OUR RAILWAY FACILITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 55, 6 March 1911, Page 5

OUR RAILWAY FACILITIES.

eOOM TMMB AHS PA&HEU. TDRIEL MINISTER FOB RAILWAYS , EXPLANATION. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister foi Railways, who, with his private secretary, Mr. F. F. Thomson, is staying at the Grand Hotel while in Auckland, bud a conference there this morning with the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. L. J. Bagnail) end the chairman of the' Auckland Harbour Board (Mr. A. J. Kntriean), concerning certain matter* in connection with the extension of the railway goods yard. In the course of a talk liter on with a "Star" representative on the subject of railway matters as Auckland is affected, the Minister pointed oat that the whole situation was 'bound, by the limit of available money. "There are certain works which, the Department, both from a public and a Departmental point of view, deem most-important and urgent, and those are the ones which must first be dealt with, leaving over the less urgent works for some future time," declared Mr. Miliar, adding "That is the position, for instance, of the Parnell tunnel. The Department say I that from their point of view, and they iare responsible for carrying on the railway trade of the district, there is no necessity to duplicate the tunnel for many years to come. And they would much rather see the amount required to duplicate the tunnel spent on the much more important work of the goods yard and shed , accommodation. Throughout the length and breadth of the country, owing to the rapidly developing trade, the accommodation which has done for years has got quite inadequate, and these places require to have money spent on them to enable the Department to carry on railway business satisfactorily. But whatever monies ere available have to be apportioned all over the country on these necessary •works. No one piece can have all its work done at the one time at the expenee of others. Aβ for the remark that I have threatened, I don't know where tne threat lies unless in the statement that I have not got the money to do all the necessary work in Auckland at one time. But if the available money is spent on one particular class of work, the balance must stand over until money is available."

"I have just thia morning had a conference with the chairman of the Harbour Board and his Worship the Mayor in regard to the re damnation of land necessary for future railway purposes," went on Mr. Millar, "and we can see that in the very near future a heavy expenditure will have to lie incurred to cope, with the anticipated increase of trade which the closer settlement of the country is making for. The Harbour Board are now considering our proposed plans for reclamation with the object of giving us every assistance possible. As aoon as ever the details are all settled in regard to it, if the moaey is available we can start on the proposed works. It is anticipated ttet before the thing is completed £250,000 will be required for the goods yard accommodation and the atterfvnt reclamation. If we do not get this reclamation done and out proposals carried out, we will be forced to look outeide the city for suitable land tor goods yards. Of course this, if it had to be done, would create a permanent charge,on the merchants of Auckland for cartage. But the Department is doing all it possibly can to make provision on the present site, and both the Mayor and chairman oi the Harbour Board have expressed their desire to belf the Department in every way possible, whilst the Department has also agreed to meet, as far as possible, the expressed wishes of the Mayor in regard to straightening one or two roads, and the requirements of the Harbour Board in respect of railway facilities to the wharves."

Referring to the present capacity o! the railway line between Auckland and Newmarket, Mr. Millar said that trains could be worked every eigfil minutes if required, under the existing circumstances. The Parnell tunnel, he pointed out, is a block, a signalman being stationed there, bnt if the tunnel were duplicated, the tunnel would cease to be a block, as the section would be to Xewmarket, so that trains -would have to get into Newmarket under the block system Jjefore another one left" Auckland.