THE WELLINGTON-HUTT RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 14, 17 July 1905, Page 6

THE WELLINGTON-HUTT RAILWAY.

IMPROVEMENTS PROGRESSING AND PROPOSED. MINISTER WILL NOT FIX TIMELIMIT. SUGGESTED TRAMWAY SCHEME. A deputation of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, headed by Mr. H. Beauchamp, waited this morning on the Minister for Railways (Sir Joseph Ward) to urge the prosecution, of several public works, the principal being the duplica tion of the Wellington-Hutt railway line. Mr. Beauchamp stated that the Chamber had organised the deputation for nonparty purposes, and in the public interest. He personally had reason to believe that there had been a considerable amount of expenditure on the work, and he knew that a tender for stone and rubble to the amount of about £20,000 had just been accepted for carrying on the work on the Wellington side of Petone. While admitting that it was difficult for a Minister to fix a time-limit for such a work, he hoped to hear the Minister say that -it would be completed within eighteen 1 months or two years. Mr. Nathan advocated that, in view of the congestion and rents in Wellington, the Government 6hould, while straightening the line, also make room for putting down an electrical tramway service. He quite recognised that the Government' would not allow a tramway as a competitor, but thought that the Government might see its way to itself put down a tramway, especially as tramway projects at the Hutt and Petone were afoot, and it would not need a very long track to join them with the city. ELECTRICAL TRAMWAY OR MOTOR CAR. The Minister stated that the work had been pushed on under the authority which Parliament had given. He could only tell the deputation what he had previously told the Mayor of Wellington and the member for the district — that £43,500 had been expended out of that authority in actual work on the track. That sum had nothing to do with the building of the new railway stations, which did not come : out of that vote. A contract had just been let for about £20,000 for stone, the quarry for which the Government had provided itself,' saving what he considered the extravagant cost of getting a quarry near the railway line. Money had also been required to acquire lands. Nothing had been left undone to push forward the work under the authority given. He would not undertake to say when it would be completed, that being dependent on circumstances arising during the progress of such a work, but he would do his best to push it forward. If anything was done in the direction of putting down an electrical tramway, it would be done by the colony, and legislative action would be taken to see that it was done by no one else, as after all this expenditure the Government could not allow the competition of a private electrical tramway. He thought that it would be found that a' motor car service could be established that would meet all the requirements of train traffic between Wellington and Hutt, which would save the cost of rails and formation. THE CITY'S RIGHT TO EXTEND. Mr. Duthie, M.H.R. (who had come in while the Minister was speaking, referred to the Minister's remark that he would not consent to the extension of tramways from Wellington to Petone. The Minister: Electric tramways. Mr. Duthie contended that the electric tramways ought to go as far as from Wellington to Kaiwarra He hoped the Government would not prevent that. The Minister : Our business as controlling the State property is to see that the railways get all the business they can. Mr. Duthie s But there is the public convenience. The Minister : We will not allow anyone to take away our traffic after expending £30,000 or £40,000 of the country's money. The Minister added that if necessary he would give effect to this in an Act of Parliament. Mr. Duthie re-emphasised the right ot Wellington and Kaiwarra to inter-corn munication. The Minister remarked that, if thai was allowed, the Government could not refuse the Petone people the right to come dowii from the other end to Kaiwarra, thus completing a system com petitive .with the railway. Mr. Duthie argued that the Welling ton extension would save time on the railway run, as it would avoid the necessity of stopping at Kaiwarra. Mr. Nathan emphasised the need ot quicker communication with the Huti. The Minister : It will be quick on tht railway, all right. Mr." Nathan : But we want constant communication. The Minister replied that, in time, there would be nothing to prevent the Government turning the whole railway into an electrical system. Mr. Beauchamp: That has been done in some places — electrify it. The Minister assured the deputation that the new formation would provide any quantity of room for road, footpath; bike track, railway, and electric tramway if necessary. I THE WORK: REDUCTION OF CURVES. The acceptance of the tender referred to above, for supply of stone — no doubt by scows — from the Railway Department's quarry on the other side of the harbour, foreshadows the commencement of work along the sea-line. The plans for the Wellington-Petone section show that the railway will be "straightened" in bo far as there &ill be no curve gieater than a, 20-chain radius. At pre*nt there are some 5-chain curves, which mean wear and tear and delay. A 20-chain curve will, the Minister for Railways states, allow the trains to run as fast as on a straight line. Along the line, reclamations will bo made, and toes of hills cut otf, as required for the purpose stated; 1 but the general idea of a- perfectly straight line to Petone, with a promenade and a seawall and boats lying at anchor in deep water, is, of course, moonshine. By far the principal reclamatior will be between Pipitea Point .and Kaiwarra, outside the present esplanade. Here a great acreage of city j land, worth perhaps quarter-of-a-million, ! is proposed to be reclaimed; but tke exact area< is not available. Out of this made land, adjacent to high-priced Wellington, it ds thought that the work will finance itself. Going along the coast) the duplicated line wiH possibily lie on average a chain or a chain and a half seaward of the present railway line, allowing of an area. 80ft wide for road, footway, biko track, motor car or tramway track, etc. Mrs. Mary Ann O'Neill, of Wadestown, has been admitted to the Hospital, suffering from a self-inflicted wound in tho throat. Mrs. O'Neill, who is 65 years of age, has not been Jn good health for some time. On Friday alie went out to Petone, and whilo there it is said that she obtained possession of a butcher's knife and attempted to cut her throat. Dr. Harding attended to her injury, and she was then removed to the Hospital, where ' she lies in a oritical condition.