TE ARO RAILWAY RECLAMATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9866, 24 March 1893, Page 2

TE ARO RAILWAY RECLAMATION

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. PROSECUTION OF THE WORK URGED STRONGLY. The interview which one ot out reporter, had yesterday with tbe Hon Mr Seddon on the subject of the Te Aro Railway roolama tion, and the statement he elicited from the Minister as to the probability of the opposition cf the local authorities lending to indefinitely delay the work, created a mo sensation in the city yei’erdav. Amongst the bnainesa people of the Te Aro end prompt action was resolved npon, and at 3 o’olcok In the afternoon a deputation of upwards o( 30 representative tradesmen, healed by Mr Wm. McLean. M.H.R., waited upon the Minister at his office ia the Government Buildings. Mr MoLbabi in introduolfig the deputation, esld it was only a mere handful a. compared w ith the number who might have been got together had time permitted. The object io view was so strengthen the Minister’s hands in carrying out the intentions of Parliament with regard to the Te Aro Railway reclamation. It appeared from the newspaper reports that the City Council and Harbour Board were not at all agreed with regard to the nropcsed reclamation for the goods shed site, but as Parliament had already sanctioned the work, and the Minister had all along bceu prepared to go an with It, the local authorities were committing ft great mistake in ttyi ->g to pat a slop to it. It mtet bo admitted that the To Ai-o Railway tmist ultimately be the main station for thb North Island Trunk Railway-, stnd the Government Were -here fore wise in seeing that proper accommodation was p'ovided for ill kinds of traffic. The wchitr really was that the work ijad not been done before. The people at the To Aro end were unanimous in the. opinion that the Government ought to have a free hand in carrying out the work as Parlia. ment had recommended it. The sooner It was carried out the better, . ~. - .

Mr J. Uutchen said tbe deputation had been got up since one o’clock, and but for the haste with which it was arranged it would have been four or five times move numerous. The whole of the business people at the Te Aro end were quite satisfied that a railway station without a goods station would be of very little use. The traffic in brioke, timber, coal and many other commodities to and from that end of the city was so heavy that a goods station was an Imperative necessity. Since their inception these railway works had met with systematic opposition from certain parties, but almost ail the business people of Te Aro looked with the greatest satisfaction on the action of the present Government, and it would bo a great pity, as well aa a serious detriment to the business and industries of the city, if the people at To Aro (which was really the manufacturing portion of Wellington) were not able to get the facilities they so urgently needed for the despatch of their goods and manufactures. They were all vary anxioua that tbe works contemplated should not be stopped. Mr Luke hoped the Minister would accept the deputation as ocular demonstration of the fact that there was no apathy on the part of the Te Aro business peoplb with regard to thb great desirahiity of the pro. posed goods station. Never in his life hid be seen a deputation so large in numbers,and so representative In character got so quickly together. They had oomo to look upon this railway etatiou work as a settled thing, and the news that opposition was being raised to it bad come upon them like a thunderbolt. Tbe last deputation which waited npon the Minister represented the necessity of a goods station at To Aro, and they thought everyone waa agreed aa to the wisdom of the determination to ereot one there. They were surprised at tbe counter agitation which . had been g t ny since with a view cf retarding this important work. The great bulk of the industries of Wellington were carried on at the Te Aro side of the Queen’s wharf, and it was a necessity for these industries and for business generally that a goods station should be erected at Te Aro. The present railway etatiou was on tbe outer fringe of the city, and to continue tbe present system of forcing tbe traffic which should go by rail through streets already far too narrow was the very height of foils • Any people of common sense must admit that a goods station at Te Aro was exten* slvely and urgently needed. Unless ft were erected the extension of the railway to To Aro would be a meto waste ot money. The idea of carrying passengers by tail to and froth Te Aro, and ot forcing them to send to or take delivery of their goods at Tborndon was preposterous. Mr Enoch Tooks, as representing tbe briokmakers of Wellington, spoke to the like effect. The country trsde wan increasing, and a goods stations at Te Aro was beoom* iug more and more urgently necessary. It was their wish that the Government would carry out what they proposed to do. Mr Paul Coffey said the Wellington City Council and Harbour Boatd as at present constituted did not represent the feelings and opinions of the residents of the oit; at large. If a plebiscite of the leading citizens were taken the City Council would be found in a hopeless minority so far as this particular work was concerned, and in a still more hopeless minority if a plebiscite of tbe entire body of citizens were taken. A paa. songer station at Te Aro without a goods station would be like a Chinese junk with one eye—neither nse nor ornament. Mr James Russell endoised the views of the previous speakers. The Harbour Board had done all it could to systematically prevent this Te Aro reclamation, but it needed no argument to show that most of the traffic must ultimately centre at the Te Aro end of the oity, Mr Hoare said it was a question of might against right. The City Council and Har> boar Board were powerful bodies and ought to represent public opinion, but io regard to this work it was plainly evident they did not do so. A passenger station without a goods station would be of little use to the residents of Te Aro and South Wellington, Mr Robinson thought it rather hard that the workers should have to ‘ down tools ’ in order to resist efforts on the part of local bodies to frustrate tbe wishes and prejudice the interests of the people at large. If the Government went ahead with the work they would teosivs the hearty thanks of everyone at Te Aro. Mr P. F. Jacobsen said tbe only possible extension of the city was Ts Aro wards and If the goods station was to bs in the centre of the oity it would have to be placed at the Ts Aro end.

The Hon Mr Seddon, In proceeding to reply, exhibited a plan of the proposed reclamation and the works which It was the intention of the Government to con, struct under the sanction and approval of Parliament. He pointed oat that the proposed railway reclamation only touched one little corner of the contemplated dock site, and he added that the engineer informed him that the work could be carried clear of the dock site. Interference with the proposed dock site was therefore purely mythical, and by this plan they would escape it altogether. On the previous day tha City Council bad applied to him to be furnished with Mr Napier Gell’e plans, presumably with the view of strengthening their position, As to this, be intended to give the City Council and Harbour Board the fullest Information. Ho positively denied that he had ever refused them any information or bad ever shown them the slightest disrespect. The Minister then proceeded on the lines of bis statement In our last Issue to show that the proposals of the Government were embodied in the Publio Works Statements of 1891 and 1592, and that although the Hallway Commissioners objected to them, no objection oame from the local bodies or local members. The Government went to considerable expense in effecting an amicable arrangement with the local bodies on the subject of tha reclamation and pitching opposite the Post Office, and the necessary legislation was obtained and appropriations taken for the full completion of the work. He bad always contended that the construction of a railway meant everything—passenger and goods stations being undoubtedly included. He bad consulted the interests of Wellington by providing for both passenger and goods stations at Te Aro, and it was with the view of giving tha inhabitants the earliest possible use of the extended railway facilities that he bad arranged far the separate construction of the passenger station, instsad of including the entire work in one contract. The commencement of the opposition by the local bodies waa difficult to trace end more difficult to understand. It only began a few daya ago. and it waa singular that just at the same tin e appliestiou was made to sell to the Government the freehold properties opposite the present passenger station. It was rather strange that a complete arrangement should just at that juncture be made and a complete proposal submitted lor the sale of this property to the Government. He came to the conclusion that there was something more la the wind, and be bad not long to wait before other developments took plaoe. He denied the acousation cf disrespect towards the local bodies who waited npon him, Bia desire to be cautions la dealing with them might have mads him a little ‘ shorter ’ than usual—that was all. They claimed there would be a loss of £50,000 by ths Government taking 100 ft of the line of 300 ft fixed from the present reclamation. But, even if that were so, it left 200 ft for the City Council or Harbour Board to reoiaim, and if their basis of £50,000 were correct, then the erection of a goods and passeuger station at Te Aro would increase the value of the remaining portion of their reclamation at least £109,000. [A voice : £2OO 000.] Of coarse he must pay due respect to tha representations of the local bodies, and if delay in the prosecution of this work was the result, the responsibility for it most rest on their shoulders. No doubt when the deputation from these bodies met him the following day they would make great nee of Mr Napier Bell’s proposals. But Mr Napier Bell looked a very long way ahead. One of bis proposals was to pat a passenger station In Kent terrace, and a goods station at Newtown, He was evidently having regard to the |

time when a fleet of ateameri would ha running from Island Bay to Piotoil and-tho South. That would come in the sweet, by.andbye, but it wa. not within rbsob at precimt; In Conclusion the Minister, suggested that th. deputation should wait upon the City Council and Harbour Board before these bodies again waited npon him, and if nooesaary their engagement with him could bo put off till to - morrow afternoon, la order that this purpose might bo effected. Ha would bo sorry that anything should arise out of this matter which would cause a tension of feeling between the resident, of the opposite ends of the oity. Ha felt .nrs that tbe residents of Te Aro did not begrudge Tborndon tbe railway facilities it had long enjoyed, or wished to deprive it of them. They merely said that as Te Aro was the industrial centre of the city tbe erection of a geode elation there would bs profitable both for the city and the Colony. (Hear, hear.) It wa. the intention of the Government to hand over the railway lire to tbe Commiseioners abont Tuesday nett. The engineer had bsen appointed to pass it, and ho himself hoped to bo able to-day, along with tho Impeding engineer, to take a locomotive and a oarriagS or two over thip Una—(applatsio!—sp as tft see how it looked. He looked forward .at no distant data to the completion of the Ekstahnna-W oodyille line, and thia would mean extra goode and passenger efation. Evan with the present goods accommodation they would requite farther accommodation at To Aro, Then too they must also look ahead to tho time when the Macawatu rail vay would be the property of tho Government. In view ot the pending int-r. view with the local bodies be would not give any definite reply to tho prseeat deputation. Ho did not oome to hasty onnolnsious, but when he did art tire at a conoid--eioo he generally etubk to it—although against pttblio opinion—if be thought ho wa# right. Ho hdd helm wondering it a Wish tti avoid ttie necessity of repairing the £6OOO of damage done to tho seawall, at rnornddtt had inspired opposition to the proposed To Aro reclamation bn tho supposition that the Government, would then have to reclslpr outside the damaged. Tborndon breastwork. At any rate great influence had been brought to bear on the. Government tp induce, thus to recede from their position lib w« told the looal authorities were going to contest in tho Law Court, the right of the Government to reclaim this lard at Xe Aro for railway purposes. If that were eo it meant that the ratepayers of Wellington were to be forced into a fight with the taxpayers of the Colony, It would be all the wot.e (or tho ratepayers of Web lington. Ho was pleased that tbo Government's proposal, had ao far met with tho approval of the Urge proportion ot the people of Wellington. Finally ho again advised the deputation to wait npon tho City Council and Harbour Board.

The deputation then thanked the Minister and withdrew. They held an impromptu meeting in the lobby outside the- Minister’s room, and resolved to interview the City Council and Harbour Board at the (lounoit Chambers at 10.30 a.m. to-day, the Interview between these local bodies and the Minister having been fixed to taka plaos at 11 a.m.