TE ARO LINE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 111, 10 May 1912, Page 3

TE ARO LINE

SUPPORTERS TAKE ACTION PETITION TO BE CIRCULATED. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt presided over a meeting of persons sympathetic towards th 6 development and improvement of the Te Avo railway station, at the Tiffin tea rooms yesterday afternoon. The meeting was convened by the Wellington Railway Extension and Improvement League. About thirty were present. In outlining what had been done in the past, the chairman remarked that the then Minister for Railways objected to the establishment of a goods shed at Te Aro, as there was no space, but the difficulty regarding tho dock had altered the position. The line was at present almost a dead letter, for the trains were generally empty, except on holidays and in the mornings and evenings. A somewhat noisy minority desired the pulling up of the line, but apparently there was nothing to fear on that score, as it was included in the plans for the new station. It was very desirable that the line should be developed for the use of future industrial areas, which would bo useless without the railway. It was surprising the number of people who had offered assistance in the matter, and he believed they were in a large majority. The Mayor of Miramar (Mr. H. N. M'keod) urged that every facility should be given to Te Aro to meet the requirements of the large area in the south. THE CENTRE OF THE CITY. Mr. J. P. Luke endorsed the remarks of the chairman. The first meeting, he said, had not been called in a hole-and-corner manner, but something must be done if they wore to circumvent those who desired the railway facilities to be concentrated at the other end of the city. Evans Bay and the Miramar peninsular would be the centre of the city's industries, and if the railway were removed the city's industries must go elsewhere. Their first step must be the improvement of conditions, at Te Aro, which was the centre of the city. If they did not take the bull by the horn* their opportunity would pass away. Mr. F. G. Bolton emphasised the fact that this proposed central station would be a long distance from where threefourths of the city was situated. The Harbour Board had a report by its engineer, in which it was suggested that a wharf should be constructed between the Clyde-quay and Taranaki-street wharves, to which mail trains should be run, and to which the Lyttelton and Sydney steamers should berth. Mr. Marchbanks was a very capable engineer, and he would not advocate such a scheme without full reason. It was not asked that the only goods shed should be at Te Aro, as it was recognised that there would have to be facilities elsewhere. This was not a parochial matter; it 'was a. question of the interests of threefourths of the people of the city. AN INDUSTRIAL AREA. Mr. B. Dawson, ex-Railway Traffic Manager, said there was now ample room for a goods-shed at Te Aro and also for a very large amount of traffic, but, , if all kinds of traffic were to be dealt with, the dock site would have to be utilised. It would be a ridiculous thing to take up the Te Aro line; the pressing demand was for goods traffic. The Hon J. E. Jenkinson remarked that if a league could educate people to the idea that the main terminal station should be at Te Aro, it would do good. The destructor would have to be shifted, as the present site was too valuable, and the. area would be useful for the railway station. The City Engineer had agreed that the destructor could be taken to Adelaide-road, but he foresaw a difficulty in removing the pumping (station. The speaker did not consider the cost at all prohibitive. What Mr. Marchbanks suggested was that if the Railway Department made Te Aro the terminal station, the Harbour Board would probably construct a new wharf at the point indicated by Mr. Bolton. It was not suggested that the deep-sea traffic should be brought to Te Aro. There was no doubt that the railway must eventually go to Miramar. If Wellington were to occupy the premier position, the peninsula as an industrial centre must be availed ot. The authorities must consider the claims of Te Aro. Messrs. W. H. P. Barber, D. Robertson, F. Townsend, W. J. Thompson, and others, supported the league's proposals. On' the motion of Mr. J. P. Luke, seconded by Mr. F. G. Bolton, it was decided that all present become members of the league. The subscription was fixed at ss. The committee -of the league consist's of Messrs. J. P. Luke, W. J. Thompson, H. N. M'Leod, A. Leigh Hunt, F. G. Bolton, T. Ballinger, D. Roberteon, F. Townsend, G. Winder, W. J. Gaudin, and J- Brodie, with power to add to its number. THE PETITION. The petition to the Minister of Railways is as follows :—"(1): — "(1) In view of the great expansion of industrial and commercial interests and growth of population in Central, South, and East Wellington and suburbs, and of the inveyitable extension of the railway at no distant date, an improvement of the Te Aro Railway Station both in respect of passenger traffic and goods facilities is most urgent. (2) The Te Aro Station is situated near the geographical centre of the city. (3) The develop ment and improvement of the Te Aro Station must necessarily remove the present acute disabilities suffered by the majority of the citizens owing to the present main railway stations being situated at the extreme northern end of the city. (4) The suggestion of the Harbour Board Engineer to provide special wKarf facilities near the Te Aro Station for the Lyttelton and Sydney ferry traffic further justifies the requests contained in this petition (5) The heavy cost of carriage of goods to and from tho Lambton and Thorndon Stations \yimld be greatly reduced by the establishment of agpads-shed at Te Aro. Your peijti«feTstherefore humbly pray — (1) that the mail and other passenger trains may be run to and from Te Aro Station, and (2) that a goode-shed may be established at Te Aro Station."