TE ARO STATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8646, 3 February 1914, Page 6

TE ARO STATION

GOODS SHED WANTED DEPUTATION TO WAIT ON MINISTER. The question of a goods shed at Te Aro was discussed at some length by the council of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce last evening. Mr J. w. Brcdie said that tho city and suburban railway committee had considered the matter of a railway goods shed at Te Aro and had decided that the council should wait on the Minister and bring under his notice the need for proper goods shed accommodation.

Mr Leigh Hunt pointed out that the last time the council interviewed the Minister he told them that it would be superfluous to enlarge on their case, as it was so strong. He, however, led the deputation to believte that the whole matter was one of finance. As to that aspect, an arrangement could lie made with the Harbour Board for tho land. It would he necessary to take about -nine and a half acres and the Government had the right to do this at tho actual cost of reclamation. The chairman (Mr C. M. Luke) said that a deputation had waited on Mr Myers when he was Minister for Railways, and impressed upon him the need for improvements at Te Aro station. The matter was left in a state of uncertainty, mainly on the ground of finance. He thought Mr Myers was impressed with the necessity for improvement. The matter was taken up earnestly and thoroughly by Mr Herries, for when waited on he was good enough to visit the station with the deputation. He quite agreed as to the necessity for the goods shed and said it was only a matter of finance. They had no right to assume, after what had transpired regarding the New Zealand loan recently, that money was tight, and he .thought the Government should put this desirable work in hand at once. Anyone who had taken an interest in the growth of population in Wellington would see that a railway station on the fringe of the city, such as Thofndon station was, would not meet the requirements of a rapidly-extending city like this. In twenty years they would have a population of 20;000 or 25,000 more than there was to-day. He thought that a deputation should wait on the Minister ‘to urge on him the necessity of putting this wort in hand as early as possible. _ , It was decided to wait on tho Minister and again lay the ma/tter before him and to ask the Farmers’ Union to appoint a delegate.