RAILWAY STOCKYARDS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 224, 16 May 1932, Page 4

RAILWAY STOCKYARDS

A request was recently made to the Railways Depart'ment by the Rotorua Borough Council that the railway stockyards at Rotorua be removed from their present site to one which would eliminate the nuisane at present caused by the necessity to drive stock practically into the heart of the town for transport by rail. The request was ref used and the council therefore rightly decided in the interests of public safety, to coniine the driving of stock through the borough, including to and from the railway station, to certain hours. At the last meeting of the council a letter was received from the general manager of railways, requesting that before the- hours are fixed, the matter be referred to him in order that it may be considered in relation to railway timetables. From the railways point of view, this is a perfectly legitimate attitude to take. The council is, however, not concerned with the railways point of view. Its responsibilities in the matter are the safety, conyeniencei and health oi the people of Rotorua and the thousands of tourists who visit the town. Its action in endeavouring to have the stockyards temoved from their present most unsuitable position beside the passenger station was thoroughly justified. t They should, of course, never have been placed in such a position in a tourist town. As, under present conditions, the refusal of the Department to remove them must be accepted, the council is doing the next best thing in proposing to restrict stock traffic tp hours which will cause the least inconvenience and create the minimum nuisance. In adopting a flfm attitude over the matter, therefore, the council wifl bave the unqualified support of the people of Rotorua.