EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY TO TORY STREET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 957, 4 July 1890, Page 31

EXTENSION OF THE RAILWAY TO TORY STREET.

At 11 o’clock on Monday morning a deputation from the City Council, consisting of the Mayor, Councillors Willeston, Chapman, Fraser, and Harcourt, waited on the Railway Commissioners, in accordance with a resolution passed bv the Council at its last meeting, in connection with the extension of the line of railway to Tory street, Mr Page, Town Clerk, was in attendance, and all three Commissioners were present. The Mayor, in opening the business, stated that the Council, in empowering the Committee, had rather lost sight of the fact that the Commissioners were not authorised to deal with the extension Of railways, and the Committee was rather afraid it had no ground on which to approach tho Cotr.missioners. As, however, the meeting had been arranged, they thought it would be desirable to ascertain whether or not the Commissioners approved the extension. He did not know that they could ask for anything more. Mr MoKerrow, in reply, said they did in a general way, as they thought that in che interests of passenger traffic it would be desirable, and it would be convenient for the public If the extension were made. On the other hand the crossing at the Queen’s Wharf would be a great inconvenienoe, owing to the large amount of traffic at that point. He did not suppose there was any other spot in the Colony whsre a railway crossing would be more inconvenient on account of the tralli -. The Mayor remarked that there waa no inconvenienoe experienced during the carrying out of the reclamation contract. Mr MoKerrow replied that there was no donbt the traffic would increase, and the number of the trains would also inorease, whereas the contractor’s orossing was known to be only temporary. He had been thinking the matter out, and he was very doubtful as to the “little inconvenience” that it was stated the crossing would cause. He thought it would be mors inconvenient than was generally supposed. The Mayor stated that their next step would be to approach the Minister of Public Works, blit before they did that it would be well for the deputation to know if the Commissioners had made any recommendation to the Government as to the extension. Mr McKerrow, in reply, stated that a year ago the Government asked for a report on the matter. The purport of that report was that it would be advantageous for the people living at Te Aro end, but the Commissioners also pointed ont that as far as goods traffic was concerned before accomodation conld be provided a considerable exof area would be neoesiary.

The Mayor : More than has already been provided ? Mr McKerrow: Ves.

The Town Clerk Btated in answer to the Mayor that the area the Government had undertaken to buy from the Connoil was a little over two acres.

The Mayor : That is not sufficient. Mr McKerrow : No ; it is just a narrow strip sufficient for sidings. They could not contemplate shifting the goods station there. Mr Maxwell said that to transfer the goods station there was out of the question, as there was not sufficient length. At preseat they had a very extensive area, and very great length, extending from Pipitea Point down to the Loan and Mercantile building, which enabled them to work the station profitably, but no such area could be obtained at Te Aro end.

The Mayor pointed out that one of the advantages which they thought the city would derive from the extension was ia the saving of street traffio by having a poods station there. °

Mr Maxwell thought it would be idle to expect this, and he felt certain that any such alteration would place them in a hole. So far as his judgement went they would never be able to give up the goods station now in use. Provision had been made for a much extended goods station by reclamation, north of Pipitea and outside the present Manawatu Company’s reclamation, where there is a large flat foreshore. He believed the land had been taken or arranged for, and it would give them ample area and ample length, the latter being a matter of very great importance in arranging a goods depot. It was the only place there was that was at all likely to be adequate for a large goods station, and there was no possibility of getting such an extent of land near the gasworks.

The Mayor said that, apart from the diffi. culty of passing the Queen’s wharf, he presumed the Commissioners saw no difficulty in carrying the line on.

Mr Maxwell answered that he thought it would be a great advantage for passenger traffic, and provision was made for extending the fine from Mount Victoria over the Newtown saddle, with a view to farther extension to Island Bay. If he were selecting a line himself it would go in that direction, with a terminus at Newtown, In reply to Councillor Fraser Mr McKerrow said he thought the line would pay if extended to To Aro.

The Mayor remarked that as the Government was already in possession of the opinions of the Commissioners, when thev saw the Minister they would be able to push the matter homo at once.

Mr McKerrow said the Government had their opinions and also their estimates for a passenger line up to Tory street, also for the line Mr Maxwell had alluded to, and for an alternative line from Sussex souare past the College and up toward the Hospital. Mr Maxwell asked that he should not be misunderstood. This line wonld have to be made some time or another, and he had no donbt it would pay. The Mayor asked if they could see a copy of the report, or whether they would have to get it from the Government, in reply to which Mr Maxwell said, “ Through the Government.”

In answer to Councillor Fraser, Mr McKerrow said that no doubt if the line iB extended it wili be available for small goods and parcels, and, in replying to Mr Chapman, he said that the present space wonld be too small for a delivery station. The Mayor asked the Town Clerk what price the Government had undertaken to pay the Council for the site, and the latter stated it was to be the cost of reclamation only.

Mr McKerrow said their estimate for carrying the line to Tory street was £13,000, which included the price of land, trestle work, &c. ; but if the line were taken along the breastwork, across the little Boat Harhour, and down the centre of Jervois street, the cost would only be £9OOO. Some remarks were made as to the practicability of having the line at a higher level than the wharf, but it was pointed out that this would be much more expensive and not so sightly. The deputation then thanked the Commissioners for their information and withdrew.