A RUMOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 2998, 22 September 1908, Page 5

A RUMOUR.

b OF INTEREST 10 MASTERTON. r ARE WE TO HAVE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS? AN AFFIRMATIVE REPORT. SITE ON UPPER PLAIN SUGGESTED. A rumour of an almost sensational character, so iar as Masterton is ' concerned—and in possibly other places—had a certtin amount of currency in the town yesterday, it being reported that the Government were seriously considering a proposal to " establish railway workshops on the Upper Plain, adjacent to the railway line. As is usual with such momentous reports, the local source of the information was fnot ascertainable, in spite of the diligent enquiries of a Wairarapa Age reporter, although it may be said that the rumour seemed to the pressman to have had a pretty authentic origin, judging by some remarks heard in the course of investigations. "J TdE STATIONMASTER'S OPINION. Mr Hill, stationmaster at Masterton, who was approached, said he heard nothing of the matter—in fact, it came as a great surprise to him to hear of such a project, mooted. He thought it hardly likely that the Government would establish a works depot at Masterton, as though it might be advantageous in sooie re- v spects, the question of eentrality might prejudice Masterton's chance of getting works established here, v Mr Hill himself had hearJ nothing about the matter officially or otherwise. / THEORIES ADVANCED.—REMOVAL OF PETONE PLANT. Other persons approached supplied a theory for the basis of the rumour, ' and the position seems to be that the - Government are probably seriously entertaining the idea of abolishing, the Petone Workshops and establishing a new depot where a much greater area ot land is available at a reasonable price, where the fast increasing demands for more rolling stock may be met by a more extensive works. The higu price ot* land in the vicinity of the Petone Workshops no doubt precludes any very ■ great expansion of the workshops, there, and in many ways ihe position of Petone , is not altogether suitable for a distributing point and general working centre. ACQUIRING THE MANAWATU LINE. A point which seems to have some bearing on the important matter is the coming acquisition ot the Manawatu Line by the Government. To\establish workshops in a suitable locality to feed both' lines to Palmerston North, and at the same time serve the Napier line, and yet not have the depot too clote to the Metropolis nor too' far removed from the other line 3 which are to be fed, is a proposition which gives a eobd deal of colour to the report that Masterton is to be selected. SUGGESTIONS BY- THE WELLINGTON PRESS. As a matter of fact, it has already been suggested by Metropolitan paper 3 that the time had f arrived for removing the Petone Workshops* and there is little doubt but that with the opening of the Main Trunk Line a reorganisation of railwayworks depots will be necessary, as the traffic will-be distributed in a vastly different way in the course of a year or two, as soon as the Mam Trunk gets fairly into working trim. MASTERTON AS A RAILWAY/ CENTRE. Another suggestion, and one which is worthy of credence, is that possibly the Department recognises that the Masterton Pongaroa-Waipukurau line is looming above the horizon so clearly as to be discernible to the, official eye; and, furthermore, the, extending of the Grey town line to Martinborough is within measurable • distance. THE RIMUTAKA BUGBEAR. The Rimutaka Incline was an objection held up by one person interviewed as likely to discredit the rumour, but it was suggested in opposition to this that the Rimutaka deviation might also form part of a wholesale reconstruction scheme in railway matters. This latter desideratum must come soon independently of the workshops at Mastert.n, A POLITICAL STRUGGLE ? In the course of an interview with an authoritative gentleman, it was mentioned that influences are at work "* to secure for Palmerston North what may otherwise come to Masterton, and it is well-known that Palmerston' North has been suggested as a suitable place for Government railway workshops. The official opinion of Palmerston North's suitability is reported to be not so completely favourable as that of the residents themselves of the Manawatu, capital—quite a natural thing no doubt. WHY UPPER PLaIN MAY BE CHOSEN. The supposition is that on the Upper Plain there is great scope for the establishment of splendid works, with umple area for the Department to "spread itself out" without burdensome expense in land purchase, andthisi->a matter which the Department has taken into account very strongly. < The rumour certainly seemed to have a little substance in its composition, although definite assertions were unobtainable.