RAILWAY DEVIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 214, 16 September 1901, Page 2

RAILWAY DEVIATION.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir, —I observe that the public meeting held in connection with the proposed deviation of the railway line has appo ; nted a deputation to go to Wellington to interview the Minister for Railways. The stumbling block to this is, I understand, the estimated cost, some £25,000, and the Minister does not feel incliced to ask for the amount in face of the sum already beiDg spent in reclamation at this station. The interest on this £25,000 at 4| per cent., which amounts to £1125 per annum, would most certainly be more jtbun covered by the saving to be effected in the running and making up of trains, such, for instance, as doing away with a second eDgine for the grades, sp-cial goods trains, hauling heavier loads, signalmen, fuel, wages, excessive weir and tear. Is this deviation" going to cost £25,000? I don't think so. I believe the Amount to be spent on the present reclamation work is £30,000. Compare this work with | the proposed deviation, and I feel sure you will easily patiefy yourself that it is not going to coat half £30,000. Assuming that it is to cost £25,000, is there nothing tg set against this ? What about the land upon which the present lice is laid ; could not this be sold, and what is it worth? Then I there is the iron girder bridge over ' Canington-road, cattle stops and crossings arid permanent way, all of which are valuable and can be used again. The Department has all the material available on the present. line which would be required for the new line, and it is only a question of taking up and putting down again. The cost to the Department would consist of formation for permanent way, removal of present line, removal of..bridge over Te Henui river, and compensation to land owners for some 25 chains. It ,mu3t, he borne in mind that in taking the line round the cliffs it "Would run nearly the whole v»ay through reservas. The Department hag a valuable section of land, about an acre, , near . Ljardet-street bridge, which is practically waste land. Why not sail this and obtain a cheaper and more convenient site, or, better still, put a Bcond storey over the proposed new station,, for the stationmaster's residence, as is , done in England. If the Minister favourably entertains this proposed deviation it might then ha suggested that the Smart-road station be removed to To Henui which would do awy with one stopping place and suit both Fitzroy and Te Henui residents. Another matter the. d< putation should look into is the plan of the proposed new railway station—will it be large enough for our requirements in ten yt-ari' time, and will the platform be long enough and sufficiently wide. It is always best and cheapest in the end to provide for possible requirements, Had the Department taken the advice s;iven them a year or two back, and looked ahead, the present state of chaos at this station would have been avoided,—l am, etc., Elector.