TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 96, 23 April 1912, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Wellington has three small railway stations, Mrich very Wellingtons imperfectly serve the Railway public convenience and Stations. comfort, and a new central one is promused. That promise has been carried forward from one year to another, but it is understood now that the plans aro fairly complete for a main station in the Lambtou quarter. Citizens may differ much about the " contraluees " of euch a site now that the southern halt of the city and the adjacent &ub urbs haveexpanded so much in population, but it seems that the Government has practically committed itself to tho use of land in Ihe Lambton locality. This schame will put the old Lambton and Thorndon stations out of action, and vb is feared in some quarters that the Te Aro station may also be closed. Time was when the nuisance of a railway along Jervois-quay forced many of Wolhngton's citizens to believe that the disadvantage was much in excess of the benefit, but in recent years the posbibilities of a more extensive use of +-his station have helped to remove the old prejudice. The Chamber of Commerce discussed this subject recently, and is to debate it again in a few days. We should like to see other bodies, particularly the City Council and the Harbour Board," assisting in the study of this question. Here is an opportunity for the thoughtful town-planner to raise a voice. How about the possibility of a railway extension some day beyond Mount Victoria? Five or six years ago such a suggestion was regarded as ,» dream theory,, but he would bo a hold man who would pcoff to-day at tho possible need of such an extension within the next two decades. The population to the southward beyond Newtown, and 011 j *£?,, Mirani^r Peninsula, Hataitai, and Kilbirnie will be very large within twenty years unless the progress of New Ziealand as a whole is severely checked— but. we see no reason why the country should not continue to advance steadily. However, even if the men of today are uot willing to take such a long-distance view of Greater Wellington's development, it is a fact that the To Aro station could be made to servo <i very useful purpose, especially iv goods traffic, for a large section of the city's population. It ie a 'big subject, demanding the attention of all who wish to secure all reasonable railway facilities for Wellington. The best procedure would be by conference of delegates from commercial and industrial associations and local bodies.

How many citizens of Wellington knew m, n ... . what was in the lne Citizens League mind of the and Mr. Biss. Citizens' Leaguo when it bogan it« campaign as a Mayor-maker? How many know now? We presume that two members of the executive had some object when, they started the controversy which must have amused the public, though the league manifestly desired to be taken seriously in this matter. Ac the league apparently wished to help Mr. Smith to win, we may deduce, without the perspicacity of , a Sherlock Holmes, that the league would be interested in tryingi to obstruct the course of Mr. Biss. Therefore Mr. Bks is in vited, in effect, by the league to consider himself embarrassed, liindered, confused, checkmated, by the league's use of the pen in our columns. Also, if Mr. M'Laren wins to-morrow, Mi v . Biss, at the request of Mr. E. C. Jack, a member of the Citizens' League Executive, is to hold himself responsible. It will not be the fault of Mr. Smith, nor Mr. Wright. Mi-. Bks alone is .to be the scapegoat; on his devoted head alone the vial of wrath is to be poured. "The citizens will have to thank him (Mr. Biss)," says Mr. Jack, and by "citizens" he seems raiher to mean the public than the , members of the Citizens' League. Unhappily for the league, it underestimated the fighting strength of Mi-. Biss, who was easily able to throw hie critics into a confusion, which ha» given some cause for merriment to all classes of citizens. The league blundered into a zone of fire, and is not yet out of range of the guns. Supporters of tho Labour candidate profess to .see in the league's muddlement a. cauee why tho electors should pray to be safeguarded from a "business man." The leaguo has certainly exposed itself to a gibe from Labour, but the citizens barely need any reminder — after Mr. Biss'6 own criticism of the league's procedure— that he is not answerable for the league's peculiarities. What the league has done or not, done hae nothing to do with Mr. Bies as a candidate for tho Mayoralty of Wellington. He stands clearly beforo the people with no sectional tag attached to him. He is not the nomineo of any league or any close, political, industrial, or any other one.