TRADE GROWTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1920, Page 5

TRADE GROWTH.

EXPANSION OF TARANAKI. BETTER TRAIN FACILITIES. ! MANAGER TO yiSIT DISTRICT. i (By Wire.—Parliamentary Reporter.) ' 'Wellington, Last NightA deputation consisting of Mr. T, C. List (acting-President of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. P. E. Stainton (president of the Taranaki Employers' Association), waited upon Mr. McVilly (General Manager of Railways) to-day in connection with matters relating to an improvement of the railway services of Taranaki. They were accompanied and introduced by Messrs. S. G. Smith and R. Masters, i-M.P.'s Mr. List referred first to the excessive charges between the port and the town, quoting figures to show they were double those of other port railways on a mileage basis, and he touched upon the inadequacy of the goodshed accommodation, and of the facilities for handling and dispatching goods- The trade of the port was increasing rapidly. Big ships were coming in from England, America, Australfy, and the phophate islands, and there was every reason to believe that, with the developments taking ;,lace in the province, the railways \voiild be called upon soon to deal with considerable increased trade. Mr. List understood, the railway authorities were contemplating extensive improvements at New Plymouth, but he pointed out that the trade had already outgrown the present accommodation and facilities, and it was imperative that something must be done soon to provide relief. If goods sheds were erected at the breakwater as was contemplated, there would be a necessity for extensions to the sheds in town to meet the normal growth of the trade of the town and district. The facilities for handling goods in the sheds were very primitive, and the wonder was that the men engaged did so well as they did.

TRAIN SERVICE CONDEMNED. An improved train service for Taranaki was next touched upon. "It is nothing short of scandalous that Taranaki, admittedly the most prosperous and enterprising district in the Dominion, is no better off now in regard to train serv'.ces than it was 20 years ago," said Mr. List. Really the only! passenger train service in the province was the mail; the others were apologies. The time had come for the separation of passenger traffic from goods traffic. Taranaki also felt that the time had come when the mail train to Wellington should be speeded up, which could be done by cutting out minor stopping places, and other trains could be rearranged *to pick up passengers. The service was a poor one, in point of comfprt and convenience, compared with the Main Trunk and the southern services. The speaker laid particular stress on the lack of heating in winter time. Mr. Stainton endorsed the remarks of the previous speaker.' He said the convenience of the community was being greatly handicapped by the lack of facilities at the goods shed in New Plymouth, and the consequent delay that occurred in despatching goods. Things were bad enough now, but with great developments taking place at the port they would be quite impossible unless the railway authorities took immediate action to provide relief. Mr. Masters said he could bear out (he statements regarding delay in the distribution of goods, for his district was often greatly inconvenienced thorebv.

NECESSITY RECOGNISED. Mr. McVilly said he regretted that through forces and circumstances he had been unable to visit New Plymouth before, but he hoped to do so shortly. Mr. Smith had been indefatigable in his efforts to get him to go up, and also in representing the needs of the town and district. In regard to railway matters, he realised with them that' improvements and extensions were required to deal with the rapid growth of the trade in New Plymouth and the Taranaki district generally. In the past they had planned for what they coisidercd would be New Plymouth's requirements for years ahead", but the development had exceeded all anticipations, and consequently they found they had not the necessary aceommodation or facilities to meet the present needs. They had now, however,- plans prepared for New Plymouth and for Taranaki to meet, he hoped, the requirements of the next twenty or thirty years. The port had a great future before it generally. He quite realised that something must be done at once to meet the growing trade, and he promised that pxtra accommodation and facilities wonld be provided as soon as the requisite labor and jnaterials were available. Money was not the difficulty; it was available, but there was a real difficulty in getting labor and materials. His department could find employment fo- 2500 men. Still, New Plymouth's needs were urgent, and he promised to push on with the extension work. So far as the breakwater charges were concerned, they had to bear in mind that the haulage rate included the cost of loading and unloading. Mr. Stainton: But the same would apply to other port charges quoted." MAIL TRAIN DIFFICULTY. Mr. McVilly proceeded to say he would look into these charges as soon as possible, and see what could be done. In regard to the general train services, he said the department frankly admitted there was considerable room for improvement. They had to bear in mind, however, the difficulties under which the department was working. The big railway development scheme submitted in 1914 had to be suspended because of the war, and now they were confronted with a coal shortage which gave the department grave concern. He recognised the need for speeding up the mail train. That could be done by cutting out many of the minor stopping places. But, he asked, what did they find? Take Taranaki years ago. Strong representations were made to have the mail train stop at various small places. The department realised that to grant these requirements would delay the through traffic, and they resisted the clamor, but eventually the pressure used was so great that they were forced to give way, and five more stoppages were included. Later on, the ; very same people, when they saw the effect, approached the department to, ihave these places cut out, but the depa&nienfr conild not oscillate from one ;p§Biry to another like that, and so the jSfoppogfs remained.

train, then your people must first agree to cut out these stoppages," continued Mr. McVilly, "and support the department, and not get out your guns and lire away at us afterwards." He already had two officers investigating tho train services with a view to Improvement in the direction desired by the deputation, and when the report was received he could tell them what could be done for the New Plymouth-Welling-ton mail train. So far as heating the carriages was concerned, the shortage of coal was responsible for the withdrawal of the feet warmers, hut he hoped to be able to have the carriages on the New Plymouth train affixed with steam heating by next winter. In response to representations made ;by the delegates, Mr. McVilly consented to visit New Plymouth and Stratford next, or the following week-end.