Crossing Deputation Meets Mr McAlpine

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 19

Crossing Deputation Meets Mr McAlpine

"We riisHweed an the points and I have agreed to take the matter back to Wellington and discuss it with officers of the department.” said the Minister of Railways (Mr McAlpine* yesterday after he had met a deputation to hear representations against tile closing of the Durham street railway crossing. The Minister said that he had pointed oat to the deputation that a deal had been made. The deputation was arranged at fairly short notice yesterday morning when Mr McAlpine advised the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association that he could meet a deputation in the afternoon. Representatives of foe Can-

terbury Chamber of Commerce. the Christchurch and Suburban Carriers’ Association and the Automobile Association joined representatives of the Manufacturers’ Association in the deputation and Mr A. H. Lee was spokesman for industries in the locality. The president of the Manufacturers’ Association (Mr R. H. Stewart) led the deputation. The secretary of the Manufacturers' Asfocietioo (Mr R. T. Alston) said Mr McAlpine had foregone c meeting of the Cabinet in order to meet the deputation. He had given the Deputation • "sympathetic heartog” aad had said be would ask the Railways Department to reappraise the whole matter. "If the Minister decides the railway crossing is to be reopened, I would not think the council would want to proceed with the closing of the road,” said the deputymayor of Christchurch (Mr H. P. Smith). ' There may have been a little confusion between the action of the Railways Department in closing the crossing itself and the council giving notice of its intention to close the road. The council’s only wish was to keep its bargain, and if tbs matter can be resolved I am sure the council win be bsppy/' Meanwhile the crossing remains closed. The Moorhouse avenue end of the crossing is blocked by heavy, whilepairated rails. Behind these iron pipes have been set in concrete and it is intended to erect a heavy wire-netting fence on this within the next few days. On the other side of the crossing a fence has been built by fastening planks to lengths of railway lines driven into the ground. Yesterday a few motorists turned down the street towards the barricade before realising their mistake. It was too early to say what effect the closure was having on the flow of traffic over other railway crossings, said the City Council traffic department traffic engineer (Mr H. Surtees). It would be some time before this became obvious. Tbe crossing had been a traffic hsxard and from the department's point of view he was glad kt had been closed, said the district engineer of foe railways (Mr G. Shrimpton),