PUBLIC MEETING AT KAITANGATA.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 91, 4 June 1912, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT KAITANGATA.

BETTER RAILWAY FACILITIES WANTED. f 0 PRIME, MINISTER TO RE APPROACHES A public meeting, for the purpose of pressure to bear upon the gaihvay Department for additional railway facilities for Stirling and Kaitangata residents, was held in the ujesbvterian Hall on Friday evening, iwe was a very fair .attendance induding a number of prominent residents from Stirling, Inch Clutha and tfangaloa. ... The Mayor presided, and a tier rcadseveral apologies, said the matter .pressure to bear upon the Kailwoy Department to get the express; lo stop at Stirling and with the lvaitangata Railway *-'°- to give better •rtomiiiodatioH and more .eonveuienl U giß service, was fully discussed at last meeting of the borough council. Hence their meeting that night. They k a d some prominent representatives amongst them that night who no doubt would be fully prepared to make some suggestion in the direction aimj at. He had been a resident of fcaitangata for 37 years and his iirst sperience of travelling to Stirling was Shank's pony. The mail contracts stepped.into the breach and established a coach service which utUma({lv was now in vogue, and all crefit was due to the mail contractor, Jr A. Reid, who had done valuable jervice in taking people to and fro jjom Stirling. Perhaps if they failed n inducing the Kaitangata Co. to B ake any alteration, if that gentlejian was approached in a right spirit, lie might put on an up-to-date conveyance in the shape of a motor car or (jus or something of that description. ■ Jr J. Mosley (Inch Clutha) fully pidorsed what the Mayor had said in regard to want of a better train 6errice. The district had a very large population which was inadequately served by the present train service. Tie time was opportune and it was «y necessary tney should press this matter forward at once, as evidently the Prime Minister was a business man and intended to run the railways on business lines. He hoped the Minister touid see the necessity of establishing a better service. He quoted figures io show the traffic at Stirling station the -past year ; 105,238 passengers had tit and 123,285 tons of coal had been ant away. He moved a motion urging strong representations to have the apress stopped at Stirling. Mr Crawdord Anderson, in seconding the motion, emphasised the disabilities passengers sutlered through .the express; not stopping at Stirling. In a flourishing district such a state of things should not exist. To stop required only a matter of two or three minutes. The train stopped 20 minutes jt Ulinton and a few minutes at Milton, far smaller places than their district in size and population. If they chipped oS live minutes at Clinton and' one at Milton that would suffice and their wants here would not disorgan- ;■ the system. He hoped something i,*ouH be done at once as the Premier •jras in a good mood just now. He tas coming to Dunedin to open the Winter Show and that would be a good time to interview him. Sr 1). Boyd said Kaitangata had long been neglected by Railway Department. They should have better railway facilities to their district. Objection to a three minutes' stop was ridiculous compared with the requirements ot 3000 people. He moved that the Mayor, Mr J. C. Anderson, Capt. Mherford, Cr Aitchison, Mr J. Mosley, Mr A. E. Farqjuhar, Dr Fitzgerald, Hi P. Haggart be appointed to aproach the Railway Department and take the steps necessary to give effect to resolution previously carried. Dr Fitzgerald, in seconding the motion, commented on the difficulties % had to labour under in winter time by the process of coach and Aw train. He was in favour of approaching mail contractor if their present etiorts failed, for a more- uptwlate and faster mode of convenience fun the present coach. Sr Mediaelis supported what had tan said and quoted Hampden, Waitouaiti and Palmerston as small placs compared to the population of this district, where express trains did stop. & P. Haggart referred ,to the difiic|ies of the Wangaloa people in catling the early slow train at Stirling *°jo to Dunedin. Je Rev. W. T. Currie and Mr W. wan (ex-Mayor) endorsed remarks d Previous speakers. The Mayor, Borough Councillors, Mr f. Haggart and Dr. Fitzgerald were pointed to interview Kaitangata "*! Co. for more facilities in train Ovice.

« Carson, sen., when called upon Jwe some very interesting experiences tog his recent trip to Japan. ElWricity played a very large part in •H their modes of conveyance there, "ffl in places where population was Whino to correspond t'o the size of !*se districts, were served by electrir- # at a minimum of cost. I' was resolved that &s many as pos#fe meet the iPremier jn Dunedin durH mow week and bring their rqijuire*»ts forcibly before him. . f vote of thanks to the Mayor terthe meeting.