RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 7

RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

SUBWAYS AND BRIDGES. GOVERNMENT AND COUNCILS.

The effect of railways passing through cities and towns on a level with the streets was discussed at the Municipal Conference to-day in connection with two remits. The first was moved as follows by Mr. R. Milligan (Oamaru) : That steps be taken by the Municipal Association of New Zealand to induce the Railway Department to protect the public at level crossings in boroughs. Both the mover and other delegates | complained •of the danger to the public from theso crossings, and stated that representations had been made to tho Railway Department without effect. The motion was adopted. A kindred aspect of the question came up in the following remit, moved by Mr. E. A. Ranson (Dannevirke) : That this conference express an opinion that it is desirable to amend the Act, by which it may be made lawful for borough or city councils to contribute towards the construction of sub-ways on railway property. — (Dannevirke. ) The mover explained that at Dannevirke, through the extension of tho railway station and yards, over 25 per cent, of the population of the borough had been cut off from easy access to the station. They were prevented from crossing the line. The department had been approached with a view to a subway being constructed under the lineThe reply was an offer to erect an overhead bridge, but this was not satisfactory. The council offered to contribute £300 towards the cost of a subway, but subsequently found that it had not authority to spend £300 on railway property. Mr. C. E. Mackay (Wanganui) sec--onded the motion, saying he was in favour of boroughs contributing towards subways which were to their advantage. Mr. Charles Allison (Christchurch) related the experience of the City of the Plains with the Railway Department. He did not think it was the duty of the municipality to contribute to what was reall3 T the work of the department. There had been constant trouble in Christchurch. They had tried to get subways, and £1000 had been offered as a contribution, but nothing had been done, but "to keep the matter steadily in view." (Laughter.) It was an outrageous proposal to ask the municipality to contribute, when the streets were in existence before the railways came. The Government should be called upon to do the necessary work. A Dunedin delegate stated that the City Council there had wood-blocked an overhead bridge over the railway line and contributed £40 per annum towards the upkeep. The Tailway had cut off a good deal of the reclaimed land there. The motion was rejected.