MINISTERIAL DEPUTATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 327, 14 June 1911, Page 3

MINISTERIAL DEPUTATIONS.

THK <;OUD,"> oiIED. A deputation representative of the business conmiuuitv waited on tlie Minister of Railways (Mr. ■!. Millar) at New Plymouth yesterday, and urged tl\e necessity for the enlargement of the railway goods shed to secure more rapid sorting and despatch of steamers' targoes.

Mr. C. E. Baker, president of the Tradesmen's Association, explained the purpose of the deputation, which was to represent to the Minister the inconvenience suffered by the business people of the district by the want of facilities at the railway station. It was no unusual thing, he said, for goods landed from steamers to bo kept for two, three, and sometimes four days before being delivered. Mr. Baker pointed out that this had been their experience for some considerable time past, and there was an instance of it now. Last Thursday the Rosamond discharged a cargo here, and some of the goods had not readied the local consignees yet. This caused great inconvenience and often loss to the business people. He wished to make it perfectly clear tliat they had 110 complaint to make concerning the staff, the members of which- always did their utmost to facilitate the despatch of goods. Mr. J. F. Hooker expressed the opinion that tne long narrow shed would always be inconvenient. A double shed—a floor on cither side of the line would simplify matters. Mr. E. Avery said that this congestion. usually took place when two or three steamers discharged at the harbor in the same day, or in two or three days. The Minister, in reply, said he regretted to hear that undue delays had taken place, and promised to have enquiry made as to their cause. But the Railway Department could not be expected to cope with abnormal trade. The Department woulu make provision for the 1 normal trade. The same trouble arose j in the wheat-growing districts, where the | Department was asked to supply a large ■ amount of rolling stock in the grain season for that seasonable trade, but such rolling stock would be lying idle tor many months in the year. The Railway Department did not intend to- erect goods sheds sufficient to cope with abnormal trade. The Department, however, recognised that further accommodation was required here, as another 70ft addition to the goods shed was being put in hand. They were anxious, of course, to provide every reasonable facility for the public who were their customers. As to the suggestion made regarding a double shed, he could not speak as an expert, but 1 would bring the matter before those officers who controlled the traffic. It was, of course, obvious that more slicd accommodation would be required as the result of the introduction of the new ] system of sending goods to certain stations only 011 certain days, for the Department would have to receive goods on days other than those days 011 which they were to lie despatched. lie was hot prepared to say what would be the better course to adopt, but would obtain an opinion from the Engineer-in-Chief. Concluding,- the Hon. Minister said that! he woulu do all he could to facilitate 1 railway business, provided the cost was not too great. Upon obtaining a reply 1 from his officers, he would forward a reply to Mr. Okey. Mr. Baker, in thanking the Minister for his courteous reception of the deputation, emphasised that the abnormal trade of to-day would be the ordinary trade of to-morrow, for tnere was no doubt of the expansion of trade here.

MOUNT EGMO.vT LINE. Mr. R. Wallath, speaking for himself and other settlers interested, asked the Minister whether he would allow the Mount Kgmont branch line, to carry timber traffic. He had written to the General Manager on this point, but the reply had been indefinite, Mr. "Ronayae writing that this line had been constructed for the purpose of carrying stone, and that he was not sure that other traffip could ■be permitted. The Minister made, it very clear that if timber traffic were offering he would ■"take it like a shot," upon being advised by his officers that it was practicable. Jle advised Mr. WallaCTi to forward a request to the Department for a certain number of trucks to be sent up the line for tnis purpose on some given date.

WORKERS' HOMES. The Minister received ft deputation from workers at the Breakwater requesting that the prison reserve at Moturoa should be made available as a site for .workers' homes.

The lion, gentleman received the request favorably, and promised to communicate with -the Minister of Justice with a view of having t.he control of the reserve transferred from his Department to the Workers' Homes Department. If this could be done, lie would (forthwith proceed with the erection of workers' homes as requested. TIIE OLD RAILWAY LINE.

A deputation from the Mew Plymouth Borough Council waited on the Minister in reference to the difficulty which Jias arisen in connection with the portion of Leach-street used for many years for the purposes of the railway line, but {abandoned upon the completion of the deviation.

Councillor Jns. Clarke headed the depution. and apologised for the absence of piis Worship the Mayor (Mr. G. Tisch), through illness. He had pleasure, how'.ever, on behalf of the burgesses, in welcoming the Hon. Mr. Millar to the town on his first visit, and trusted that they would see more of him in the future.

Mr. F. T. Befiringer, the town clerk, explained (lie position in regard to tlie street. Tie recalled that in 1875' the Government, without pa ying any compensation to the borough, constructed a railway line along the centre of Leach-street and fenced it in. The Department used this line until About four or five years ago, when (he deviation was made. In view of (lie fact that no compensation had been pa id for the street, the Council naturally expected that when the deviation was. effected the land would revert hack to the Council. The Railway Department aiso apparently thought so, too, for in 1000 the District Engineer, in replying to a letter from the town clerk, wrote:—"The portion of Leach and Iloh-son-street now occupied by the railway, the Department will be recommended to hand back to the Council." So far so good, but in 1009 a new factor arose, inasmuch as when the Department were selling the lands on the old line not required for railway purposes, a ratepayer affected drew the attention of the Council to the fact that the Department were putting up for auction the piece of land marked l; A'' on the plan, which had been purchased by the Department to give access to a portion of Leach-street. This land had been used as a street for many years, arid had by right of use become a public street. Oil making enquiries, the Council found the facts to be as stated, and on making representations, the Department waived their claim to this piece of land. Matters stood thus, until in May. 1010. the attention of the Council was drawn to tne fact tlut the land H the centre of Leach-street, originally the railway line, still remained vested

1 in the Department and required a proclamation to be made before vesting it in the borough. As no land can now be subdivided for the purposes of sale, unless it fronts a street lilJft wide, it would entail a great hardship 011 people owning property in this utreet if they were compelled to put back their frontages to such 11 large extent as would be necessary. i lie Council therefore applied to j the Department fer the proclamation, but were met with the reply that al- ' though no compensation was paid to the Council when the line was originally laid in Leaeh-street, tlie Department had purchased "A" and "D" to provide access to Leach street, street, and ilittt tlio proclamation would not be made until the Council paid the value of the land (.t'2os) or handed back to the Department the land in question. (September, 1010). At that time the Council were not in a position to hand back the land, for if they 4id a large sum of money would have been necessary to provide access to Leach-street. However, circumstances had since changed, and the Council had raised a loan for the formation of certain streets, Leach-street being amongst them, and the Council was now prepared to waive an/ rights they might have to the portions narked "A" and "D," provided the proclamation was issued vesting the other portions of Leach-street in the borough. The Council wrote to tne General Manager to this effect on May 18 last, but so far had not received any reply. Leach-street was in an exceedingly bad condition, and it was a matter of urgency that the work of forming and metalling should be proceeded with at once. Nothing, however, could be done until the Department agreed to issue the proclariiation, and the deputation trusted that the Minister would see his way to have the proclamation issued as soon as possible so that the work could be gone on with. The Hon. Millar, replying, thanked the Council for its welcome to the borough, and regretted the illness of the Mayoi, expressing the hope that his indisposition would be only temporary, and that he would soon be able to resume his Mayoral duties with his customary vigor. Referring to the matter brought under his notice, he said he was familiar with the circumstances up to a certain point, but the Council's letter of May IS last had not yet been brought before him. Whilst making it clear that the Railway Department would not give away any land to any local body, he said that he had 110 desire to adopt a dog-in-the manger policy, and if he found the land was unlikely to he of use for railway purposes he would not stand in the way of a local authority which desired to make a proper road. He would make full enquiry upon his return to Wellington.

Later in the afternoon the Minister visited the street, and confirmed his previously stated intention of assisting the Council.

THH WAIWAKAIHO WEIR. Messrs. E. Griffiths and F. Jackson, representing th<% Fitzroy Town Board, brought under the notice of the Minister the fact that the constant removal of stones from the Waiwakaiho river was so lowering the river-bed as to endanger the weir recently constructed by the Hoard and the Taranaki County Council, this weir protecting'the Waiwakaiho traffic bridge foundations from scour. They pointed out that the railway bridge was only a few chains higher up stream, and that what affected one bridge might affect tne other. In the event of the weir collapsing as the result of this lowering of the river-bed, the county bridge would be imperilled. The County Council had erected a notice board foroidding the removal of stone from the river-bod within fifty yards of the weir, but the deputation represented that this distance was insufficient. They suggested an amendment of the Act—they wore not clear which Act —to make the position more satisfactory.

The Minister said he was not familiar with the legislation on the point, and recommended the deputation to have this matter brought under the notice of the Counties' Conference by the County Council. They would see the impossibility of altering a general law to meet this one specific case, but if it were found, after discussion at the Counties' Conference, tlmt the distance provided was insufficient, representations could be made to the Government.