SIR J. WARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12241, 9 April 1903, Page 5

SIR J. WARD.

CANTERBURY DEPUTATIONS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Cheistohtjkcii, "Wednesday. Sir J. G. Ward came up from the South last night, and leaves for the North to-night. Ho was waited on to-day by numerous deputations, and proved to be in a complaisant mood, meeting most of the .speakers _ halfway with ready sympathy. The majority of the deputations must have gone away with the conviction that they would get all they asked. Among other requests to Sir G. Ward was one from Mr. G-. G. Stead and Mr. J. B. Reid, who brought under the Minister's notice the lack of tracking accommodation at Sockburn, a station on the main South line, which is nearest to the Riccarton racecourse. Mr. Stead said it would be a _ great convenience to horscowners if a loading and an union ding siding could bo provided for them at Sockburn/for it was a great inconvenience to have to send the hordes as far as Hornby. He did not third; that the cost to the Department would bo more than £300 at the outside. The revenue from racing clubs was very considerable, and few people realised how much was obtained from racing, not only from the passenger traffic, but from telegrams and postages and cartage of fodder and horses, all of .which made racing a verv important factor in the consolidated revenue of the colony. Ho thought that owners, both of racing horses and trotters, were entitled to look for some little consideration in the direction indicated. The Minister said ho would bo very glad to give the representations of the deputation the fullest consideration, but wanted first of all to have a report from the engineer attached to the Railway Department. It was the business of the Railway Department to provide facilities of tho kind asked for, and there was no reason why a matter such as that should not be provided. The Government wanted to have the carriage of horses over tho railways, and it was their business to cater for the work, and get it if they could. Mr. H. G. Ell, M.H.R., introduced three casual railway employees, who asked Sir J. Ward that the casual hands might have the same privileges in the way of passes and privileged tickets, as were granted to permanent hands. Sir Joseph said the. privileges had not been granted because the casual hands did not belong to the service. The request of tho deputation opened up a big and a difficult question, but he would be prepared to go into the matter and give their representations the fullest consideration. Cash is short at Chevioi. The complaint is not an uncommon one in other places, but in this instance it appears it is not caused by the impeouniosity of the settlers, but been there is no bank at the settlement, and the post office sternly refuses to cash cheques. One gathers that a Cheviot settler may have several hundreds in the bank in town, and yet be in want of change for a pound, which suggests that church collections must suffer at times. To-day Mr. F. A. Cook, the proprietor of the butter factory at Cheviot, interviewed Sir Joseph Ward on the matter, and suggested that the postmaster should be authorised to take cheques of two or three of tho leading business firms there. About £'10 worth of cash was required. The way to get over the whole difficulty, said Sir Joseph, would be for the people to g»t a banker to give a marked recurring cheque for £50 for 12 months, and then the Postal Department could meet them by keeping sufficient cash in the office.