ 1\ another columu wo priat the text of n letter sent to the Prime Minister by the Mayor of Pukekoho rolativo to the railway station in this town. We aro afraid thnt the townspeople aro not sulficioutly alive'to the danger of the old station being shifted to the new sito. This attitudo is not due to any uncertainty as to the utter unwisdom of the continued use of the present station buildings; it seems to have i arisen from an assurance that now ] that Mr Massey is in power he will [ see that justice is done to this end of I his constituency. When Mr Massey j was not in a position of Ministerial i responsibility ho oxpressed himself very strongly as to the inadequacy and general unfitness of tho station ; and tho people of this borough and surrounding districts seem to have been contentedly resting upon tho assumption that what Mr Massey implied he would do if he had tho power will of a certainty be done now. There is peril in that assumption. It is possible that tho circumstances may present themselves in a different light now that Mr Massey's Ministry has to face tho financial obligations immediately attaching to tho erection of a now station. Of courso it would be loss expensive to shift the old shod (we can hardly dignify it by a better title) to the new site, but we again suggest that it would be vory bad business indeed to do so. Tho money that this shifting would cost would represent a dead loss ultimately, because in a very little time a new station will become an imperative necessity if public convenience is to bo served at all. We have already pointed out that the station stalf is quit" inadequately housed, that the building is vormin laden, that tho accommodation at the parcels couuter is so wretchedly small as to make tho transaction of business there a misery, and thnt the waiting room is a grotesque apology. It may be financially inconvenient to build tho now station now, but to face any such inconvenience to-day will be to save a good doal of money in the long run. In viow of tho remarkable increase in goods and passenger traffic that has takon place during tho past tkioo years, and of tho certainty that this rapid commercial expansion will continue, thore is overy justification for ; the erection of a structure to meet the inevitable requirements of tho near future. It is precisely because it is a "question of financo" that we urge the Government to deal boldly with tho position. Keally, tho intentions of Mr Massey's predecessors in office were lamentably penny wise, and we sincerely hope that tho proper and businesslike courso will be taken now. We aro not concerning ourselves about tho engineering decision as to the actual site of the building. Wo want

to see tlio people of this district put aside tlio things upon which they arc not in unanimous agreement and to tight for tlio principle upon which they no uuunimously agroo. Thoy are quite agreed upon tlio need for u now station and should unitedly strive for thut. The erection of an up-to-date station is not prompted by a vain desire; it is justified by the business already being done and is rendered cpaito necessary by the further production and development immediately in sight. The people of the whole, of this importaut district will be seriously disappointed if the Government fails to provide them with the railway facilities to which they are undoubtedly entitled.