WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 21 April 1923, Page 11

WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT. WORK SEVER AUTHORISED. DANGER AND RESPONSIBILITY. \t a meeting of Birkdale residents I„,r'evenim_. Mr. Arthur E. Greenslade. Jio is contesting the Harbour Board ae at for the boroughs of Pevonpoit, Birkenhead, and Xortheoto. made further reference to the proposed waterfront railway. He said that Mr. Henderson (the sitting member for the North Shore borou"}'. scat) bud made it appear th.lt the much-disctl.scd railway line proposed to be laid along Quay Street, past the Perry Buildings, connecting Queen street with the Prince's wharf, had been authorised by the Government in in JO. This statement was made obviously with the purpose of endeavouring io remove from his own shoulders the responsibility f..r his net ions since he became a men.her of the Auckland Harbour Board two vcars ago. How could Mr. Henderson reconcile this statement with the repeated assurances given in Parliament last year by the Minister of Railways thai t lie Government was " not onnir-Te.l to this work. "n July 11 hist year, when replying to Mr. A. Harris. M.P.. the Minister, said, as recorded in Hansard Xo. 8, page 232: "The position was that iome years ago an agreement was entered into between the Railway Department and the Auckland Harbour Board Which set out what was to be dune in Connection with two wharves. At that time an extension to Prince's -wharf Yvas not taken into consiier.it i.,:i." The Minister explained that '■yesterday the chairman of the Harbour Board waited Upon him nnd was informed of the policy of the department —namely that it would not take the further responsibility for life and limb that would be involved In the present proposal. - ' j , "A DEATH TRAP." ! In a further reply to Mr. Harris. M.P.b on September S last, recorded in Hansard No. 22, page 1000, the Hon. H. D. Guthrie said: "If the Government could do anything to benefit Auckland that was fair and reasonable, they would be glad to do it. but the Government could not agree to shoulder a responsibility concerning a Yvork that responsible people considered a death-trap.'' Again, on September 27 last, these assurances were reiterated by the Minister in answer to Mr. Clutha Mackenzie. M.P., for City East. In Han-.ard 27b page 204, it is recorded: "Tlie Hon. Mr.' Guthrie said there ha,, been no change in the stand taken by the Railway Department in respect to the application for the construction of a railway* line along the Yvaterfront. The Railway De-: partment recognised the danger, and as a department it would not undertake the responsibility of what seemed to be. and might he, a death-trap in the future for Auckland city." That, contended Mr. Greenslade, ! effectually disposed of the contention I that the Government had authorised' I this connection Yvith the Prince's wharf in 1919. | FORMER CHAIRMAN'S OPPOSITION. ' Further proof was furnished by the definite statement of the then cha'irmnn Of the Board (Mr. H. ]). Heather) in I outlining the policy when tlie schedule of ! the £1,000.000 loan works was ado,,ted ! ™ JI A- r * ID, ° an(l reconstruction of the Hobson Street wharf (now called Prince's wharf) authorised. The Int.' Air. H. D. Heather then stated: "A ques- I tion that is sure to be raised is: 'Are we going to connect up the new Hobson btreet Yvharf with the railway - " My answer to that is that it is unnecessary for some years to come. We have the Ling's. Queen's, and Central wharves already connected, which will, for some time to come, meet the requirements ot rail way-handled cargoes Until we Can get- the areas in front of the timber nulls, and reclaim them, there is no need to extend the railways, which would if done interfere with the launch lan.lin-rs winch are such a boon to the vachlins community." The leases in Freeman - ,': Hay had over twenty vcars to run. Mr .Heathers declaration showed conclusively that the Hoard in 11)111 did not contemplate the early construction of the railway, it was only after Mr. Heather's illness nnd death that th" scheme was adopted as the active policy of the board. LIVES BEFORE CARGO. Mr. Greenslade contended that the human freight should be considered he- I fore exports and imports, though it was | possible, m his opinion, to satisfactorily • accommodate all interests if a. proper I -policy were pursued. The buildim*- of wharves too far ahead of needs at an ! enormous cost meant heavy annual interest and sinking fund charges and may result in the shipping trade of the smaller ports being built up at the expense of Auckland eventually. The objective should he to make Auckland as nearly a free port as possible, and so attract the maximum o; shipping. Heavy overhead charges had to he passed on. and economy, with eilieienev, aas necessary. The new Victoria wharf at Devonport had been included in the schedule of loan works in 1010. when Mr. William Wallace represented tlie North Shore horoughs. but would any of the million loan he left for this work? It seemed to him that the large sum expended on the Yvide Princes - wharf, with its huge concrete warehouses, providing ten acres of shed space, and also the other Works undertaken, would absorb all the money intended to be available by the Board in 1010 for Devonport's new Victoria wharf. Mr. Greenslade also complained that a new wharf for X.rthoote." promised before the war. and deferred during the War period, now appeared to be entirely lost sight of. The Xorth Shore waterfront should receive far more attention than hitherto, as the expansion that would ensue in these marine districts would be enormous. A good deal had been heard from the Harbour Roird about the need of provision for exports, but what had they heard of the wants of the great and crrowinsr population of the marine districts of Auckland? It was not an exaggeration to anticipate in ten >-ears that the population served by the ferries would be not less than 30.000. In KY-dney tlie population on the Xorth Shore vans consirterably fjreatnr than the population of Auckland. The harbour authorities there were far-sighted enough to reserve the most valuable part of the harbour frontage exclusively- for the ferry services, eonnectimr them direct with the entrances to the main streets of the city. Tbe nearest wharf connecting with the railway Yvas two' miles distant from the ferry services.