CONCENTRATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1796, 8 July 1913, Page 6

CONCENTRATION.

AND TE ARO RAILWAY "BOOST." At the monthly meeting of tho council of the Cluimber of Commerce held yesterday the president (Mr. A. E. Mabin) reported on the recent deputation to the Prime Minister respecting the proposed expansion of railway facilities at the Te Aro station., "The Minister for Railways explained," said Mr. Mabin, "that it was in his mind to make an auxiliary goods station at To Aro', as part of the Central Station arrangements. This, I submit, is a proposal quite contrary to sound methods for tho conduct of railway business with order and dispatch. Such an appendage to the main station and within such a short distance of it, would undoubtedly be an expensive and irritating hindrance to proper working. No figures were produced, but tho Minister believed that onethird (if not one-half) of tho goods, and nearly all the timber, would go to To Aro. This estimate it is presumed refers to the local traffic for the city, which is probably only a tithe of the total handled by the railway, the bulk of which is to and from shipping and tho wharves. In any case,' it does not follow . that because a consignee's business is at Te Aro that all his goods must necessarily go there. A merchant would certainly always ,take the quickest and cheapest method of distribution. This undoubtedly would be by delivery from the main station, thus avoiding tho delay and expense inseparable from a divided traffic. Timber or road gravel, etc., does not require a goods shed for discharge, nor would the elaborate arrav of sidings proposed hasten the arrival and dispatch of such goods. Tho fruit and produce markets, therefore, are the main users who would probably be affected by the. Minister's proposals. The Minister suggests iu order to avoid danger to traffic along Jervois Quay that tho trains could bo run late at night and early in the morning. The trains under gucii a proposal would have to be delayed at Thorndon forsorting and shunting, and the produce merchants would be the first to complain of the delay, and the demand' would arise for day trains or the goods would be lifted at. Thorndon by motor traffic. The latter in any caso would be less costly and more rapid. - «... "Tho Minister, continued Mr. Mabin, "made a point of his opinion that the provision of facilities at Te Aro would reduce bv so much the necessity for facilities at 'Thorndon, but this would not work out in practice. It is cloar'that the Miniter's proposal means that by ft sum at least equal to the cost of the land acquired and the cost of laying out the yards and buildings, the Central scheme is to be robbed, and the Dominion will be asked to foot an enormous expenditure on the combined scheme, which will bring forth strenuous opposition from other pnrta 01 tho Dominion and satisfy no one. "Tho Prime Minister's reply was ?atis--1 factory, inasmuch as ho intimates that the matter was one which 110 individual Min- ! istor could deal with, but the wholo rrues- ! tion would have to bo settled by Cabinet, ! iind wo can, we hope, rely upon the coli leotiv.e wisdom of the Government to do i what is obviously tho thinp—to con- ; centrato tho railway service, of the city to I one point/'