STATION FACILITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 May 1938, Page 6

STATION FACILITIES

NEW CRANE BADLY NEEDED. MASTERTON FIRM’S ACTION. Further reference to the necessity for a new crane at the Masterton Railway Station was made yesterday by Mr E. M. Hodder, of the firm of Messrs C. E. Daniell, Ltd. Mr Hodder stated that his firm had been endeavouring for many years past to have a new crane, capable of lifting three tons, installed at the station. “About three years ago,” said Mr Hodder, “two Railways Department engineers came here and examined our equipment and methods of handling goods. We explained that it took two men one and a quarter hours to load a railway truck with timber and that we could do the same job on road transport in ten. minutes and in that ten minutes the men did not have. to handle a stick of timber. After the hour and a quarter to hour and a half spent in loading a truck at the station the load has to be battened down.”

Mr Hodder went on to state that the Railways Department engineers then offered to allow the firm to erect its own crane in the station yards if it wished. A site was selected and the firm was told that it would be free to use the crane and work it at its own expense. “The position was ridiculous,” said Mr Hodder. “It precluded anyone else from using it except at our expense. As we pointed out, why should we provide facilities for the whole of the general public? We want a crane for public use.” The Department stated that there was insufficient traffic to justify a new crane. The firm’s reply added Mr Hodder, was that a new crane was necessary to provide the facilities to encourage trade.