The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25. WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3647, 25 January 1899, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25. WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION.

With which is Incorporated the Wellington ; Independent, Established 1845. • 1

lu other parts of tho colony a belief prevails that Wellington, on account of being tho seat of the General Government, is specially favoured in the matter of expenditure of public money—'that, in fact, the people of Wellington have only to ask in order to receive, and that the Government of the day, irrespective of party, is eager to bestow its richest gifts upon the capital city. It is hard to \ understand how this astounding delusion can have originated. Conceivably, it may be traced to the days when jealousy was active because of Wellington having been made the legislative and administrative capital. As a matter of hard, prosaic fact, no city in the colony is worse provided than Wellington is with those buildings that are necessary for carrying out public services. Outside the post and telegraph office—and even it is becoming too small for tho business to done in it—there is hardly a. Government building in Wellington that compares favourably with those in the other largo cities. The Courthouses, police station and barracks are all inferior to those in other centres. The Hospital aud even the prison arc ■not the substantial and modern structures that are to be fbuud in Auckland and elsewhere. In the matter of railway station accommodation the inferiority of Wellington is more apparent than in any other respect. To those who retort that Wellington has three railway-stations, while other cities have but oue each, it is only necessary to point out that the three put together are far from being equal to, for instance, the- station at Christchurch, with regard to offices, platforms, sheds, sidings, yards, overbridges, etc. A few mouths ago we drew attention to the urgent need that is felt for an improvement being made in the condition of affairs hero in the matter' of a Central railway station; and though deeply disappointed that no public body took up the question, we return to it in the hope of arousing attention and securing action of some kind. Apart altogether from the inferiority of the railway station accommodation at Wellington as compared with that in the other cities, it cannot be pretended for a moment that the offices, waiting-rooms, sheds, etc., provided at the capital of tho colony- arc adequate to the traffic or fit for the projier transaction or business, while the convenience aud comfort of the public are almost entirely ignored. If anything like a similar state of things prevailed in any other important centre, the public men and the commercial and travelling community would not cease from agitating until tho ramshackle wooden erection that does duty as the principal railway station on the State line in Wellington was replaced by a suitably buildiug, with modem appointments and with adequate accommodation for tho public as well as for the railway employees. What is really wanted is for tho Government and the Manawatu .Railway Company to agree upon a common terminus, and on the site chosen erect a proper railway station, with platforms, overhead bridges and other appointments up-to-date. • If Ministers arc holding off from erecting suitable station buildings until they have acquired the Manawatu Company’s line, let the fact be stated. If, on the other hand, there is no intention of acquiring that line, let Ministers be urged to proceed at once

with the building of a railway station for the Government line that will fairly meet public requirements. This is a matter that primarily concerns tho public of Wellington and of tho suburbs; secondarily, it concerns the residents of all the districts' served by tho lino; audit, it 'specially concerns the users of the line, tho ‘ commercial, manufacturing, producing and travelling public. The local members of Parliament, as representing the peopio generally, ought- to take this question in hand; and the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Association should each make representations to Ministers. If these measures should fail, then a public meeting should be organised at which the whole subject should bo fully discussed, and at which resolutions should bo passed embodying the popular wishes and requirements These may appear extraordinary steps to recommend for’, tho mere purpose of obtainirig a decent railway station; but apparently in no other way can the people of Wellington secure attention to their wants. Who will take tho initiative in this much-needed work ? Tho hour is hero, and tho man who rises to tho .occasion may make a name for himself as a nublic benefactor.