FACILITIES FOR TE ARO.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 90, 13 October 1902, Page 6

FACILITIES FOR TE ARO.

DEPUTATION TO THE ACTINGPREMIER-. A deputation consisting of over twenty busii.ess men from the southern portion of the city was introduced to the ActingPremer by Mr. A. R. Atkinson, M.H.R., this morning. The principal speaker was the Mayor of Wellington, who said the object of the deputation was twofold — viz., to a«k the Government to carry out its promise to erect a post office to serve Te Aro district, and to extend the railway facilities of the Manawalu Oonipany s service to Te Aro. His Worship said that the business people of Cub.i-street and neighbourhood were greatly inconvenienced by the luck of postal and telegraphic taeihUes under the present system, and a separate post office for the district was urgently needed. With regard to railway facilities, Mr. Aitken said that a large number of people in the countiy districts as far as Ne^v Plymouth, as well as itsidents in Te Aro and Neulown, would be greatly convenienced if the Minister of Railways could arrange for the running of the Manawatu trains to and from Te Aro station. Mr. C. M. Luke said the rapid growth of Te Aro and Cuba-street districts called for better postal facilities than existed at present, and he emphasised the jirgumeiits of the Mayor with regard to the extenron of the Manawalu train service , to Te Aro. Messrs. R. Ayres, J. Godber, and W. \ H. P. Barber, and G. Winder, as Cubai street business men, complained of . the 3 inadequacy of the existing postal 'and telegraph arrangements in their district. \ Tvlr. J. Hutchen urged the Minister to , construct a goods shed and a siding for f timber in connection with Te Aro rail- , Avjy station. Replying to the deputation, Sir Joseph | Ward said the request for the erection t of a post office in Te Aro had his entire , support. As a matter of fact, the need for an up-to-date office for tha* district had been upon his mind since January , of 1899. Since that time the officers of the department had inspected no fewer , than twenty-six independent sites in the ' district. But the trouble was the price [ demanded for the siles. He would like . to give the district an up-to-date post ' office if a desirable site could be obtained at a reasonable figure. Tfc was a peculiar thing that 'when th"c Government wanted a thing the price for it Trent up with a bound. (Laughter.) Continuing, Sir Joseph said he would also like to see the train facilities asked tor extended to Te Aro, but, as they already knew, there were certain difficulties to be overcome before this could be carried out. It was no fault of the Munawatu Railway Company that these difficulties could not be overcome. The matter was fur too important to be lost sight of, and, as Minister of Railways, he could assure the deputation that if a plan by which the difficulty could b& overcome**could be arrived at, they should have oi dinar j', as well as through traffic, extended from the Manawatu line to Te Aro station as soon as pcs-ible. (Laughter.) There waanother mailer, arising out- of facilities for railway passengers, to vhich' Sir Joseph .said he would like to refer with out any desire to open up an old controversy. If the Cily Council could tee its 'way lo remove ths sheds at present fatthe General Post Oliicc, he would like to have a stopping place for trams arranged upon thai site " Remove those sh.ds^" said Sir Joseph, addi easing the Mayor, " ar.d in a reasonable time you ■will have a Stopping place there for passer.»cr li lins." Reverting ajuin to the subjecls brought before him by the deputation. Sir Joseph said he could not iinse any fal'c hone-> with regard to the desire for a lailv. ay goods shed at Te Aro. It was undesirable, and it would be unworkable to havp two goods sheds in one centre. But if the opportunity arose, and land — a thing very much wanted at the southern station — could be 1 obtained, he would see that a siding for i coiil ar.d timber v. as provided > oli the > railway station. ■(Applause.) ! Mr. Atkinson, on behalf of the deputa- • tion, thanked the Acting-Premier for his • courle-y and the sympathetic way in • which lie had met its requests.