RAILWAY CHANGES

Grey River Argus, 27 February 1925, Page 6

RAILWAY CHANGES

GOVERNMENT CONDEMNED. BY BOROUGH COUNCIL. CR. BATY IN DEFENCE. At the meeting of the Borough Council last night Ihe Mayor referred to the result, of the deputation which had waited upon the Minister of Railways (lion J. G. Coates) with regard to the railway removals from Greymouth. ITis Worship covered the ground of the Hon Minister’s reply to the deputation very fully, and expressed regret that the visit of the delegation was not more fruitful than it was. Cr J. O’Brien, M.P., who was a menihei’ of the delegation, stated that he had expected the delegates would have put more "kick" into their requests. As it was, the delegation had merely received a promise that the railways would he run as efficiently as before. The Minister had expresod certain difficulties the Department was experiencing in the administration of the railways fTom a traffic point of view. He (the speaker) had certainly expected more as an outcome of the deputation. The West Coast section of the Now Zealand Railways could not be run without a Traffic Manager. Tie did not care if the Commission reported otherwise. Tie firmly believed the Traffic Alan a ger, and the 'Gi’eymouth staff wore of that opinion also. Cr O’Brien expressed the opinion that the railway authorities w’ould find the new order of things unworkable, and it ’was wrong to have placed Greymouth in the position it ’had placed in. Cr McGinley : Did the Canterbury people help 110 deputation at all? The Mayor: No. * Cr McGinley: No, they have got all they wanted. They have got The tunnel through. Cr Greonslade expressed the opinion that the people of Greymouth had a right Io feel aggrieved at the attitude 'he Minister had adopted. A previous deputatio? had been informed by the TH on. R| F. Bollard That the Commission ’s report would not bo given effect, to, and Mr Coates had stated that nothing would be done until ‘Me had received :> Groymoiith deputation on the master., y the matter was being gone on with the whole time. Tt had been reported in the papers that the report was a very enlightening one. That xva.-- not his (the speaker’s) idea at all. Tie fell that the people should express themselves strongly and in m> u nc<'rt ain voice. They should help he Member for the District in making their wants felt. • ‘Disgraceful.’ ’ Cr Greonslade then referred to the decision off the Government to expend £.380 on renovating the Police Station Tl was disgraceful. Wo would have to fight for our rights; otherwise wo would got lof 4 . Mayor: A dopntnU on the Minister on Wednesday in regard to that. Cr Baty: Is it not unfair, seeing that the Government has gone to the expense of bringing out the Commission. which has cost the country £BOOO. in going on like this? Why not lot the Government try out the recommendations first, rather than go on criticising them like this? T can’t bring myself to think that xvo are acting wisely, and T see no sense in bully-ragging the Government as we are doing. Wo are tearing the Government to tear their own efforts down. T think wo should wait until, the scheme has been given a trial. It is right to stick up for the West Coast, but arc we sticking up for the West Coast? There have been complaints about the way things are run on the West Const. Now we have a chance of getting a change, we tire going "off a cracker." I think the railway officials should bo lot. alone, and be allowed to try out I heir sreheme.

Cr Doogan thought there was nothing to be gained criticising the scheme, now that the Government had definitely decided to go on with it, "but wo should look out carefully from now on to see if there was any definite improvement. If there was not, then we should see that an alteration was made!" Referring to the Government’s proposal to spend £3BO on the pi< 'on, Cr Doogan said it was little short a disgrace. It was not fair to put any criminal in there for a night, and* that was tb* sort of building that The Government proposed 1 expend £3BO oti . The building was beyond repair, and very strong representation should be made to the Minister for the erection of a new building.