TRAIN SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 5

TRAIN SERVICES

THE EXPRESS STOPPING-PLACES, : HANGA"WEKA AND KtTNTERVILLE. • -' J DEPUTATION' TO HON. J. A. MTT.T.AU. •: Deputations were introduced to the : Hon. J.'A. Millar, Minister for Railways, • byMr . B. W.Sniitli,nionibor for Ixuigitilvoi, yesterday, which, urged,, among •- other things, that .the'express trains be-*' treeen Aucklandsand Wellington .should;, stop; at ' Mangaweka and lluntervillo. ; ■ ' The main point of the Minister's replies was'that, though the claims of both eta-.' tions. would be consider**!, they ivould not both. be. made stopping-places':in any cir- ; , V; : ■ cumstahces.. ' ' . The first deputation', ' representingthe .'I ; | Mangaweka . Chamber of Commerce, con- - sisted of Messrs. J. Goorgctti, Si A. Dum- : • boll ton, .end M.Tanscv. The deputation . ..: presented, a petition, bearing; between 809 '''V/and 900 signatures,. asking that weka should be made a 6topping-place for the express trains. , : In Support of a Petition. •Mr. ;G«orgotti said, the Mangaweka : people, thought Mr was only, a fair thing . that, the express should stop there. Tho .district had had very; few concessions of ■ / any kind, antl itivaß a great inoonvenience to settlers that ■ the express dad not ■ 1 - stop at the towAehip. If a settler lived .; ten miles from the station, and had to at.tend a sale at Patanerston or-Feilding, he ' had to ooime into' Mangaweka the night' ;! •/ 'before, and unless ho drovo back' hem® i [ from there the .'.following'/ night t - reaching. ■ home' about;■ midnight, it; required three (lays to attend;tho .sale and get back- If / ~-/,.' Mangaweka wore made a'stopping-plaoe:;'-for the expresses the' time lvould : bo re-" . dnced to one day.'- .W v." ".7 ', : Mr. D.umbellton.declared that 4000 sig- ;'. natures- ■ to' tho petitioncould, have'. b«m H - ' ; 0 Warned, if thj> roughness' of ..the comrtry /] : :y had' rot -hindered canvassing.':-v ; Mr.' Taiisey said if- the. concessaon was,. fronted,, he believed , the' population tangaweka, would ,bo doubled in, ten or twelve; yeare, If- the/ request';.wm ; not. granted take any Government : .. supporter a. lot .of trouble to expl:un it . v .away. Peeling was very, strong .among. ; the, farmers, who were' specially affeetod." ' ; ' . . Most ,bf the , settlers .were strong Govern- '. • ■ mont supporters, and'., they., felt ,they'll,i.': . should - get a concession vllke i this : because it affected them so much.' >. V.i! .'S Mr. Georgetti- said ; that : : 'ncw;settlerv,', ,wer? induced, to, go/to-othcrdistricts j the .consideration that tho ■ expresses' dio. .. not stop at Mangaweka. . .. :

. , A Growing Feeling. • Mr.'' Smith,, M.P.j v said thero was t>. growing feeling _ in'-- the i district; that''r stead of the -railways: being i run for,: the people, it appeared as if the people wererun.'■ for. : the .-railways, 1 to which .: ■ they very strongly objected. There ; was,*:: certainly: a strong/ feeling: ■ He had ap-re-proached : the' Minister before: ,on the : matter,'-.:arid ■ given . him • two ''' telegrams fe . from '~ the > secretary; of' the Chambc-r of ' '.v' Commerce^'at" Mangaweka.-.'.They, Vwers ■■ .-fi then, led to .understand;, that if water could be obtained at Mangaweka, the express would stop there. It had been ar-.; ■' ranged for.: Mr. ' Ronayne, the General 'Manager of Railways, ~to, meet,a deputa- : tion at; Mangaweka,. and he had beon Y 'very;, surprised',,to'''.-hear', from"-'''himthat/;-?;i water '.was,' not an item' of anyconsideration at! all. : .A' considerable amount of,' had been spent' in prospecting, . ■ i>nd the, people' of Mangaweka wero sure-. : that ithey/. had ample water there. He 'would 1 like this S point , about - the: water' fibcleared up.- There was -a report current ' in the! district that there.was :pulling;going on : from.,other centres; that : Mr! MiUar. had. been communicated .withy; from outside.' by other- people who.,were/.':';.' interested; asking that tho train, should ' -not'stop .at .Mangaweka;: He. thought, it S only, fair'.that' the-lMinister should,have: i'-: :a' cnarice to deny tho report. ; Ho thought:' ; Mr.' Rpnayno"'- 1 had',; misunderstood- ' what : was; said at'. Mangaweka ,'in X 1 regard ■; to prospecting:for water. Mr. Hornblow had.;, to convey that ifijtho':.etopping : .-.'4: of.' the ' expressdepended- < on'y a ;. water \ f supply,! and the Government was not pre- ; pared to' spend money in; prospecting-—as • it' was thought .the Government should do—the '.citizens themselves would put . th'eir. hands'into . pockets 4 and pm«;',>, that the water was there. ;; ,; ■ , ■

THE MINISTER'S REPLY. y'lhV-Minister. said.h'e had. been; hearing;; about _ the, claims. of Mangaweka!'. as'. ya; stopping-place- for fivo : months!'past, and J knew most of the circumstances.: He. had Spent, nearly, one..and,a .half hours goinsr !; , into the. matter* with' Mr. Hornblow and;;' , the General Manager. H« ! did rot think,;! that-Mr. Ronayne could; havo been rightly',; understood when he. wa!s , supposed .to say that there - was not, a', water,: 'difficulty.; ~ Tho official files showed that tho mam . cause.! for ,' not * originally stopping _at •. Mangaweka was: the difficulty in getting.;water. , Ohingaiti vras chosen as a stop-pmg-place. because thoro was water available. The principal, watering plaoe was;Rata.- None of the engines would take ; the express from Marion-to Mangaweka ' without,water.;! Evonthe Ohingaiti sapialyy ivasi running :out; -.Prospecting' for .watsr; :was being, carried on bythe; .Railway., Department.- Tho Department' had.re'coiyed ;an. offer of water, irona-' a proprietor who ■' wanted : <£3000 for - the * water., rights.', He- would never get that; as' long: as he' lived, because there was no; need toYstop at Mangaweka. 1 ,; The-.kc-'.'; Sress would' not stop tit $angaweka;if the - lepartmcnt was going tojbe bled in that/ fashion: ... •; V. .'.-ySi'': l •vi^jvvi-

Hopeless to Please Everyone. . He!'fully appreciated, the' potentiiilitiea : of Mangaweka.' From,;a railwav iioint of v; view., the .Department preferred stopping .;, there to stopping' at Oningaiti,' but. noy; .express'could stop at-every., station.', Local y services .were provided: to! supplement, the ; expresses.' "The express .could not stop at;,;-HunterviUe,-.-Ohingaiti; ■; Mangaweka',; ana» ; Taihape! - That would, ■vice,, and not. ah!'express l service. l - If; the. express - was run' to suit Mangaweka'.whdt about-Ptikii ' Ohingaiti?lt . was, in*-; possible to suit the; convenience'of/every-": one. . - The Department • had the .kuuo'\ trouble with the New;' Plymouth -; line.. The'! AVangahui, people! want«ly.it" run-.; to v; suit them,': but,- if it suited: them; how V; was it '.going toysuit. .Now Plymouth? There" had been the samo experience with -. the :'Napier line! "The Railway -Depart. l ', ment,. which,. studied the; requirement of :; the: whole country, knew better'what needed ; than., local 'bodies; which consid-Y■■■ ered oiily ono place.' It!was 'his desiire';',; to change tho stopping-place, but tho'; express was not.-' going to ' stop at - - both' i ! Ohingaiti. and ■' Mangaweka.' t *. Ohingaiti;: •' must go ,if' the' train stopped at weka... .With' the present water '.supply.':".-; af Mangaweka it' took, a ; man. only; tnroo 'hours. to pump tlie, well dry.' The "De - partment was ,going;to sink- .the-.well;!";,, deeper -and see if ..it .could. got; a largerv.' supply.','' So- longutii ;,the-'. water 'supply'.- 1 : was sufficient it would probably—ho would make no . definite prorai^—chango ; ; the ■ stopping-plaoo from Ohingaiti- to Mangaweka. The express journey, be-;-:; tiveen, Wellington' and Auckland-, was a -~ 19 hours' journey,' and the Department wns not'going, to increase stoppages,.;for!:-. trade did not warrant "it,' aha. stoppages;V ; added to the . expense and time .'of thS.. journey.; Tho . growth, of.. ~the;.. M'untr'y .',- ; - ..would mean , the Improvement of -:local;' services, but ,the' mail .train would; never,-; ho should think,'make many more stoppages than; now. y:'!'..,■■::■!■•.•• •!■'-

' A Township With a Future.. - He believed that Mangaweka would b»' the depot for a large tract running per. haps as. far as aud when. (xsrtein toad' works were finished it would - prob- . . ably, become the centre to'.which'a con-. siderable trade would be diverted. Wllea y lie received final reports regarding*'water t;; he would be in' a better position to lnaka'*' f a statement. He did '.not believe that • there would be a water supply, at' Ohingaiti in 12 months. If two or threo ' . men could: not. convince .'him' : that : a thing was right ten thousand could not ■' do so. Numbers ' did not - affect' him in ' the slightest.- If the Department, v' not getji; supply of water at Mangaweka it was , not. likely ~ to';..go'?onV. adding •S'l to 'the' '..cost! of running tho trains ■ lie. hoped to make the trains do a little: better than \ they l had been '.- doing, and the only way ;to do that was - to' '- reduce the working expenses or increase the" rates. He did not desire to increase rates on the natural products of the onrovin, half

he was -to - grant, all - the facilities that | - . were asked for the only way to do so and makb tho railways pay was; by'.increasing fev^ates!;^;'..:^;-;®;?;:; : New Zealand and Australian Rates. |r-,;Vf';He;was ;niaking;;a coi]ip;irison :of the fofe^'ates'. with those ."of .all, 'the VAustraliari' would.bp. published • l:;; ; ;Out thc countr>' as :soon- as it was: comfe^A; ipw^Bauoh' cheaperrth'e :New'.Zeiland-railways',were.. Everi:*witlilthe' :long-distarice' charges, ' feo'New .South ;Wales, li3:»est!-;in - and' l sonio',dis: tjncfSSthari:rateS -in; Great Britain. The &4^ : to Auck-' ; :ss. -oheaper;;thdn ! tto' fare ,from ; , j';: ;.;Loridon' to "Glasgow,; though: the distance , .'could, , |j : lfehavpK.{iiy -ifacilities\ v ;they ";liked; if. the.v iuschose-to pay"fbr'thciri,;bnt they,' wanted. fV( ; to_get'them'vdthout.paying. ' . [" An Explanation. &c^ ; ./>:jJU^j~'>-j(3tebrgetti.7.'said-t'that-y.tliori-."offor:>-qf : '. fe,?;,W^tori,i^-hbsos.plac"p:;w ; as/^ r'-:"' ngaiti' Mangawedea! and the watcrjwas iritendedHoVbe'coriyeyed.to' Ohirigaiti.".Mr.; 5-v>;WWeston's'i : offer .'.would', not ybenefit i Marigji--at alLvThe'Eangitikei-Eiyer, within; (;: : :;"a;few. chains, of' : llangawoka ; statidn,oirer-' jWater supply.; ': ,"- "v;V;j-fi®^::jMri'-MiUarjsaid:at;,Trould.>bb veiy ex-ive'V-'pensive-tb pump :water:from the river.. .A feftitig pumping: plant would be required. ;Tho .: pti;: xivbr'twas'; forty tori froni;; the; ! town. fck:sd';:;Mr.';GeorgettiAbout twenty, i.;;; |::;:;;-:/Mr...Tansey,;said : it',vi'as:belieyedby, ex|v;-: 'perts that for abont' ,£SOO watQr could be f'-p theEangitikei-'tosupply. the ji.fi'?eveS-;tliat; ;^sinking i ; tho; present : well lower and making- avbig chamber,:a,: satis:factory supply':coald:be'obtained.',■' : ,V: Kfts:i.fMr.'.SmithWe have. eyery;'faifh : in:tho' P^^ater ; ' supply;so Hf :;it Vresfe Von - that, wo i. { think wo are; going} away tviumphant. E; : .. Tho-Minister :'lf the water supply'is' asp'i- suxed,- your of-,tho trains' stop-|'':-,''ping.'are a:'great deal;betteri;'l can-as- [ . ! sure -youi. • V'*P- y j Haulage of Metal. t'U;.'James"' Smiths; of Huriterville, and; ;Mr. ,S.' Nn iA.'Hair',- ■ engineers .to:;,the/; Earigitikei. |: ;,; first for . special,:. bidlast:- .-.from fe;'(Ohingaiti;to.!M»ngawekai'and.:Mataiba; i y.; ? Mr.. E."' W... Smith, , M.P., . said that feiii'igrants r had been, pven - for .certain road; V- '.[motalling;...'and tho'County .-Council/was. f-' -;'(Teady; to 'start work, but.:;tho' -Railway ptfepartmerit : refused ■ togivethem -.the ik ' Ttrains to carry' tho, metal. . ..: , fcSS-Mr.'• Millar v'.We always do.. A 6pecial f;.;--rate ;was quoted for the carriage of Vroad pS'UiietalVdi'tthe ''distiji^'.«i»de^tand^i|.tftat;'; fe^Sicoriv'eniericoibfVthesDepartmentt-^t'was pif-ineyer' jcarried;--in'-' su'mnlcr^-:Trh™'':allV::tiie- '- '-: ; ®ep'artmenfs -rolling. stbck;was taken.;up , THis:wii's:not payable' fe-H could- ojily rbb' carried' on;,in |%>'wiiiter'.''- :Th'e; Department ' had .refused to. IWcarry'' thousands *of syards; of . -metal ; :'for pi'.'i6therolocal"bo'dibs.';'..Hntil .they;'got-,over E'^ and.fafcstock/se'ason,:,which:^re-;' i';;, [qnrred . special - trains: and; so - forth. tho pbiild ■ 'not: dream - of i carrying :|taetal;''unless v 'the : 'couricil liked to pay,the. S:'couricil.vShouldjlavo '-formed a -depot'.-for'- thc-'metal-'in l-winter,-.' sb .'as -to ;be ready '. to. carry-,-it, -..Uway.'inisummer.' : . , {'' ■■■■"ai;H-.-Mr.'Mair stated-that this work;,wa.s ae-r-f: :pendeiit'on;spccial,Government authority.. S::- ,-:'lt'. was impossible ",to,'-followVthe- course; K proposed; ~ -bMaus"et : they.rcouncil.>.did';!iiotJ fj® Kow'What provisioriiit; riiust,make.,The": t'S; ! ay.:l)epartment; had. its'; ballast.. train' RSWorKngfcontinuaUyliOri-Vtheilirie'-for': rail tes(fcaUastmMarid':it: ; ;WQuld^ Hnconveniehce -if that'wprk'werQ'left oyeV I'' [for ;aj tim'ej becauseyit-was; not-dependent on-tho. rates.- Tho - Minister said--ho f;i.|wpuld';iri^i',-break- : >•' for :! ; thß['^ --OJangitikei, - EiK- ICo'uncil '.the. rule;.he -had ::laid - down; for : r have )his. action'!-inoted K.Sxedeht.'^;Vi;: : H%:-t:'--';.;;:!^ J'iMair':: The dajjs are long: now: . i\ye j! ? ij^cari.'arrange-to' haul in; the. morn-, |;R|ing";or-lote:,afc'.night;:;;:' ; i;r^: : ;'; tiSWible!; for.-us: ;'it ? in - the.i'summef'.;,:'; K; ! ,&Mr.','James -Smithtstatedjthit-the. seven v" .riniles'-of loai.'which , it;.; was ■' desired ltd ; f?o.:imetd;.waß. : 'practicaEy^a''sludge,;.;cbannel. |?;-iflllvthroughi.:,'th^^ pK^^hipyworfdibe.'^aused:if; the. TOad,.wo3,:n6t; f--,'i(z<fShk./■MinistbrV'-.The.-iStratfordvarid! 'Eg,; I'.-'-, fcniontJCpunty-Councils 'M 6 in exactly.:,tllb fei!te^Aio") poOT-Hon. I;:<!an't doit. -' it"-is ;inirequire ; ,every-; wagon ;I: have t';- [lo ' carry- remunerative' In ■ tho Pif («lteraa a tejßummer.sarid I winter i,Tatby fot . hauling; S, Mr.' Mair 6tated; that .if tho .counciL re-, !; ceived its : authorities earlier,, it, .'could.-. KSjffoceed" plan,; but: : Svl'jestiipates.'; werb.v' notbrought, .down :till. fl I ''-{December.'..';; .:!-' ; :Mr", Ebnayrie,-;who was called m-by - the , SS.|Minister,:.said:;it-would':prpbably/ I b©i,two'. : ?iS!mbntli';'WQre vrolling; iitock ; was; avafl- : ■ "! -'!'f'"!v . te!ksMr;:Mair:--!We'might; just -as wll put it ' becaiuse', [ ; v. 'ithen we shall not. bo;able to cart on the ;;v:-'';;Mr.-;JaiiKs;:Smith';^dvthe , road -had . feftj ijeen".^'a'if airly> goodbub w'asude-:. :j6troyed !'as - a 'servicev road, in - thocon-' '.letruction-of ..tho lir.c. V?!^" 1 1 Mr. Eonajoio:;:- That;,was '-the: ,rubnc ©y^brt9 : Department.i-;' ; ; •!, '• vTlie ."-Minister "saiid^.tlCat : iflocal . "bodies '.- ..-wished" to have'mctal-hauled,it'tlio':ordi-Rtitnary Tate,-they,:shouH;have;it;aU-. on.': the' Iground ybefore -.'Septemberr or : October: :or' |'i sriative -rate. for" : ' ;) j - -Mr; Jam<»:Smith':'There' will bo great fei'disapxwintriibnt .if:the rba'd'is'.'not .formed.: [;; : -The,.' Minister: sattiers | i%-Nev>,-Z^a^ii^\«ime, pbsitiori.-'i •. Kfifi fc'.Stagreed-. to-'eee if soino' of-'the'.nieftal' could, E!' ; ;!l)e':liaule ! d.'^witiiin:;a';month' ! by (~: • idouble -'shifts •' ;;,;.-'::., jMr:: Miliar,; agreed to'- exchange certain p ;bouli}erfl ; from'-'- one.:'of the .Department"'s p: : jits," for which l a royalty -of - Is. a. yard -.had f/i:|feh':'.previorisly ;^ -asKed;'.;-'fo'r'v'-ineral r'. ting to! the. council. S;-! ,'^- W ' Stoppags at Huntorvills. : :i;-!-.Mr..Mair;:ori'tehair.of:the'Hunteryille &'■ t,Towi ;Bdard/' then "asked '-Huriteryillb |. ! fißho'Ud,,b'e;:niado.'a;.stbppirigrpla'ce{for.' , the |;: '."orio'stoppi'ng-place out v -;ot'. Huntefville, fvillo was !a '-.with ;;an '- - linereasing. populatibn; and' tTaf&c. ;..'.:' ife^JiSlr.Jllillar said beonly of.'.Hunterville, KlOnirigaiti, and^Mangawelca:;;;;-^;!:!/.?!,:;'> -Mr. : :; ,'cbnsiderablo; increase its .rc-.m»"-*'sUnplyink ? -f i drains',-but.'. the '.- mail, trainsrat. ihalfthe i i' l-usual! rate!-' 'Huriterville - had'-.understood ,^^liat' : -.the',Ves;press. trains.'-.^would'-'stop-there • - (if ..TOter ,'.cbuld'!'be 'supplied;, :A" largo; ex-; aga;:jtlia^asr :~'';,Bum"ptibn'.'.".;' V:-/*'''v-;:,'- 11 - Mr. .Millar .'sMd : ;the-.engines -.could'not fe'-igOjiabbye,-^):.miles without .Catering, ,biit ■i/ fpr:;the' sake .pf iccohomy it:was :desirablc ■■;s;l,tp .hate'the" .watering .stations! as far : apart Kias.-possible .within-that.limit.;'He;'would SVineyer haT'e mado!l?eilduig—which'.was bnly Vt (twelve: miles • from : -Palmerstbn^—a stopping f!a>place if' he;had .made the .original-time. K ? (table.'-i;• A - proriiise ,;-had .been ~ giveri <;; tc ptpfeßduaV!.wMjffi'i , ]i^-'-b^-- , .made-;'a'- vs&>p- . fe-ming'.'place"-' accordingly,- and / would ' con-i-'-i tinuo -to' be' one.':.Ho would give,fair;conflaims'bf -Hrintervillc!':