NOT WANTEO

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 32, 6 August 1912, Page 2

NOT WANTEO

TE ARO LINE. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, at its monthly meeting, attended by Messrs. A. E. Mabin (chairman), E. G. Pilcher, A. S. Bice, J. M'Lellan, E. W. Hunt, T. Ballinger, C. Jones, F. W. Manton, and T. C. Dawson, passed it resolution urging that the To Aro lme should be closed, in order to prevent further waste of money. Mr. E. G. Pilcher moved — "That representation^ be made to the Minister of Railways urging the closing of Te Aro railway line, with a view to avoiding the great waste of money now incurred in run ning useless trains between the Wellington terminus and the Te Aro station." Mr. T. Ballinger supported the suggestion already urged through th© press —that Te Aro Station should be extended, and a goods station added. At present the passengers were dropped at one. extreme of the city, and had to find their way to the real ■ business centre. Mr. Pilcher saicl that the future traffic to Miramar would be by .sea, and, if the late Government had had the courage of its opinions, the line would have been closed long ago. It was largely a political railway. Mr. M'Lellan said he did not think the population warranted a railwaystation at Te Aro. If a railway were needed there in the future it would have to be brought round the hills from the Manawatu line. Railways running through a city were always bad, and an impediment to traffic. Mr. A. E. Mabin was strongly against overhead railways, as the suggestion had been made to carry the railway overhead. The motion was carried with only one dissentient, Mr. Ballingor.