MANAWATU SPRING SHOW

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 108, 3 November 1926, Page 13

MANAWATU SPRING SHOW

BROPOSALS for the deviation of the railway line through Palmerston North have been in the air for many years, and various t _, schemes have been advanced from time/to time. The Government, lowever, , has now definitely decided on the Boundary road deviation, and the preliminary work has been commenced. Whatever opinions may have been held previously, Palmerston North people are now generally of the opinion that the decision of' the Government was a wiso one, and Jhat the deviation will have beneficial effects so far as the town of Palmerston North is concerned. Although a start was'made with the deviation work in Juno last, activities ip far have been confined mainly to pick and shovel work, and a visit to the scene of the proposed new route does: not reveal very much. Up to the present only unskilled labourers have been used, the Railway Department putting the work in hand ahead of schedule time in order to provide work for the unemployed in Palmerston North. On an average from thirty to forty •unskilled labourers have been employed, but the time is fast approaching when it will be necessary, if the work is to be pushed ahead, to replace unskilled labour with skilled men, as the work is getting past its preliminary stages. It is understood that steam ■hovels and other mechanical appliances will be brought into use by the Public Works Department as soon as they are released from service on other jobs. .When these appliances are in use progress will naturally be more marked, although it is estimated that it - ill be about three years before the deviation is completed, at least to the extent of taking all traffic passing through Palmerston North. THE NEW EOXJTB. Elsewhere in this number there Is' published a plan showing the route that the new line will take. From this it will be seen that the new Tine will run on the outskirts of Palmerston North instead of through the town's main thoroughfare —tho Square. Actually, trains in future will not run through the Palmerston North borough st all, as tho land which has been acquired by the Railway Department is on the other side, of Boundary road, which, serves as the dividing line between the borough and tlie Kairanga County Council. At present the line, after crossing the Manawatu River, makes a sharp turn at Longburn Junction, and runs in a straight line right through the centre of Palmerston North. The line to Auckland and' New Plymouth makes another sharp turn to the left just beyond Terrace End, and the line to Napier runs straight on from Terrace End to Whakaronga Station, shown on the edge of tho plan. The proposed new route (indicated in the plan by means of a" dotted line) will branch off at Longjburn Junction, proceed in a northerly 'direction until it crosses Boundary road, and then run practically parallel with but about a mile distant from the present main line throu-1- Palmerston iNorth. After running along Boundary road for about four and a half miles ,the : line will link up again with the present Main Trunk line. According to present intentions, the Napier train will branch off just before joining up with the Auckland line, turn sharply to tho Tight, and after traversing about a mile, pick up the present main line to Napier, just beyond Terrace En \ It is not intended, however/that this arrangement should be permanent, as the plans provided for a further deviation in the future. If,that arrangement is carried out, the Napier line will cross the Main Trunk at a point a quarter ef a mile to the north-west of Boundary road, and will cut straight across to Whakaronga Station, and then on |to Napier. This deviation would have . the effect of cutting over a. mile off [the journey, as well as cutting out two y ery sharp turns. As may be gauged from an inspection of the plan on another page, the deviation will not materially shorten the present route, if Jt does at all, but it will have many other advantages which will be apparent to anyone who has a knowledge of Palmerston North. To those who live Jn this prosperous and ever-progressing centre of the Manawatu the most appealing feature will be *the fact that it .will do away with the necessity of Tunning trains through the Square, which is rapidly becoming a remarkably busy centre. Of this advantage, and ,of others that will follow the deviation, more will be said later on in the present article. A RAILWAY CENTRE. Essentially,- the new scheme will mean Jhat the present railway station and yards at Palmerston North Trill go by the board, but they will make their exit without regret on the part of anybody. Jt has long been realised, not only by the general public, but by' the Bail- .-. way Department as well, that the pre-" sent station and yards are altogether inadequate to meet the traffic which passes through Palmerston North, and When it is considered that that traffic • is likely to increase, and increase very materially as the years go by, the necessity for improving the existing facilities will be realised. For some time past Palmerston North people, with a justifiable pride in their town and its importance, have been wont to tell visitors that a hundred trains pass through the Square each day. Figures show that they are not far wrong; in fact, there are days when the century mark is passed. Officials at Palmerston North railway station handle over 100 trains a day, so that it may be judged that they have few moments to spare. Palmerston North is the distributing point for tho Wellington, Wairarapa, Napier, Main Trunk, New Plymouth, and Foxton lines, and trains to and, from those places, with the exception of Foxton, have to pass through the town. That the need for improved facilities is recognised by the Department was demonstrated in 1924, when the Minister of Railways (Mr. J. G! Coates) .jnade the f ollowinsr .remarks in announc-.

ing his programme of improvements and new works:— Palmerston North station-yard is one of the most important links in the North Island railway system. Prom its position aa the central distributing point for traffic from the Wellington, Wairarapa, Napier, Main | Trunk, New Plymouth, and Foxton lines, ita importance will grow commensurate with the North Island traffic. The increase in through traffic requiring facilities for marshalling and sorting wagons for the various lines, and based'on the increase in the North Island traffic, may be put at 100 per cent, in 12} years. The present yards are extremely congested, and Quite inadequate for the business. On the present site improvement* of any consequence cannot be made. With the proposed new yard, adequate facilities for an in- ' creasing traffic can- be given, and at the same time the cost of working largely reduced. THE STATION BUILDING. Plans for the new station yard at Palmerston North have already been prepared, and it is not anticipated that any material departure will bo, made from them as the work progresses. Al- ! though some time must elapse before the work- is completed, Palmerston j North people are already visualising a new and up-to-date station yard, and, j what is more, a new square—a square iin which trains and smoke, and dani ger to pedestrians'have no place. The I new station yard will be one of the j most up-to-date at any railway centre in New Zealand, for every possible facility will be provided for the expeditious and safe handling of the o reat\ volume of traffic which will pass through the station. The new station building, situated almost directly opposite but a mile distant from the present station, will be a handsome structure, and every convenience will be provided for the travelling public. Situated on the western side of Bangitikei street, which runs right through from

take their departure from tho platform immediately in front of the station building. Here two departure docks will be available in addition to provision for dealing with trains makiag use of the main line. There will also be ample provision for dealing wi';h traffice on the arrival platform. At the new station it will be possible to cope with at least four main expresses at the one time, without causing any hold-up in the ordinary traffic. The great advantage arising from this fact will bo realised when consideration is given to the fact that at the present station only one main express can be satisfactorily dealt with at the one time, although on many occasions it has been found necessary to deal with many more. At such times there has been serious congestion, which meant not only delays so far as the travelling public was concerned but a risk of accident —a risk which could

the Square to Boundary road and beyond, the : new station will be very conveniently situated^as it will be possible to reach it by, bus or taxi within five minutes of leaving the centre of Palmerston North. It is anticipated that the Palmerston North Borough Council will provide a fleet of Tmscs to serve the station,-and with a reasonable scale of charges in operation the fact that, the new 'station is some distance from the town of Palmerston North should not be a disadvantage.

Immediately, in front of the station there will be an attractive garden plot, with a roadway on each side so that buses and motor-cars bringing passengers to the station may enter by one side and leave,by the other, establishing a system iof one-way traffic, which will minimise all risk of accident. There will be two main platf?-ms, which will bo connected by means of overhead bridges, one od each side of the station building. All through trains arrive and

only be minimised by the exercise of very great care on the part jf station officials. On.one occasion—it was during v the holiday period, when extra trains are put on to; cope with the increased traffic—no fewer than seven main expresses were due at Palmerston North within a few minutes of each other. It was a real" tangle," and the only way in which the position could be met was by delaying the expresses at various stations in order to postpone their arrival at Palmerston North. One of the expresses was held up *.or forty' minutes, and, no doubt, the unfortunate passenger^ thought anything but kindly of the Bailway Department. delays blame, people, even at holiday time, are excusable, but when inadequate provision for dealing with traffic are to blame, people, even at holiday time, are inclined to be a little critical, and in these days of keen competition even the Government, with its monopoly so far as traffic by rail is concerned, can-

THE RAILWAY DEVIATION

WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO PALMERSTON NORTH,

A VISION OF THE FUTURE.

Already one of the great railway centres of New Zealand, Palmerston North, has not yet reached the zenith of its importance. Towards prosperity the town has walked hand in hand with the flourishing district which surrounds it, and the journey is not yet completed. Those who know Palmerston North and believe in it, visualise the day when it will become a city in every sense of the word, when it will discard the habiliment of sturdy adolescence for that of solid maturity. In the progress of Palmerston North and of the Manawatu, the railway has played a big part, an all-important part, but the day has arrived when the town and the district have outgrown the facilities provided. That fact has been recognised by the Government to as great an extent as it has been by the people of the district, and steps are already being taken to provide facilities which will be more in keeping with the steady progress that is being made. In the articles which appear below there will be found a full description of the work which the Government proposes—shifting of the present railway line from the centre of Palmerston North to a point just outside the borough, and the provision of facilities for the handling of traffic that will be up-to-date in every respect. Attention has also been given in the articles to the effect thait the deviation will have on Palmerston North as a whole.

not afford to give cause for criticism, i When Palmerston North has its new railway station, replete with every appliance for dealing efficiently with all traffic that might come along, delays will not occur, and the public should be satisfied —that is, if it is ever possible to satisfy the public. LOOKING AHEAD. In drawing the plans for the new station yard, the Department has looked well ahead. As indicated in the statement quoted above, the Bailway Department anticipates that the --olume of traffic at Palmerston North will increase at the rate of 100 per cent, in 12} years. While that estimate might be a little on the generous side, there can be no denying the fact that Palmerston North is becoming an increasingly important railway centre. Even if the town' of Palmerston North itself

does not go ahead it is fairly safe to assume that it will always be one of the biggest railway centres in New Zealand, and the necessity for up-to-date railway facilities will also exist. However, the signs aire that th town of Palmerston North has. a future that will be marked by vigorous progress. There is ample evidence that in recent •years —morj particularly irt tho last two —the main town of the Manawatu- has gone ahead in leaps and bounds, and j tho flood tide of its progress has not been reached yet* In the circumstances,' the Bailway Department has acted wisely in making provision not only for the immediate future but for the distant— but not too distant—future as well; THE LOCO YARD. The new loco, yard wiil be to the west of the new station, and here too there will be everything that is needed for the expeditious handling of traffic. Judging by the plans there is a

lot in the remark made to t'.o writer by a railway official at Palmerston North: "We won't know ourselves when we move across to the new yards,'' he said. "You canY see for yourself that we are cramped for room here, but when the change-over is made will have plenty of room to move about. May it be soon!" There is little doubt that the present position at Palmerston North is far from satisfactory, a fact which is admitted quite readily by tho Bailway Department. With so many trains always on the move —local as well as main—shunting operations play a big part in the general work carried on at, Palmerston North, and shunting gangs are engaged day' and night. There is scarcely a minute in the day or night when there is not some form of activity in the yards. Under such conditions, it is essential, in the interests of safety if nothing else, that there should be ample room in which to work. At the present the necessary facilities .do not exist, but in the new yards it will.be different, and if the new state of affairs re- I suits in nothing else it will at least remove a deal of responsibility from the shoulders of those officials who control operations at Palmerston North at the present time. Even at the busiest times there wil be no congestion in tho yards, as the plans provide for everything that will make for efficiency. A large number of car sidings will be provided, and this alone will do away with much of the congestion that ex. ists at the present time. Facilities for the handling of'locomotives will be up-to-date in every way, and will include an elevated coal track, where it will be possible to coal the locomotives with the minimum of delay. This will be one of the most up-to-date appliances in the Dominion. The locomotive shed will also be a feature of the yard, with a turn-table, seventy feet in diameter, in the centre. On cither side of the rise leading up to the elevated coal' track there will be an inspection pit, .each about eighty; feet in length. CARRYING PRODUCE. The goods yard, situated to the east of Bangitikei street, will take up all the land between Bangitikei street and MilsOn's line. If the present plans aire adhered to, tho new yards Bhould meet the needs of Palmerston North for very many years to come. As" a goods distributing centre, Palmerston North is of greater importance than it is from a passenger point of view. As th-j centre of a thriving and productive farming district, Palmerston North handles many thousands pounds worth of produce during a year, and in spite of road competition, keen -as it is, almost the whole of that produce is handbd and carried to its destination by the Bailway Department. In addition the majority of tho produce of Taranaki, Bangitikei, and Hawkes Bay goes through' Palmerston North on its way to Wellington, wh.nce it is finally,despatched to the markets of the world. Producers naturally demand efficiency in the handling of their goods, and in these days of comp-tition farmers are keeping a close eye on the Bailway Department. It says much for the Department that so far it has been able to compete very successfully with prif vate enterprise so- far as the carriage of goods is concerned, but it is realised by the Department that in order to retain the business which they now

enjoy they will have to provide an efficient service. For that reason,. new goods yards at Palmerston North will bo a decided acquisition, as the facilities provided there will enable the Department to give excellent service not only to the producers of the surrounding district but to those further afield as well. 5

The handling of goods will be a much

facility. The entrance to the stockyards will be immediately off Boundary road. Provision has also been made \in the plans for seven warehouse sites, facing Boundary road. These will be served by a branch line. If any criticism can be levelled at the site which has been chosen by the Bailway Department for the new station yards, it is on the score that tho land acquired is low-lying and liable to floods." Two streams —the Kawau and the Mangaonc—run through the land, and iii the past flood-waters from these two streams have rather detracted from the value of the land, which,at times has been reduced to something in the nature of a swamp. The plans which have been prepared by the Bailway Department and the work which will be carried oui by the Public Works Department, however, provide for minimising, if not for . completely | doiug away with, the dangers of floods. The Kawau stream, which runs right through the goods yard, at present takes ' a winding course, but it is proposed to straighten it out and divert its course to some extent. A start has' already been made on this work, that portion of the stream closest to Boundary road having been straightened. Steps will also be taken to erect protection works along the banks of the stream in order to prevent the 'flood waters flowing over. The Mangaone, which in the past has proved to. be even more troublesome than the Kawau and which has caused quite a considerable amount of damage from time to time, will also re-

less complicated ' affair in the new yard. There will be. a spacious goods shed, with the latest loading appliances, and a well-equipped stockyard, as well as horse-loading boxes. Naturally, in such a centre as Palmerston North, the handling of stock is an important part of the railway loading work, and there is no doubt that the new yards will provide every possible

ceive the attention of the Public Works Department, although it- is not. proposed to divert its course at all. In addition, tho low-lying land, where rainwater at present lies about for some days, will be drained, and itisjilso proposed to transfer some of the soil from ths higher country to the east >of Bangitikei street to the lower dying portions. This will be done as soon-

as it is possible to make use of themechanical shovels and other appliances, at present in use on other jobs. When this work is completed,-it is considered that there will be little reason to criticise the site that has. been chosen for the new station yard. The work which will be carried out will also result in other advantages. Particularly will this be so in the case:of.the Mangaone stream. When the floodwaters of this stream are under con* trol, tho value of the land.in the.vicinity will bo greatly enhanced. At present much of it is lying idle, as it has been found that it is not a very profitable investment for farmers on account of its swampy nature. When the improvements arc carried out, it is proposed to cut it up into small sections. These sections, it is anticipated, will be readily taken up, as they will have a very considerable productive value. In addition, they will have tbe^big ad* vantage of being next door to the rail. way, a fact which will very materially; decrease freight charges. The commencement of the deviation work and the apparent intention of the Government to push the work ahead as expeditiously as possible, has already bad the effect of sending up the realisable value of tho land near the new, railway. Those people fortunate, enough to own land, apart from those' who have already received very satisfactory; prices from tho Government, are not ill a hurry to sell, however, but are hold* ■ ing on in the hope that even higher prices will be obtainable in the very near future. The holder of one small

section, near the railway told the writer that already he had been offered'doable the amount he had paid for the section. So the indications are that.values will increase as the deviation becomes more, and more an accomplished fact. Sections on the Palmerston North side of Boundary road should also be in pretty keen demand later on, as the change in the location of the railway; station will mean that small: shopkeepers who at present owe a large proportion of their business to the fact that they are handy to the ■ station, will also .desire a change of location. Boundary road is bound to : have a. quota of small shops, and the possibility of a hotel being erected close to the station is not out of the question. Bangitikei street sections, no ' doubt, will also increase in value, as / there will be a tendency for that street to' become more and more a business centre, particularly so far as the smaller shops are concerned. One of the chief arguments in favour. of the removal of the train route from tho centre of Palmerston North has been the danger to pedestrians and others which the present arrangement involves. With the train passing through the centre of the town,:there are several level-crossings, some of which have proved to be very danger-' ous. The present system of ringing a bell at the approach of each train; has proved fairly satisfactory, but'it has its disadvantages. In the new railway line, level crossings will be eliminated. The train will cross three roads which carry a good deal of traffic —Gillespie's Line, Bangitikei road, and Milson'a Line—and the plans provide for raising the roads in the same manner as has been done in the case of the Hutt Va!--ley deviation. Instead of crossing the road and endangering life and limb, the trains will simply run underneath the road. This method of eliminating level crossings is an expensive one, but it is also one that repays all expense. Of the many level-crossing accidents that have occurred in New Zealand, Palmerston North has had its fair share, but there will be no more when once the deviation is completed. A BAILWAY SETTLEMENT. There is one portion of the, new railway scheme, which is rapidly nearing completion. That is tho railway settlement at Milson. A large area of land has been acquired by the Railway Department, and so far about sixty dwellings for railway employees have been erected. Many of these are already in occupation, and it will not bo very long before tenants are found for the others. The houses are of a very fine type,: and

are really a marked improvement on the well-known type of railway house, tho somewhat drab, hematite-coloured structure, which one sees at every station along tho line. The only manner in which the houses at Milson resemble those houses is in the numbering, but after all the number of a house is but a small matter. The Milson houseshave been painted white, and the new settlement presents quite an attractive picture. Government employees are at present engaged in forming the 'roads,: and drainage, and other conveniences will follow. The new settlement is situated in the Kairanga County but it is anticipated that before very long the Palmerston North Borough will be enlarged so as to include Milson. The Borough Council Tuns a tri-weekly bus service,to,Milson in order that housewives may do their shopping in Palmerston North, .but if the settlement grows much more a,daily service will become a necessity,- although, no doubt, shops will spring up when the population warrants them. Some idea of the size of the new settlement may be gained from the fact that there is already a strong agitation in the district for a school. At present the children aro attending.the Terrace End School, but as that is some distance from the settlement it appears that before very long the,already muchharassed Minister of Education will have to endeavour to find yet another

grant. It is certain at any; rate, .that when the deviation is,completed Milson will be a very big settlement, for in such an important railway ■'■. centre as Palmerston North; some; ■hundreds of men are employed. ..':'. SOMETHING ABOUT THE COST. It may be judged that the deviation will cost a considerable amountv, of money, as in these days work such >as has been outlined above cannot-be-car-ried out without a fairly deep dip into the public purse. lii his 1924 programme of works the Minister;of Railways estimated the '■'■ cost "of 'the deviation at £390,000, arid itis not likely that an estimate made to-day would differ very materially from that made two years ago. As against the figure mentioned there is to be placed the value of the present stations yards. The Palmerston North Railway Facilities Commission estimated the value of the-pre-sent site at £200,000, but the Minister of Railways prefers to be on the safe side. He estimates the value of the present site at £150,000. In addition, it is anticipated that besides providing better facilities for the handling of traffic the deviation and the-new-yard will largely reduce the cost of working. It is estimated that the subsequent deviation of the Napier line from Boundary Toad to Whakaronga . will cost £00;000, but that-portion of the work will not be put in hand for some time. .""'■' EXIT THE TRAINS. What advantages will follow the deviation? Probably ninety-nine out of a hundred Palmerston North people, if they were asked that question would reply: "It will mean that the trains will no longer run through the Square.'' That, if not the main, is certainly one of the big advantages that will follow the altered route. For many years the people of Palmerston did not resent the trains; in fact, they were rather fond of them; they gavo the town; a.busy

appearance. : But that was. when. Palmerston North was niore or less an infant. To-day the town is almost a city, and those who take a pride in;its progress are inclined to the opinion that to have a hundred or so trains rattling through the centre of the town at all son Palmerston North residents are altogether an advantage. For • that ;renson Palmerston North residents are almost unanimously of the opinion that

the Square will be a much, better U<f a much safer place, when the noise art the smoke of the trains are a mile .e'ri so. removed from the main thoroughfare. Probably one thing that will jj«! missed as much as the trains, will fee the ringing of the bell which at present warns all and sundry to stop and lockout for'the engine.- The bell hM done I ■ service "in Palmerston Nortk;'for ''jnmmj^ | years, and it is well deserving>,of^».'. rest. ' Palmerston. North. ..j«tg;rowiii«; very rapidly, both as a residential ana business centre, and it is no nnepmmo» sight to see a long string of traffic held up in the, Square while a traiji goes on its,way. ; ■ ■- ; ;' A NEW SQUARE, i There will be a* new square it Pil«!" merston North when the railway dcvi». tion is It will be- quieter, cleaner, and safer, and if the preseni Borough Council has' its way, more bcaUtiful. With the trains out of the way and with/the improvement* sag- . gestcd by- the council an accomplished fact the square should be a place if beauty^ ■;' The. Mayor of Palmers»o_ North (Mr. F. J. Nathan) thinks tbjtt it will be unrivalled by anything of it* kind in New Zealand.; The '; Borough Council; proposes, when the deviation ;i« effected, to form Fitzherbert and ■- fiSja* gitikci streets into one big boulevard* The same will be done with Main street east and Main street west,, through which the present railway, runs. WhwC the work is carried out there will: be]» circular plot in the centre of the square, in which will stand the very handsome monument which at present standi in between, .the .two railway lines—far from an .ideal, position. In- the 4rat place, its beauty is hot seen to advantage, and in the second it is in dan* gcr of becoming very much defaced hyj smoke and soot. The four corner plot* of the square will not be altered, -bit with a; wide open space between than their natural beauty will be much more apparent. Just opposite the post office, in front of the present bus shelter, there will be an "island," at-whieh passengers will alight from or board the buses, which are becoming more and more numerous in Palmerston North, Generally, the square will be an erea greater attraction than it it at present. It should be explained that the plans as outlined ' above are only tentative, as the 'present council naturally has no power to decide the policy of a council which swill.' follow '.it; but it is pretty, safe to assume that any body, of rain with the interests of Palmerston North' at heart- will not hesitate to confirm the proposals. GOOD TOE BTJUNEM. When the deviation was first s«ggested there were some who held the opinion that it would tend to strike,,* blow at the business centre of Palmerston North, but opposition to the scheme on that score is rapidly fading away. When the writer was in Palmerston North recently he took advantage of the opportunity to disease this .aspect of the matter with several prominent business men, and they1; were all of the opinion that the removal of the train line from the square would be advantageous, is many ways. They; held the opinion that instead of reeeiv* ing a setback business Would receive-a decided impetus. One business man,'* partner in a large drapery establishment, said that many tourists who at present did-not leave the train at Palmerston North would be induced to-do so when the new railway station?wit erected. In support of that argument he recounted an experience he had;had while he was abroad. He spoke to <tw» different people, who had-conf eased that they had not bothered to leave the teals at Palmerston North, as they had teen all of the town they desired to see froaa the carriage windows as the train went through the square. Another reaaen why business men think that.the deviation will be advantageous is that the new line will open up quite a lot of land and thus increase the population of the town. It is also anticipated: that Palmerston North will tend to become mora and more an industrial centre when improved railway facilities are provided* There is plenty of land available for the erection of factories, land, by the way, which will, have the big advantage of being next door to the railway; line. Probably to picture Palmerston North as a big industrial centre iaio take rather a long peep into the'futare, but those who believe that the town ii destined to play its part in the development of the secondary industries of the Dominion point to the fact that a start has already been made, and that several factories are at present operating. The Mayor is a firm believer in the futnre of Palmerston North as an industrial centre. '■..■>' i A big industrial area must follow

the railway (he said to the writer). There is ample land available, and any business that starts will have the great adyantage of railway, communication to all parts" of the North' Island. Down near Togel street there are already, pipe works, and two big oil tanks, in addition to the municipal gasworks and eleetrie light departments. The residential .area down that way is already growing, as may be judged from 'the fact that . there is already an agitation for a school. . So far as the present shopping -centra of Palmerston North is concerned, it 'is not anticipated that the deviation of the train route will bring about any material changes. Business people think that the major portion of the .shopping will still be carried on in the square, which will still be regarded aa the centre of Palmerston North,' ia spite of the removal of the railway* If there is any alteration it will be^a the direction of increasing the number of shops. Bangitikei street, which will be the main approach to the new railway station, will become more important from a shopping point of view, par* ticularly so far as small shops are concerned. _ As has been indicated - elsewhere in thia article, Boundary roa4 will also have its quota of small shopa.