DEPUTATIONS TO THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7303, 15 April 1885, Page 5

DEPUTATIONS TO THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Advantage was token of the presence in 'town of the Hon. Mr. Richardson, the Minister of Public Works, to interview him on a number of subjeots, and he was accordingly waited on by neveral deputations. KAIHO VALLEY BAILWAY COMPANY. A deputation, consisting of Mr. R. C. Barstow (Chairman of the Company), Mr. E. Waymouth (Secretary), the Hon. K. Mitchelson, M.H.R., Mr. J. M. Dargaville, M.H.R., tho Hon. H. Chamberlin, and Messrs. T. Morrin, 6. A ickin, and H. Brett, waited on the Hon. ' the Minister of Public Works. '• The Hon. Mr. Mitchelson called the' at* tention of Mr. Richardson to the disabilities under which the company laboured. Through defective legislation they were unable to avail themselves of their endowments as security for their ; debentures. In the last session a similar reason was urged by Sir Julius Vogel why the Government should relieve the district railway companies in the South either by enabling them to finance or to take the lines over altogether. Another difficulty was an error made in the estimated cost of the railway by the engineer sent frem Wellington. He greatly under-esti-mated the actual cost, having only made a flying survey. They therefore asked", the Government to amend the contract so as to correct what was obviously an error of calculation. Failing this, it would be difficult to finance for the construction of the line. Already over £10,000 bad been expended by the company, under the impression that they would be able to finance in the manner prescribed by the Act, but unless tho difficulties he pointed oat were removed, the compuny would have to suspend operations. Or as an alternative'coarse, the Government might; guarantee debentures, thus enabling them to construct a section of, • say, fifteen miles of the line. Were this done, and, say, 4j per cent, debentures to the extent of £50,000 guaranteed by the Government, the company would be able to proceed. The line was a most important one, as it would! open up more than 25,000. acres of Crown land to which thare was no access at present and the increased value given to the block by the railway would repay the whole cost of construction. < • ■■'■■ " - '• Mr. flxcHAADsoKsaidbe felt assured the Government would be averse to entertaining any proposals which would involve the granting of further concessions to the company. As to amending what be admitted to be a mis- ! taken estimate of the cost of the work it would be necessary to ' ask the consent of Parliament, and as private contracts for the : construction of railways were not popular in the House, he questioned whether any relief would be obtained there. He would, however, consult the Government as to a Government (guarantee being given to £50,000 worth of the company's debentures, at not exceed' ins; four per cont., but in the present disturbed state of affairs abroad,' no Minister | could pledge himself in regard, to finance. This part of the question would rest. largely with fthe Colonial Treasurer, f Mr. Knorpp had gone carefully into the matter, and from his report he gathered that £50,000, in addition to the £10,000. already expended, would construct the first portion of the lino and open it for traffic, and then the company could avail themselves of a proportion of their endowments in terms of the contract and complete'the lino. . alternative USE TO PENHoae. ■, The deputation brought under the consideration of the Hon. Mr. -. Richardson the question of constructing an alternative line to Penrose. - ....,■■'>■ • v-. ■ .i.;i;:->.'i-:. : ; Mr. Dargaville mentioned that during last session he had asked a question on the subject, and he, Mr. . Riohardson, had promised that it would be undertaken without delay, if practicable He asked now what Iliad been done, and to what stage the matte:: had now arrived, and whether ho could see his waj to proceed at once with this work ? Mr.' Riohaedhon said this was one of the matters which had brought him to Auckland. The surveys had been made, bat an unexpected difficulty had arisen,, as the Harbour Board had made a claim for compensation, ' which he considered exorbitant, for a portion of the foreshore at Mechanics' Bay. Unless the Harbour Board modified their claims, it would be necessary to ask Parliament for power to take the land for tho construction of the line, an he could noli yield to the Board's present demands. That difficulty removed, he would 'be' able ; to ascertain what was best to be done in the matter, , with the . reservation that, under present circumstances, no Minister could pledge his Department to any financial operations. .'•', > The deputation thanked the Hon. Mr. Richairdson, and retired. ' ! •' "■'■*"& '•' ■' RAGLAN. )}l^'.'.', ;,"-..v A deputation from Raglan, consisting of the Eton. H. Chamberlain, Messrs. T. B. Hill, W. Duncan (J.P.), W. Powell (J.P.), Bridginan, and J. K. McDonald, waited today oik tho Minister of Public Works, at the Supreme Court Buildings, with reference to the erection of a bridge and wharf at Raglan. Messm. Chamberlain, Hill, and Duncan, who aoted as spokesmen for the deputation, urged ■ very persistently upon Mr. Riohardson the necessity of doing something for the district. In the end the Minister promised that if a formal application was sent to him it would receive his closest attention, ; ... I

. FLAG STATION AT PARNELL. ] Yesterday a deputation, consisting of Mr. Moss, M.H.R., Captain McKenzie (Mayor of Parnell), Messrs. Wicks, Ireland, Kidd, Gilbert, and Jeuiie, waited on the Hon. the Minister of Public Works.- ' Mr. Maxwell was also present. The object of the deputation was explained by Mr. Mots, namely, to have a flag -station fixed at Parnell. The necessity for such accommodation was stated by Mr. Moss, and it was urged by the members of the deputation that as there are no omnibuses or trams to suit many of the morning trains, passengers arriving at the Auckland station had no remedy but to take their portable luggage and walk back to their homes in Parnell. Now that the station was about to be removed to Auckland Wharf, the necessity for a station at Parnell was still greater. The chief objection was the steepness of the grade and the - difficulty of stopping and storting trains on it. It was admitted by Mr. Maxwell that the delay need not exceed live minutes on the passenger trains, and the deputation did not ask that luggage trains should stop here, so that five minutes was the maximum, and the whole matter resolved itself into overcoming this five minutes' difficulty.—Mr. Gilbert stated that he had watched the trains taking children to school within the six weeks, and getting good speed on up hill in a minute or two. He had. been also speaking to an engine-driver, who told him he never found any difficulty in Parnell Rise, and wondered why the Parnell people bad not a station long ago. Mr. Grilbert asked that a temporary platform might be constructed as a trial, and if it was not found to answer it would cost little, and could be discontinued.—Mr. Richardson promised to give the matter his consideration. >>'