SUBURBAN TRAIN SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14930, 1 March 1912, Page 4

SUBURBAN TRAIN SERVICES

AN INDIGNATION , MEETING. HENDERSON DISTRICT , : AROUSED. "f ' RESOLVED v UPON IMPROVEMENTS. Tun, consistent refusal of th© Minister for Railways to cater for the oft-stated needs of the residents of the suburbs of Auckland ha& passed into a by-word. Definite protest has now been made by the many suburban people who have to suffer by the way in which the suburban section of the Koipara line is mismanaged. In response to repeated requests from a considerable number of people residing in Waikumeto, Henderson, and Swan son, the executive of the Northern Suburban Railway League journeyed to Henderson on Wednesday night to take part in an indignation meeting to protest against the inaction of the Minister as regards th© provision of more frequent and faster trains to and from Auckland. The meeting was held in the Henderson Public Hall, and people cam© from several miles around to voice tho opinions generally held throughout the rapidly-growing districts named. Mr. A. Cochrane (chair- J man of the Waitemata County, Council) presided, and amongst those who supported him were Mr. It. Knox (Swanson), Messrs. M. J. Coyle, T. B. Clay, and E. Freeman (Mayor and Councillors of Mount Albert), Messrs. Grandison. and : Parker (New Lynn Town Board), Mr. Campbell (Avondale Road Board), and a large number of representative Henderson residents. The chairman briefly : referred to the. amount of progress the league had made since its inception. He - voiced the very general eomplaint of the fruitgrowers of these districts as to the disadvantages they had to put up with through the totally insufficient facilities provided by the . Department for the transit of fruit. Mr. Coyle (president of the league) explained the details of the work of the league up to date, correspondence which had passed between the league and the Railway Department and the district traffic manager being read by the secretary (Mr. A. J. Morrish). A Departmental Anomaly. Mr. Coyle also produced a letter ( from the Railway Department which he had had forwarded to him by its recipient (a lady residing in Avondale. This lady had taken a railway ticket from Avondale to Mount Eden,-but had got out at Kingsland, which is nearer to the point of departure than Mount Eden. For thus shortening her journey she was met with a demand from the district traffic manager for an additional 4d, in the following terms: — "It has been brought under my notice that on January 9 you travelled from ' Avondale to Kingsland by the 1.18 p.m. train, having previously purchased a ticket to Mount Eden in order to . obtain the advantage of suburban fare. I would respectfully invite attention to the fact that, suburban fares are applicable only to sengere travelling to Auckland, Newmai ket, or Mount Eden; passengers to o from other station must pay ordinary fare I shall therefore be glad if you will rcmi the sum of 4d (difference between second class return fares, Avondale-Kingslani and Avondale-Mount Eden) at you earliest convenience." Swanson as a Terminus. Mr. Coyle went on to remark that th two.additional trains recently put on b; the Department-, and for which Avondal had been made the terminus, were by n means what tho league were agitating for The league had been consistently advocat ing Swanson as a reasonable terminus fo the suburban area, in view of the rapi( settlement of tho district all along th< line. , * The Government, moreover, was th< iwner of a considerable block of land closi to Swanson station which is very suitabl< or subdivision into small areas adaptabl* for workmen's homes, if only trains %ver< run to suit tho needs of the workers. • The railway lino passes through 14<X icres of idle Government land, and • yet the Department failed to see the expedi *ncy of putting on trains which would allow of this big block being brought ink Jose. settlement. ' V ' Success of the Motor Service. As showing that the requests made >y the league, where granted, had >een proved to be reasonable ones, ,nd profit-earning to the Department, dr. Coyle instanced the inauguration if what is known .as the motor sendee some years ago. This for a long jimo Iho Department refused to start, on -he grounds that it would never pay to run. When it was started it"was only in .he nature of an: experiment for three months, the assumption being that it would prove such a failure in . that time ,hat agitation would cease. • Oil' the contrary, the experiment had jroved an unqualified success, and not only lad that service remained'permanent, but lie Department had been forced to put m several additional coaches for each /rip; and there . was no talk now of discontinuing the motor service (Cheers-) Ridiculous 'Train Arrangements." Mr. Grandison gave a list of- the 'additional trains to and from Auckland, which the league had endeavoured to obtain for the district. , With regard to tho additional train recently put on leaving Newmarket at 2.5 p.m. for Avondale, as everyone was aware. it practically clashes with the one leaving Auckland at 1.20 p.m., being so close to it that it is uselees. * _ , ... ■ ■ - ; As for tho train timed to leave Avondale on the return journey at 2.40 p.m., Mr. Grandison said there are two others leaving within a few minutes of it, making a group of three in the space of twenty minutes, which, of course, is ridiculous. A Sop to Crush the League. Mr. T. B. Clay ; expressed the pleasure it' gave him to have the' opportunity of voicing the indignation lie felt at the scurvy treatment of tho Department 1 in ignoring tho requests of the league, -s His' contention was that the two additional trains }/>cl only been put on as a sop to crush tile league. The opinion generally held was that the Department was ! under the impression that the majority ; of the league members existed between ; Kingsland and Avondale, and that these trains would satisfy their requirements and stop further agitation. This was contrary to fact, as most of the league members live* at Henderson and Swanson. Ho felt that the present . moment was a most opportune occasion" for the residents of the far end of the league's sphere of action to work unitedly in an endeavour to secure a reasonable train service to comply with the needs of the district. ' A Contrast in Method. Mr. Clay read extracts from an official document which ho had secured when on a visit to Australia. This "revealed the enterprise displayed by the railway management there in granting every "inducement to city toilers to live in the clear air of the suburbs. - The contrast between' the methods of Australian managements and those of the New Zealand Railway Department did not by any means show up th© latter. as a ehiniug. light. -coimtriesto follow,

... , . . .••,■■.*. „,■..*:-•,.,. , :.;; ; ;;-;.',;— ;v ;,-, =;. (. notwithstanding the. Hon.;,; J. A. Millar's boast that other countries could nob show him any improvement on what is in vogue here-' (Ironical laughter.) ' -A Resolution ' Carried. ( • Mr. Knox '« (Swansea) moved the following resolution :—*. That this representative meeting i of the inhabitants of Henderson, Waikumete, and Swanson, urges the ab- . solute necessity.: of improving the ( present service ,by. an early train, from'-, Swanson to ;Auckland,.* and that the present 5.15 p.m. strain 1 to Henderson be extended to i Swanfion." '■■'._ ' _ ,- ' Mr. A Knox stated ( that .he himself knew' fifty (or sixty ; persons in: Auckland who 1 owned • land in Swanson and would: come out '. there . to live -were. reasonable train services available.. , - ■ , - . .''*,* '}. Mr. F. Rollett (Henderson) \ seconded the motion which was enthusiastially carried. / . \ (,"' (;( ■'-(-;(/:(;(. '■;;•.; Appeal to Minister and Members. ■ ; -.". A ; further resolution was moved, by Mr. Rollett; to the effect that telegrams bo sent to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Railways, Mr. Harris, M.P., and Mr. ; John Bollard, M.P., urging, the speeding-1 up of the trains, ; particularly those of the "rush hours" in the mornings and the evenings, and that a copy of the resolu-tion-be forwarded to them. : ,Mr. Hanby (Henderson) seconded, and spoke feelinglyVof the workers' trains in the evening being held up for such a long time for shunting '. operations at New Lynn. This . motion was also carried. . More Comprehensive , Motions. . Mr. Campbell (Avondale) then, moved : —" That in view of the ever-increasing traffic between Auckland, New Lynn, "Vaikumete, Henderson, and Swanson, the Railway Department is totally, neglecting and ignoring the requirements of these districts,"? for increased and more ;-,frequent means of communication with Auckland; that the time has • now arrived when the workmen's trains should be extended to I Swanson; that the two extra trains added lately are totally inadequate as they only run to Avondale." • ' ■■-,'■ Mr. Rollett seconded, and again the meeting enthusiastically endorsed the sentiments expressed by the above speakers by carrying the resolution. - On the motion of Mr. Campbell,: seconded by Mr. Bond, a resolution was carried that a Sunday service be inaugurated to Henderson. The mover pointed out that suburbanites arriving by the Sunday expresses from Wellington had no means of continuing their journey from Auckland.?- ; ; '~( (.(' ,=- . , Hearty Support for the League. v Mr. Cochrane moved that Messrs. Campbell and Leighton be appointed to V receive subscriptions towards the league's funds. This was carried. V . ..On the motion of Mr. Bond, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the executive of the Railway League for holding the meeting, and the customary -vote , of thanks was passed to the chairman for presiding. . It is plainly evident, that . the residents in these suburbs are keenly alive to the disadvantages they labour under as compared with other suburbs .served by -the train service. .((■: Quite a formidable number *of new members joined the league at the close of the meeting. v