Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1923. WELLINGTON COMMUNICATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 109, 9 May 1923, Page 4

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1923. WELLINGTON COMMUNICATIONS

The deputations which met the Minister of Public Works yesterday illustrated by their requests the complexity of the communicfations problems which Wellington has to solve. These problems may be roughly divided into two ; local communication and national communication. Under the heading of local communication we may place all roads, railways, and bridges which provide access to the land which is now, or may become, suburban, or which supplies the immediate needs of the Wellington market for milk, fresh vegetables, and produce usually drawn from a locality near at hand. The national communications are the railways, and also the roads, which link Wellington with other centres, and with those districts which export their produce through the Port of Wellington. Neither of these two communication problems can be said to be of greater importance than the other. If the national roads and railways are improved, the trade of the port will increase, and there 'will be the greater need for hastening a solution of the local problem in order that the workers necessary to handle that trade may be housed, fed, and provided for. j

The national communications have hitherto received the greater prominence because, of course, many people besides the residents of Wellington are interested in obtaining an improvement. Special prominence has been given to the Rimutaka deviation as a means of clearing that line, so that it may handle effectively and cheaply the produce from the Wairarapa, and ultimately, perhaps, from Hawkes Bay. It is pleasing to have a hint from the Minister that a decision upon the route of the deviation is now within sight. The Minister made only the bald announcement that the engineers would probably recommend tunnelling from Cross Creek to join the present line somewhere near Mungaroa. Until particulars are given of the cost, grades, and savings in time, distance, and haulage charges, it is impossible to express an opinion upon this route, which, is not one .of those originally submitted; for consideration. Considerable 'time has been occupied with surveys and the preparation of reports, and it is to be hoped that the Minister will quickly follow up bis hint with a detailed statement— and that commencement of work upon the deviation will not lag far behind the decision. The Minister has had experience of the way in which route-battles are waged, and he can best guard against a renewal of unprofitable discussion by making available evidence in support of his new proposals. The Rimutaka problem is not yet out of the way, for experience has shown that it is one thing to prepare , plans and another to have them carried out. But inasmucfi as plans have been prepared, communication on the Wairarapa side is nearer to improvement than^ communication on the Manawatu line. The Manawatu at present provides the main line oi communication, and its capacity (is seriously taxed by two heavy haulage sections—the Khandallah and Paekakariki hills. To avoid both, tunnelling, according to lay opinion, is necessary. Hitherto there has been no definite engineering opinion given. In urging that this question should receive immediate and serious attention, we are not adopting a merely local view. The Main Trunk line is the backbone of communication in the North Island, and if it is to serve its purpose adequately, it must have no weak points. The road- aspect of national communication cannot be dealt with at length here, except to note in passing that the Minister, having effected a great improvement in the Paekakariki Hill road, apparently considers it unnecessary to proceed immediately with plans for a road which will avoid the hill.

Local communications are to a great extent bound up with the national railways and highways. Better graded access to Paekakariki would open up a considerable area of fertile land, the produce from which has at present to be hauled over stiff grades. There are areas, too, which are. admirably suited for suburban settlement. Indeed, they have their quota of town workers now, in spite of the transport difficulty. On the other side of the hills the suburban area is rapidly extending, but it is hindered at some points by the difficulties of communication. If the Rimutaka deviation is to commence at Mungaroa, the new line will not have the bearing upon suburban transit which some other suggested routes would have had. It will be necessary, therefore, to deal with these suburban problems separately. The deputation yesterday proposed the erection of bridges at Hay wards and one other point, so that residents of Stokes Valley and Taita might obtain access to the

railway without having to go several miles out of their way. That is one proposal for solution, but another that has been made is that an electric line on a good road, with motor service should be laid through the settled portion of the Hutt Valley, providing access all along its route. The question is, briefly: is it better to build bridges so that residents may reach the railway on the side of the valley, or to construct a line up the middle of the valley ? We should like to see an expert opinion upon this question.