DRURY

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 310, 14 September 1917, Page 2

DRURY

CENTRAL STATION SEQUEL SELECTING POST OFFICE SITE That tKo resentment occasioned ationg the residents of Runciman and the surrounding district, incidentally accompanied Ity friction with thi l neighbouring community of 1 >niry, as the result of the determination of the Railway Department to establish a central railway station situated nearly midway between and in plat:. l «.f the existing Drury and Runciman s-tations has given way to recognition that one well equipped station will hotter servo local re qiiiri-meutsthnn two inferior estah Ijslitnoitts c<f the kind was evidenced by the harmonious nature of a conference of the sottleis of Drury ml Runciman In Id in the Drury Public Hall \n*t Wednesday morning tit the instance of the Chief Postmaster of the district .Mr J. C Williamson) to discuss local postal conditions. The attendance numbered about 40, Mr J. Flanagan being voted to the chair. Mr Williamson explained that he was present that day to learn the wisl»os of the people as to a post

office site as a sequel to railway alterations. At present Drury and Runciman each bad a post office, the former being conducted in the railway station, but it did not necesiarilv follow that it should always be on the station. What he desired to learn from the meeting uas whether they would prefer one centrally situated post office or separate poet offices at Drury and Runciman and if the former what site would be most acceptable. Mr W. H. 0. Olasson (Drury) proposed that, in the opinion of the meeting, a central post office situated on or adjacent to the new railway station would be in the beet interests of the community generally. He stated that his re isons for Moving the resolution were in accordance with his views as regards the fetation. He regarded one good up-to-date station as more advantageous than two small statioaa and similarly one good up-to-date post office was to be preferred. With one central pott office they would be entitled to ask for the institution of a telephone bureau and some sort of mail delivery might also be arranged for. Mr Glassou went on to state that at the time of the station controversy it was pointed out that Drury and Runciman were two of the most backward places on the Rotorua line, such being due to the oat and dog feeling that had existed for they had always been fighting' one . another like Kilkenny oats (laughter) Now that they had combined their differences would be sunk and he looked forward to a township grow* ingupfrom the centre (applause). They would then have a Town Roard established and until that came about neither Drury nor Runciman would catch up to other places on the line. His own convenience would be best met by a K>st office being erected near the rury hall, but they had to consider the Runciman people and a x site at the railway station would therefore be fixe fairer thing.

Mr A. Perry fßunciman) seconded Mr Mark Ballard (Buncimau) supported the resolution and suggested that the post office should form part of the station buildings. Mr W. 0. Waugh (Drury] advised that in the interest of children a post office should be away from the railway line. Children, he said, were the biggest frequenters of poet offices since they went there for letters on their way back from school and they should not have to risk railway dangers. He favoured a site being selected on the Great South Road near the-DruryHall. In answer to a question, Mr Williamson stated that the Postal Department had no property of its own locally but were looking for a free sight if anyone would give it (laughter). Mr F. Ballard (Runciman) ei- » pressed doubts whether the Railway Department would sanction a po-t office on the station.

Mr Williamson stated that although he could not speak with authority he did not think the Bail* way Department would object to the post office being on the station if it was the wish of the people. Iff Williamson was understood to say that the post office would be conducted by its own staff and not by railway officials as now at Drury. Some discussion here took place as to the approach roads to the station being railway property and not always accessible to the public Dealing with that point the Chairman stated that the road for vehioular traffic to the station would be on the eastern side of the line both from the' Drurr and Runciman ends and would be railway property. The gates would therefore be shut after the last train of the day had gone There was, however, to be a footpath on the western side of the line leading from Drury to the station and that would never be closed and similarly a footpath on the eastern side of tho line would provide for pedestrians from the Great South road at Runciman. Mr Flanagan added that possibly the County Council in time would take over the traffic road from the Railway Department and it would then always be open. Mr Flanagan also mentioned that the Railway Depart- - ment's plans provided for a subway at the station for foot passengers from one side of the line to the other. . Mr W. Dixon (Runciman) favoured a station site as it would be unreasonable to ask Runciman people to go an extra half-mile to a post office on the Great South Road. As an amendment Mr Waugh proposed that the aire of the post office should be on the Great South Road as near as possible to the Uall. Puch a position, he said, w<«l t be midway between the Oreitnery and School and would thus be to everyone's conversance Mr G Brt-mner st co ded Mr Mark Ballard pointed out that suppliers had fini-died their budn*M at the. Creamery before 9 am, the hour at which the post •■fltoe would open and Mr Dixon c'aitn-d tint motors on the Great South Rotd would be ejuallv dangerous to children as nil way trains at the station Mr Glasson, njdying to tin discussion, remarked that child.en had been in the habit of getting the mails on Dniry *tati n and no accident had happened the r\ He again reminded tin nvMinj that they might to select a site th»t would Mlit Rnpciinan hs well as D.tiry p*ple.

On the amendment being put it was onlv supported by tlio pfiaMMT mid «ee -nde' and M.< Hrooks, and die original reso'ution wan then unanimously canit'd amidst appU'ie Th- rhaiimtrt living intimut d that. Mr Williams 1 would he willing to reply 'o qu >siio s relative to the eff cts of the a lopt on of t ie resolution niHpiiry w.is made as t«> tole phone and letter deliver/ pns-iKili-tie* Mr Williums >n, in re t ly, sa ; d that the Postal Department, was mi' t» give all possilde faciliti s to "he public and e.sp cially to the farming community He suggested that application should be made f>r a telephone bureau audthought that such was likely to be accedol to. The

question of delivery 1 of letters depended upon the amount of revenue end he doubted whether the reef ipts wen such as yet to warrant that Votes of thanks were pawed to Mr Williamson for his attendance and to the Chairman for presiding. Ob the invitation of the Chairman die plan) of the-, new railway station wen submitted by Mr D. T. Mcintosh, the District Engineer, who had arrived towards the close of the meeting, and were explained by that gentleman, the Railway Department's proposals finding favour with all present. THE NEW STATION

Operations are already brisk la the way of preliminary work for the erection of the new. central railway station which will be situated slight- , ly on the eastern side of the existing ' line, nearly half-way between the present Drury and Buociman ■ stations. The platform will be 500 ft in length with lines on either side of it and subways will form the ' approach thereto -on the eastern side from a traffic road and footpath and on the western side from footpath. The station buildings, as cow planned, will cover an area of 110 ft by 15ft. A goods shed, 96ft by 40ft, is to be constructed east of the platform. The existing level crossings on the Great South Bond at Bunciman and on the Waihothoe road adjacent to the Drury Hotel will be superseded by overhead bridges, each 25ft wide, and among other works necessitated by thet railway line operations will be a deviation of the course of the Hingaia stream south of the new staticaji -

As mentioned at last week's meeting of the Franklin County Council, public unformed, are to be utilised to provide the approach from Drury to tile Department's new traffic road on the eastern side of the line and also for the footpath from Drury on the opposite side of the line. In the latter case the course of the ~road is at present fenced across in a couple of places whilst in the former instance fences encroach. Application is being made by the County Council to the Railway Depaitment for the Department to bear half the cost of the necessary road construction work. It is interesting to mention that the new traffic ro»d (25ft wide) from Drury to the Great South road at Bunciman will be a little more than half a mile in length whereas the distance via the Great South road i&about one mile.