LATE TRAINS TO THE PORT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6238, 8 March 1882, Page 2

LATE TRAINS TO THE PORT.

A deputation of residents at Port Chalmers and intermediate places on the Port Chalmers hue of railway waited upon Mr Hannay the traffic superintendent, yesterday with reference to late trains to Port Chalmers Mr H. S. Fish, M.H.R., who introduced the deputation .explained that a train to the Port, leaving Dunedin at 11 p.m. daily was very much desired. The train at 9p m was practically useless, as it did not enable people who lived down the linS to attend meetings or entertainments in Dunedin. He sun posed the Government would look at the proposition from a monetary point of view but the opinion of the deputation was that the question whether a late train nightly would pay or not Bhould not enter into the matter at alh They held that they were justified in asking for what they did, from the lar»e contribution they already made to the revenue of the line. The new arrangement would be sure, to pay at last; for, as Sir Hannay doubtless knew, increased facilities made an increase'in public travelling; and even if there were not any immediate profits they felt that they were justified m making, and the Government in conceding, their request. He would point out that there was great room for settlement alonethe country traversed by the line: but the question that an intending settler took very much into consideration was the facilities for reaching town. The Government should remember this, and also the fact that every settler along the line contributed £40 or £50 a year to the revenue without extra cost to the. country.

Messrs Hart, M'Neil, Lyons, Mouat and Hunter spoke in support of the concession, which was asked for being made. Mr Hannay, in reply, said that he did not wish the deputation to feel that he was opposed' to the granting of their request; but the experience of tho department in other places hjid been that increasing the number of trains did not give the increased traffic which the deputation looked for in their case. He did not say Ik lOulI Oul the same in their case- He knew that there was a large suburban traffic from TL dlI" and that ifc should be carefully watched over and every facility given for its accommodation .He was not yet prepared to say that he would positively recommend that their request be granted, but it w^ possible that the district was open to still greater facilities than it now possessed. He would place the matter before the-head of the department VWhV w U\ d haX, e v .to/° bef°re the Minister of Public Works The deputation had admitted pay for some time, so that it became part of the large question whether the Government should run nonpaymg trains in order to promote traffic Mr Fish remarked that another subject on which they would probably interview Mr tiannay before long was the excessive fares charged along the line, but they would not go into that matter now. 8 A member of the deputation asked that a siding might be formed near ftothesav Mr Hannay admitted that the station arrang?i"ults ah ng the line were not what they should be and promised to give the matter consideration. ■