Evening Post. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1920. TRANSPORT BY RAIL AND ROAD

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 85, 7 October 1920, Page 6

Evening Post. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1920. TRANSPORT BY RAIL AND ROAD

The Central Progress League claims that, in co-operation with members of Parliament, it lias been largely instrumental in accelerating the hydro-electric work at Mangahao and in hastening its inception at Waikaremoana; also, in inducing the Union Company to improve Cook Strait shipping services by replacing the Pateena jwith the Ar&hura iii the Wellington-Picton run, and to promise to put on the Mapourika as an extra steamer between Wellington and Nelson. In the school-building programme the League also claims credit. Without attempting to apportion praise, it' is fair to say that the League has exerted a powerful progressive influence, and that the district, and also the country, are the better for its activity.- Among the big works needed in and about Wellington are: (1) the new railway station, (2) railway duplication between the two Hutts, (3) railway electrification to Upper Hutt, (4) railway deviation (Wairarapa-), (S) railway deviation (Paekakariki), (6) concrete road from Wellington to Petone and ultimately to Upper Hutt. The time is coming when the Central Progress League will have to consider whether it is to draw, up a preference list of these works, so that the most urgent and the most obtainable ■ may be placed first.. All, of course, are urgent, but all are not equally' obtainable.

For instance, the Paekakariki railway deviation is authorised by Parliament, but the Wairarapa railway deviation is not, because the latter is held up by a convenient route dispute that the Government appears to be in no hurry to settle. So long as there is a possibility of a Wairarapa deviation via Petone and Wainui-0.-Mata —a route ably championed by Mr. Coleman Phillips—the railway duplication and railway electrification policies will be held up; because if the through traffic does not travel between Lower Hutt' and Upper Hutt, the case for assisting the suburban traffic there becomes a little less urgent. So perhaps the first need is to concentrate on securing an adequate inquiry that will satisfactorily settle the question of the route of the Wairarapa railway, after which the position of suburban railway duplication and electrification will be seen more clearly. The new Wellington station and Paekakariki deviation remain, and if the Public Works Statement does not meet the situation, the League will be faced with the need of deciding what to fight for,' and of establishing a definite programme. Concrete reading appears to be largely a matter of cement, and is a problem of itself. Apparently there is need of some co-operation between the Hutt Road Board and the City Council, which has now Ratepayer-sanction for its big programme of permanent paving. There must be concrete road progress and railway progress, but the latter will be hamstrung as long as the Wairarapa route problem remains unattacked or unsolved.