Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1911. THE RAILWAY CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10149, 27 January 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1911.

THE RAILWAY CONFERENCE.

The conference held in Masterton yesterday to consider the question of. the Wairarapa train service was of a. representative character, though it is unfortunate that Pahiatua delegates were unable to be present. The resolutions arrived at by the conference can hardly be regarded as satisfactory; .Mr A.' W. Hogg,' M.P., made the very sensible suggestion thai the Minister should be asked to revert to the old time-table. There can be little doubt that had the Chairman permitted a resolution to be put to the meeting to this effect, it would have been carried. But Mr Hogg was ruled out of order on the ground that the proposal was made too late. This gave : Mr M.P., an opportunity to present the case so far as the Lower Valley is concerned, and to get a seriesi of resolutions passed which may seriously prejudice the case when it is presented to the Minister. What the Masterton Chamber of Commerce wanted, and what 'the majority of the delegates desired, was the starting of a train from Masterton for the north at, or about, 6.30 a.m.,

and the restoration of the early morning train from Wellington. Mr Buchanan succeeded in inducing the meeting, by a narrow majority, to affirm the desirableness of starting a mixed 1 train from Cross' Creek at 5.20 in the morning, and another mixed train from Wellington at 4.45 a.m. This would mean, that two goods trains would be leaving Cross' Creek within a few hours of each other. It goes almost without saying that the Minister will not listen to such a proposal. Mr Buchanan is naturally very anxious to conserve the interests of the Lower Valley; but it is difficult to see how those interests would be" made to suffer if the early morning train from Wellington were restored. Indeed, one of the Lower Valley delegates (Mr Wilkinson) was most emphatic in his declaration that the early train from Cross' Creek was not required l . The conference, however, has deferred to the opinion of Mr Buchanan, and it has given the Minister an excuse for refusing the early train from Wellington. It is to be hoped that, when the deputation visits Wellington, it will not press the matter of the early train from Cross' Creek, but be willing to accept the alternative of a 6.30 a.m. train from Masterton to the north. So far as the Forty-Mile Bush is concerned, the conference showed its sympathy with the EketaJiuna: district . by affirming the. desirableness. of : settlers in -thfesfi; parts ■being permitted to. proceed, to Wellington and back in the one dav. A concession of this sort would l be very much appreciated by hundreds of peopleih the Bush, tend though it might involve Ekeathuna, P'aiiiatua, or Woodville'being made the terminus', -l;.he extra convenience* afforded Bush settlers would more than warrant the change. Facilities' should also be offered travellers by the Main Trunk railway of connecting with «. train for the Wairarapa without having to endure an annoying wait of five hours in Palmerston North'. The Minister will doubtless give the representations of the deputation due consideration, " and his decision will be awaited with keen interest. : - /