RAILWAY MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 112, 7 November 1912, Page 3

RAILWAY MATTERS

NEW STATION FOR WELLINGTON • Some interesting references to railway matters .were made by the Minister for Bailways (Hon. W. H. Herries) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. In answer to his Bill he said :— The Government is fully alive to the desirability of constructing a new teiminal station at Wellington. So fat, however, as the immediate requirements of the traffic are concerned they can be met in a reasonable way by the existing facilities at Lambipii and Thorndon, Opportunity, is taken of improving • the ac commodation from time to time where such improvement can be utilised in connection with the general station arrangements that will- be required when the new structure is put in , hand. It is intended, that the station to be erected shall be, modern in type and fully equipped to meet all the requirements of, the traffic arriving ;in Wellington by both the Manawatu and Wairarapa routes. It would; cost a considerable sum to make the alterations necessary to enable the suburban trains vow dealt with at Thorndon to run to and from La'mbton Station. The greater portion of the money would, however, be spent on alterations that could not be utilised in connection with ,the new station. The alterations would be very extensive and take several months to effect. It is quite impracticable to attempt to .deal with the traffic from both the Manawatu and Wairarapa lines at Lambton Station under existing conditions 4 and the money that would be heCessary to make the temporary alterations can be utilised to better purposes 1 elsewhere. LOCOMOTIVE RUNNING SHED. Replying to Mr. Wilford, the Minister said :— lt is not practicable to transfer the locomotive running-shed dejtot from Wellington to Petone. If is essential in the interests of economical working that the engine depot should be ih close proximity •to the main station from ,which the bu]k of the train-services commence their running. The establishment of locomotive engine»sheds at Petone would involve at leapt fourteen miles of additional running for each engine required to work a traiu service, and it would, in addition, still be necessary to provide temporary shelter for the engines that had to remain in the town dnring the, interval between trains that, they were required to tun. STOPPAGE AT NGAIO. As to another point raised by Mr. Bell, the" Minister ■ said '.—The * New Plymouth express is invariably a heavy traifi and owing to the heavy grade it would be impossible to stop at Ngaio without the train, losing time, and this would cause delajr and inronvenlenee to the passengers who' travel by the train from Paekakariki which arrives "in Wellington at 3.45 a.m. and which 1 crosses the New Plymouth express at Johnsonyille. The Nanier mail' stops' at Ngaio in accordance with the arrangement th,at the express trains should serve alternate stations. are no mechanical reasons which render it advisable for the convenient working, o£ the train that it should stop at Ngaio. The reasons are all in the contrary direction. QUESTION OF PAY. " t . Included In the Unauthorised Ei> pt&diture Account put before Parity

ment last night are the following items :—: — To pay an allowance sufficient to give a minimum remuneration of 9g per day from the Ist January, 1912, to members of the Second Division and casual employees of the Railway Department, £8158 18s lid. To pay a relatively higher remunera tion to members and casual employee? already in receipt of a rate of pay iii execs? of that p?-id to those whose rates nr* now brought up to a minimum of 5? per day, £2096 5s 7d. To pay a minimum salary or wage to all members of the Railway Department who are tnafripd, or who are widowers with children, of £133 per annum, from the Ist November, 1911, and £140 17b per anhum from Ist January, 1912. £1832 4s 6d. To pay an allowance to members of the Second Division who were in receipt of the maximum rates of pay under thf: Government Railways Act, 1908, to hring their rates of pay a* from the Ist November, 1911, up to tho maxi* mum ratav provided in the schedule to the Government Railway Amendment Act, 1911, for the respective grades. £3702 9s 2d.