SUBURBAN RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14767, 24 August 1911, Page 6

SUBURBAN RAILWAYS.

UNSUITABLE SERVICES* A RAILWAY LEAGUE FORMEfi Impoktant questions relating i 0 the Am** ■ ■ land suburban railway services were & cussed at a meeting of representative* 5 local bodies interested, held at & 0 ~ I Albert last evening. Mr. M. J, o i (Mayor of Mount Albert) occupied tW chair, and others present were M**... F. J. H. Ellisdon and T. B. Clay (& Albert Borough Council), J. Potter'T Campbell, W. 11. Wyman, and C. Gre* (Avondale Road Board), A. H. RoulS and D. L. Cochrane (Waikumete Bate ; payers' Association), Arch. Grandisor & A. Morgan, and : C. F. Gardiner (NgJ Lynn Town Board), W. R. Brighton £" ! West, and H. B. La Trot* (Hendersoa Road Board), A. Cochran (Waitemab ' County Council), and W. H. Eave,n (Swan-, V son Road Board. \

Mr. Coyle said ho was gratified to sea such a thoroughly representative meeting' They had been called together for the P u* pose of securing a better train service in the district from Auckland to Henderson, When in Wellington some time ago, ie had heard the Minister for Railways oprea the opinion that the line was one of* tig best paying suburban lines in the dominion. They would agree with him* when he said that the district deserved a bette# service than the present one. , The time, table often got out of joint on holidays and race days, and ordinary passengers ha<j to wait for an hour or more before they could get to their homes. Facts and Figures. Mr. J. Potter, chairman of the* Avoir, dale Road Board, said several alteration* were required in the train service be' tween Avondale and Auckland. The Una was a paying one, and last year 68754 tickets had been issued in connection with the Avondale service; 46,036 for QtahnJui* 35,066 for Onehunga; and 39,279 for Em derson. Details of the revenue were 'u followsAvondale, £10,707 lis 8d; Ota! huhu, £8887 7s 4d; Onehunga, £8763 flr 4d; and Henderson, £4246 3s 2d. Tfc J* figures proved beyond doubt that' iU Avondale service was an imports?' one and deserved the attention of the .Department. '. - . At present Onehunga and Otahuhu had 16 trains daily, and Avondale had only 14 ■In connection with trains ■ running frost Avondale to Auckland, he suggested that - extra trains' should be put on, leaving Avondale as follows:—At 12 noon, at foul p.m., at nine p.m., and one at 11;25 o'clock every night instead of on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as at present. He also sup. gested that extra trains should be put on to leave Auckland for Avondale at 22Q p.m., at eight p.m., and-at 11.15 pin, every day. He expected that th o 2.30 p.m. train would meet the Waikato train aft-Newmarket.

Mr. ' Urandison said provision should also be made for suitable Sunday trains. Other members supported;the snggas. tions in general, and the details weretefi to the committee. What Swanson Wants. I The delegate from Swanson ! petition to be forwarded to the Minister" ' for Railways. ■It was largely signed, audi asked for a daily workman's train-be- j tween Auckland and Swanson; '. Lately ; there had been a- marked upward tendency ; in the I direction -of settlement ■ ascend j Swanson. A block of land, withia easy distance of the Swanson railway station, '' had been cut; up into 47 sections; and 30 •"')' j of these were sold during the month of July alone. There were hundreds of acss | of - Government land in the vicinity of Swanson, which, if cut up into smlabla sections, would make ideal workmen's homes. .Many workers in Auckland city were living in veritable. death-trans, who ■ would eagerly seize the opportunity to enjoy the invaluable benefits eft air, eta- j light, and a perfect environment. Owing j to the want of train facilities, a number of Swanson property-]aolders who wovfet in. town were obliged to live there, and, in addition, a number of Swanson Ms ; were in the same plight, befog completely cut off from the influences ci home-lif«. It was decided,to forward the petitiolf on to the Minister as suggested, • ] Bail way League Formed, • Mr. T. B. Gay said the question of rail' ! ways was a most important one "to the districts represented, and they were all j deeply interested in the management.of the railways. • He thought they should go further than Mr. Potter's suggestions. la the past local bodies had,put grievances before the traffic manager, and had-been ignored. The railway people would not • put on an extra train until they were forced. They would not be afraid of one body, but they would be afraid of the searchlight of public opinion. He moved, "That a railway league be formed, and , a secretary appointed, the league) to coni siet of reDresentatives from: Henderson,; 1 Waikumete, New Lynn, Avoiadale,-Mount , ; ' Albert, Swanson, and other local;bodua interested.'' , ■; . « Vi' 1 ' i. The motion was seconded by Mr. totter, and carried unanimously. ' •; The Executive's Duty. , ; An executive was elected, consisting of Messrs. M. J. Covle, F. J. H. Ellisdou,, and T. B. Clay (Mount Albert), A. Grandison (New Lvnn), J. ; Potter (Avondale). W. R. Leighton (Henderson), A;Cochran (Waikumefe), and J. Knox (Swanson,. The executive 7; ill wait on the traffic manager with a revised, time-tablt-. x.a attention will be drawn to various suga*' ' tions for imDrovements in the suburban service, including better facilities at. stop- : pings. . ■_'- - _