TE ARO RAILWAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 5

TE ARO RAILWAY.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER GOODS SHED ACCOMMODATION. CENTRAL STATION ADVOCATED. A largo deputation, from tho To Aro Railway Improvement and Extension League, together with representatives from tho Citizens’ League, lour ratepayers' associations in tho southern and eastern, districts, and the Miramar Borough Council, waited on tho Minister lor itaiiways (Hon. W. it. HerricsJ yesterday witli a request -that a goods shed should bo established at To Aro. and that train facilities generally should be improved at that end the city. Dr A. K. Newman, M.B. for Wellington. East, who introduced the deputation, fc-aid tho question hod been betoro them for a very long* time. The railway bad been “starved" for yeans ami they warned that to cease. How could the line pay when, no country trains were■ allowed to proceed as far as To Aro. Jho niariets were at the To Aro end. A goods shed should bo erected and that bo a great boon to tho merchants. ah passengers and goods wore landed at the wrong end of tho town. trains now run to To Aro and 00,000 people woro suffering from tho want or proper railway facilities. A petition signed by 7500 people, representing 33,000 residents, wn.s presented, to the Minister praying for better facilities mid 'tho establishment ot a goods ehed. THOROUO HLY REPRESENTATIVE. Mr A. Leigh Hunt said the deputation was thoroughly representative ot botn tho commercial and residential population of tho city. W lint tho merchants desired was an auxiliary goods shed at To Aro. Tho present lino was not paying for axle grease. J-t was impossible for it to bo paying interest on tho capital invested. bometlring should centumly bo done to'stop tho jrresent leakage. Wellington had threo stations and they were not fulfilling, tho functions they should. The disabilities they were laboring under were very acute melted. Goods were now delivered at tho Thorndon station at tho very far end of tho city and tho cartage charges were a serious tax not only upon the consumers but upon tho farmers. Than the traffic on tho roads along the foreshore meant heavy expenditure for upkeep of the reads. This ■would bo avoided to a large extent if there was a goods shed at To Aro. At the present timo the station seemed to ©list entirely for the convenience of a few milkmen w‘ho had their milk consigned there. A workers' train out in tho morning and one back in the night was always full, and he understood that tOOO season tickets were taken out from Te Aro annually. To Aro was tho most Central site for a general station. lie displayed a plan showing that from a given lino there were 16,000 houses to the south of To Aro station and 5000 to tho north. In twenty years’ timo there would probably be 50,000 people living on the Miramar Peninsula and that would make it imperative for better railway communication for the south. Evans Bay would also be on industrial centre in the future. It was necessary, to have To Are linked up with the Main 'Trunk line. About nine-tenths of the timber traffic would be unloaded at Te Aro, in addition to largo quantities of chaff, fruit, firewood and general produce. Profit markets hod been established near the Te Aro railway station and in 1908 tho markets sent 80,000 packages by railway Qjul received 200,000 packages. A previous deputation some time ago had been informed that there was no. room for a goods shed, but at that time a tlock was being constructed. That work had now been abandoned and there was in consequence plenty ot room. An exchange would probably have to be made with the Harbour Board. BERTHAGE PHAN. He exhibited a berthage plan showing a proposed wharf near the Te Aro railway station, which could easily bo made available for railway traffic. They had now an opportunity of making a central station which it was so necessary to have ini every largo city. If the facilities for tho passenger traffic were improved it would bo found in a comparatively short timo that tho main passenger traffic would be concentrated at Te Aro. He suggested a year’s trial of allowing the principal mail trains to run to and from To Are. It seemed that tho principal objection to the Te Aro line Was the noieo, but he pointed out that noise could not be dissociated from progress. The danger at the head of Queen’s wharf was very email. In fact tho trams were more dangerous than tho trains, which travelled very slowly. In conclusion ho said tho railway was not paying •—that was admitted. It could bo mado to pay. The freights they had indicated were assured. The line should bo retained for further extensions, including oversea traffic such as Mr Marchbanks, tho Harbour Board, engineer, had suggested in ono of his reports. It must bo some years before a central station was finally -established, and long before then tho disabilities they wore laboring under would bo so acute that something would have to bo done to remedy matters. EMPIRE CITY BUILDING.

The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson, M.L.C., said «. good deal ivaa heard nowadays about Empire building. Personally ho was concerned at the present time with the question of Empire City building. Anything that tended to promote that object had his earnest sympathy. One of the most important factors in regard to increasing trade and commerce was a railway station in tho right position. There could be no question as to where the centre of Wellington was, and knowing that, steps should bo tdken to have Hie central station established at To Aro. Ho produced a plan showing the vacant land at To Aro, a great deal of which belonged to the Government. Tho Harbour Board also owned a good deal of the vacant spaces. Tho plan made provision for half a milo of subway, dropping down from Bunny street and rising Again at tho Band Rotunda, opposite the Town Hall. Jinny authorities advocated overhead lines instead of subway tracks. The area available at Te Aro was 26 a cres, which was ample, for all requirements. It would be imperative in tho future to extend the lino to Miramar. Ho spoke of the inconvenience to passengers arriv ing by the evening trains who desired to catch the ferry steamers. By establishing a passenger station at Te Aro direct communication could bo ipado with the proposed wharves. Ho suggested that tho question of a central station should be referred to a board—a proposal previously made to Mr Myers—containing representatives of the Harbour Board, city council, and other local bodies. ' THE COMMERCIAL CLASS.

Air J. P. Luke said ho was represent. Ing the industries of the city more than anything ©lso. The Alinistor must know that no city which was progressive had its big railway stations on the outskirts, instead of in the centre of the town. The suggested subway was a practical way of carrying out the wftrk, but there would be a large water pressure which would be a serious disability. He favoured an overhead system, aud contended that that would eventually bo the scheme adopted. If the Government did not rise to the occasion and deal with the To Aro railway question they would retard the progress of Wellington. Tho city now was being hampered in regard to tho development of industries because tho manufacturers Jul not know where to go for the necessary land. In and around the city rates and other taxes were too high, while tho haulage to Kilbirnie and other outlying places was so great that it was impossible to establish industries. He hoped there would be an improved station and facilities at Te Aro, and that in the future the line would be extended to Kilbirnio and

Miramar to meet the requirements of the unborn millions. Messrs T. Ballinger (representing the Citizens’ League,), F. O. Bolton, and I. Townsend also spoke. MINISTER’S REPLY. , QUESTION OF COST. In reply the Minister said, tho deputation had supplied him with a great deal of information of which he previously had no knowledge. Xho Oovernment was progressive and would endeavour to do tho host for tho people* -tie was impressed by tho arguments used, and tho largo deputation showed the opinion of many residents or AVclimgton. As to tho question ol a central railway station it was a matter of i; ft d. whether a now station would be built lor some timo yet. Without revealing any secrets ho could say tho question had been before Cabinet with many other matters involving largo expenditure, and this year at all events money could not be found for some of the largo works wanted throughout the Dominion. He believed the question ot a To Aro central station would have to bo considered when tho money was obtained for tho whole of tho station business at Wellington. He was quite prepared to go into the question and two whether the present plans for the proposed Wellington station were sufficient for tho requirements of tho city, or whether tho population would bo bettor served by a station at Te Aro. It was, however, a question for tho future. Ho could hold out no hone for this year at any rate. Tho country districts had to be considered, and they often felt that largo expenditure in the cities was unwarranted when so many country electorates had no railway facilities at all. They must look at tho Dominion as a whole when considering these questions. MINOR QUESTIONS. Regarding the minor questions mentioned by tho deputation—train running and goods traffic —ho could tell them in tho first place that he had no intention of pulling up tho line. (Applause.) There were potentialities which should bo fostered. Ho would go into the question of train running and if the representations made were found to be correct ho would seo what could bo done to meet their wishes. Ho had been very much impressed in. regard to what hatl been, said concerning the timber and fruit traffic. Ho could not hold out any hope of establishing expensive goods sheds, owing to tho necessity of land purchase, etc., which would mean a largo expenditure- , , Dr Newman: Wo have got the land and only want tho shed. Mr Homes said he proposed to examine the lino with his departmental experts and see what could bo done. Nothing expensive could bo put in hand. It was tho Government's intention to endeavour to meet the wishes of the people as far as possible.. He. invited tho league to furnish him with any details they might have in regard to the traffic on tho line. MANAWATU STATION.

Mr T Dwan said it could not bo long before tho Thorndon station was abolished. He suggested that the materials from there should be utilised for station and shed purposes at Te Aro. Mr Herries: I don’t know whether it will happen in the near future or the distant future. It is a question ot finance in the Old Country. ' Mr F. Townsend said tho question had been put before Bir William Hall-Jones on one occasion, and if he had remained in. office he believed a goods shed would have been established at To Aro. Several members of the deputation assured the Minister that the facilities required could be provided at very small expense.