WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8545, 27 March 1908, Page 8

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

■■.. - • _—:—♦— ■-—.—-.'.. PASSENGER , AND MAIL SERVICES. Per Press Asscciation. WELLINGTON, March 27. The Wellington Harbour Board yesterday decided to obtain a «eport from its officers on the matter of providing improved facilities for mail (and therefore passenger) connection between the railway trains and steamers trading between Wellington and Lytteltoir; The Board was prompted in the matter by a letter from the-Postmaster-General, asking what improved facilities would be given for the delivery of mails from vessels engaged in the ferry service. A long discussion took place concerning the improvements that are , necessary at the- port in connectionwith the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers travelling between the two Islands. It was pointed out that this matter had now become one requiring attention. The Chairman (Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., stated that it might be found necessary to restrict one portion of the wharves entirely for. the use of ferry steamers when the North Island Trunk Line was completed. Considerable alteration would be made by the railway Department in the existing station arrangements. He euggested that it might be possible to devise a scheme whereby the ferrysteamers would always be berthed at one of the new'wharves to be erected near Pipitea Point, thus allowing arrangements to_ be made for running the railway trains and city tramcars directly alongside the steamers on: their arrival, and immediately prior to their departure. It was mentioned during the discus-, sion that the Board's engineer had, on many occasions prior* to the development of the Board's wharfage scheme now being carried out, waited on the Government and asked for information as'-.to the intentions of the Railway Department with regard to improvements which it was obvious would have to be made sooner or later, but the engineer could not get any satisfaction from the Government on this question, and the wharfage scheme had to proceed without regard r to the requirements of the Department.