TE ARO STATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 9

TE ARO STATION.

SHOULD IT BE DISPENSED WITH*CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION CHJl'lClSliD. At Monday's meeting of the council of Die Wellington Chamber of Commerce, a motion urging tho Government to close, the To Aro railway lino altogether was i moved by Mr. E. T. Pitcher, and carried with one dissentient (Mr. Tfins. Ballinger). As there was recently presented to tho Minister for Railways a wry numerously signed petition in favour of cxhyndiug the station, tome opinions wero ob(aiiied yesle-rdtiy from those who luivo been moving to have llio station put to a proper use, which has not been, tho casi> in the past. Mr. F. G. Bolton, who was one of tho petitioners, said that it was ridiculous to imagine Hint eight men could sit down and decide oll'-hand that the railway lino to dl'e Aro Station was useless aud wasteful, and that' the Minister for Kailways should he advised to pull It up. The decision was marked by the same spirit of narrow parochialism which marked the deliberation's of so many of tho little bodies in Wellington. "If you will notice," paid Mr. Bolton, "all the eight gentlemen have I heir places of business within a hundred yards or so of the Queen's; Wharf, and 'the railway to To Aro does not concern anyone of them individually. If it did, yon would soon hear them sing quite another tune. Their troubles about tho vast population of Wellington Central, East, and South. Why should they bo removed. . another, milo froin tho railway line than they aro at present, at the behest of thesa eight gentlemen, some of whom aro annoyed that tho railway trains pass their front door."

"But aren't you interested personally, too? You, mid Mr. J. P. Luke, and Mr. Leigh Hunt?" "Yes," said Mr. Bolton, "wo are interested—very muck interested—but wo are only a few of tho many thousands who signed the petition. And then, mark thin —we <lo i\ot want to interfere with Thorndon, nuil we do not want (o dictate Hint the. main central station shall Ijo at To Aro, though it is a mile nearer the cntro of the city thau Bunliv Street. All to ask is that a lot of tlip dead running should l)o cut out of the 'J'e Aro line, nml that .the Main Trunk .nml: of her expresses 'Should complete their journey at Te Aro, It is certainly not unreasonable to ask that Ihe expresses shouM bring: passengers into tho centre of the city when tho facilities exist to <lo so, rathei- than dump them down cm the outskirts, as is at present the case. Theatre trains from and to tho Hull , and I'etone should .'arrivo at and depart from the Tβ Aro station, for ■the him])i« reas-on that the station is within a few- minutes' wall; of tlio Town Hall and the ■ principal theatres of the city. Is that wildly unreasonable? At present people have to leave tho theatre and concerts from twenty minutes nnd 'half an hour before the train leaves in order Unit they may not miss it. They have to board a Iramcav and pay to ride \o the station, and then if they linye been lucky enough to catch a car right away they have to wait about in tho cold for the train to start. If it wont from To. Aro, oil they would have to do would-bo' to leave tho theatre or Town Hall fivtt minutes before starting time.' I belicre that with a judicious service and a goo'ds shed, the Te Aro station would pay well. Why not give it a fair chance to p/:ovb itself:-"