Extension of the Railway to Te Aro. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 116, 19 May 1886, Page 2

Extension of the Railway to Te Aro. DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

' An interview took placo at the Government P Buildings this morning betweon tho Minister . for Public Workß and a deputation from the • TeAro Railway Extension Committee. The deputation consisted of Messrs* Dransfield, ' Duthio, F. H. Frasor, I, Graves, James 3 Smith, Charles Stowart, John Collins, T. 1 Kennedy Macdonald, and T. 6. Macarthy. t . Mr. Dransfield explaiuod that tho object 3 of tho deputation was to ascertain what was j being done in regard to the proposal to extond the railway to Te Aro. He thought the time was past when it was necessary to - refer to the advantages that would he • derived if Te Aro was made the terminus t instead of Thorndon. Tho convenience of 8 the public would be consulted and tho Goa vernment would derive additional revenue s from tho line. The deputation were very r anxious that the work should be pushed on r as soon as possible. t g Mr. Biohardson said he was hardly pre3 pared to say what hod been done. Henad - written to the City Council asking it for a . plan Bhowing what that body proposed to 1 do in the way of reclamation, but he had 3 not yet been furnished with one. When the - original proposal was mode for the reelamo9 tion it was intended that the face line should - be out a considerable distance. During his - previous term of office he had takon care 3 to 4javo provision made Jpr a line of railway 3 whshever it was decided To ■ 'remove tfie torWnus to Te Aro. ' ' - • — kTSx Duthie"Bt»ted that the negotiations ' the Council and the Harbpui 1 Board " , with reforonoe to the reclamation were all : but complete. It was proposed to eonstruot '. a staging in a straight line from the inner j tee of the Queen's Wharf to the 1 foot of 1 Cuba-street, so that vessels wight discharge 1 their cargoes on vthe reclamation! It was ' also proposed to construct a wharf at tho | foot of Taranaki-streeJ;, and dredge the foreshore in the vioinity, 90 as to enable Vessels ' of the size of the Wakatiputo unload phere. . These works would take about two years, in . all probability. Tho question was wHether i a temporary One of ratfs oould not be kid . down until the expiration of that period. 1 Mr. Biohardson said that an important j question had been raised in connection with . this mattor. Ho referred to tho stipulation of the City Counoil that tho extension of tho 1 line to Te Aro should not interfere with the 1 free access to the Queen's Wharf. If any • such provision as that was insisted on, the 1 extension might be considered impracticable. ' Mr. Dransfiold said it was quite clear the • Council did not want tho work done. f Mr. Bichardson explained that at present f there was no engineering difficulty in tho , way of extending tho lino. About 16 feet of , land would be required. So far as he could .see, the passenger station would have to be \- between" Taranaki and Cuba streets. If tho ■ main'' goods station were removed from , Thorndon to Te Aro, a vory largo area of '. ground would be required. Tho present 1 site was not largo enough, and it was intended to obtain more land. " | Mr. Duthie did not think there was any room at To Aro just at present for the main [ goods station, Mr. Bichardson thought it would be much better to allow the goods shed to remain ; where it now is, As for the passenger station, there was no great difficulty in the way of removing it, Mr. Macdonald observed that tho general feeling was that only the passenger termiutu' should be moved at present. Mr. Stewart considered it would be desirable to remove tho goods Btation to To Aro as soon as possible. Three-fourths of the timber used in tho city was brought down by rail. Mr. Duthio thought that arrangements might be made to take timber-laden tracks as far as Te Aro. Mr. Bichardson said it must be recollected that the area of land was very limited. Mr. Stewart stated that tho presont terminus was very inconvenient for his firm. They had five mills cutting for them in the \.Wairarapa, and sometimes a very large $<qnantity of timber was brought down all at Maedonald remarked that there was ovjdmtly a divergence of opinion as to tho croSsffift of the lino at the foot of the Queeh'sWhftrf. Mr. Djfcliie believed tha.t Messrs. Stewart and Co. thsd others similarly situated would be willingfto pay for the cost of » Biding at Te Aro until such time as the goods station j could be moved from its present site. Mr, Bichardson said that Government would have to pay for any reolaimed land which they might take. If the line was extended, no goods could, be landed along the breastwork between the' Queen's Wharf and Cuba.street, as was now proposed. Mr, Dranafield observed that the goods could bo landed oft the proposed wharf at the foot of Taranaki.street. Mr. Fraser Baid it seemed to him that the foreshore in front of Clyde Quay Hotel must be reclaimed, so as to provide land for shunting the railway trains. Mr, Duthie was of opinion that there was room for a passenger Btation between Cuba and Taranaki-Btreets. Mr, Dransfield asked whether the deputation wore to understand that in order to carry out the extension more land than was at present available was required. Mr. Bichardson said there was probably sufficient hind for a passenger station, but he was quite certain there was not enough for a goods station as well. _ Mr. Duthie said he supposed the deputation had Mr. Richardson's Bympathy in the matter of extending the line. Mr. Bichardson replied that he could hardly express an opinion in the face of , .L-L* had recently cropped up in regard co the reclamation line. -„ *.-""" • ' „ Messrs. DratofieK oad Smith said the citizens .would be satisfied- if onlj the passenger station were removed for the present. Mr. Bichardson said there was no difficulty in carrying the line as far as Cubastreet. Thero was however no room for a long train. With tho present traffic it was estimated that the whole frontage from Cnba-Btreet to Tory-street would be required. The deputation had his sympathy in their desire to get the terminus removed. The Government, he might say, were of opinion that there was a necessity for tho removal of the terminus to Te Aro. Mr. Smith thought it would pay the Government to shift tho station. Mr. Richardson agreed with Mr. Smith on that point. Mr. Duthie observed that the question to be considered was the quantity of land* which was available for railway purposes. Mr. Bichardson remarked that 'if the passenger station was removed. the citizens oould not expect the goods sEed to bejhif ted as well for some time* -*' Mr. Graves said ho supposed a straight strip of hind wonld be required for the platform. " , - • » Mr. RichardnoD replied inHhe nogn+ive. He added that he did not thSik thorirwoiUd bcfioutdi a^grtfri-tbraagJi tho -lfpo crossing Mr. Duthie said the City Council made a proviso' in that direction in the interests of the public, but he did not think it wag very eat in the matter. , •. Dransfield said he was glad to hear Mohardson say there would be no dan■Mjgb the crossing of the'HneV!' ' '"uardson said tho position of tha r~ ~ - % %

question was this : The line could bo taken up to Cnba-Btreet and the passenger station would have to be on tho other side. Mr. Smith asked whether the trains oould not run up to Cuba-street and after landing the passengers go -back to Thorndon until a Btation conld be built at Te Aro. Mr. Richardson Baid that the plan would not work well. The whole question required a great deal of consideration, as thero were so many points to bo considered. The interview terminated aftor tho dopntation had arranged to wait on Mr. Richardson again as soon as ho has given further consideration to the proposal.