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SIR J. G. WARD AT MOSGIEL.

\N OVERimiDCIE WANTLID AT THE X A I L W A Y STATION . TELJTHOM; roMMI'NICATION TO OI'TKAAE. Sir Joseph Ward, Actmg-rrenuer ami MmUter f«r Railway*, arrival at Mo=g:el on Frida) jfieinoon by the south express. Ho was nun by the Mayor (Mr T Aitken) a-.d Mr W. Caiucio=«, M.H.R. . the member-. ot Hie local Boiougti Council, and othi r well-known residents. Mr Aitken. afn»r introducing the member.? of thr- council in a few words, extended a heaity wcicoine to Sir Joseph on behalf of the losidpnh. Sir .foteph Ward, in reply, said that it gave him great pleasure to vioit f Mo.sgiel on an occasion when a "send-off" was to be tendered to their worthy member, Mr Cani-cro-s^. In that respect his visit was practically an official one. He was glad to be relieved from anything in the shape of active work for a little, nnd on this occasion he was present in honour of Mr CaniorcFs. Sir Jo-eph, accompanied by the Mayor pud Mr Ca-ridosi, ■united the Mosgiel Woollen Mills, where a phort time wa- spent iv looking, over the factory. Subsequently, ai. O'Knne's Hotel, &o\eral mstteis of local importance were brought under the notice of the Acting-Premier. Mr Carncross first introduced a deputation, consisting of the Mayor and (Jrs Inglis and Bnn-on, who desired to \u;ge on Sir •loscph tho ncfCaitj of an o\ •^•bridge at the railway station. Mr Aitken presented n puLition. largely = igned by residents, in fa\our of an o\erbridge. He eaid they had moved in the matter some two or throe years ago, as it iiad been found very inconvenient to those living in the north-woi»ern part of tho borough. To reach the rnilwav station a distance of half a mile had to bp covered before anyone could reach the station by going round by the lailway crossing. Cr Inglis pointed out that the prayer of the petition was really a modification of a request made at the time the new station wap built. At that time the Borough Council pointed out that the new station bite was not a very desirable one, as it made the station less accessible to the resident. The fact that the main crossing wan some d'stant o from the station madf it neee»sary that the trains should orofcri ovpr it at a r-te that was not always consistent wicfi safety. If, therefore. Sir Joseph could 6ee his way to give effect to the prayer of the petition the 'uulk of the pedestrian traffic would be diverted from the- crossing to the overbridge and the element of danger would b* largely minimised. The population most affected comprised a third of the residents of the borough, so that the need of the work would be obvious. Mr Aitkon then brought under the notice of Sir Joseph the need of a crossing-keeper to bo stationed at Mopgiel. A ecrious accident had occurred at the crossing recently, and it was little short of a miracle that somebody was not killed. Cr BaiTon eaid that the cro&aing was a very dangerous place. On the Dunedin side it was difficult to know when a train was coming owing to a curve in th© lino which turned a hill and &hut out the view. He had himself seen severnl accidents take place. Sir Joseph, in reply, said that he would have the matter of the cnerbrulgo looked into at oncp. He wa-s always ready to extend facilities for traffic, as far at lay in hia power, but if he gave thi.s case application for many necessary things would come from end to end of New Zealand. When he took charge of the railways he had been compelled during the last year or two years to lay down a programme of what were extremely urgent needs, then those that were not quite f-o urgent, and -after these the needs that might bo deferred. He had the whole colony divided into four divisions for tlii^ purpor-e, and when looking into tlieir lequents he would have to a<-eei t.'iin whether they yore matters of extreme urgency. He" would have a leport made on the overbridge, and then he would bo able to judge whether it could be given or not in a reasonable tliiT?. A-* to tho crowing 1 , the accident mentioned had come under his notice, and he was exceedingly sorry to hear of it. With regard to crossing-keepers, the Railway Department were put in the position of having to resist appointing r-ross>ing-keepprs. .Some yoars ago, a--> tho result of Supreme Court litigation, they found it essential to put on a great number of crossing-keepers. The Brituh public was supposed to take ordinary precautions to guard their own lives, otherwise the department would have to put on many hundreds of crossing-keepert?. If their case came ipto the category of the fqw dangerous crossings it would be favourably considered. He would write to Mi* Carncross on the matter as 6oon a3 he was ijLfc W'iUoA \q do .ad, jmd hjt j ould dejibju,

less communicate the reply to the deputa' tion. Mr Carncross next introduced a deputation, consisting of Messrs W. Snow, A. Chisholm, and D. Grant, of Outran). Mr Snow first congratulated Sir Joseph on his success in securing for the community, the penny pottage to Australia, and expressed the hope he would be long spared to c-diry out other lefonrp. As to the matter they had come to speak about, this was simply to ask for a telephone service to Outram. As a tpivgraphist, Sir Joseph would! know the difference between tho two ser\ices. They felt that the time had arrived when they ought to have a telephone. They had been told by the man in the street that there was to be a service from Waipori to Dunedin. and if this was so the line would have to be taken either by Outram or by Berwick. Not only woidd they ask that Outram should be connected by telephone, but that similar connections should be made with Woodsidt- and Maungatua. !\lr Snow further asked for a light for the n.i'lway station ami po=l ofricp. This could be obtained at an expenditure of £4 per annum by arrangement with the local electric light system. Sir Joseph thanked Mr Snow for his kindly allusion ro pcital reform, and expiessed the hope that it would prove of use to the people of the colony. As to the telephone set vice they had asked for, if it could )>e proikled at a reasonable- cost he did not pee anything to prevent their hainig it. The fait that they hit! a telegraph wire lemovod any difficulties in the^ wav, and he would look mto the mattc-r alid see if he could authorise a separate wiie. The only request Up If ad to make was tiuU when they gt>t the telephone they would make use t.i it. If tLe_i cud not use- it the wire might be looked ou as. the indiscreet action of a progressive Minister. As to light, if there was no danger ot fusion by when, hp would give instructions to have (he light put in. The deputation then thankee! Sir Joseph and withdrew.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19020430.2.87

Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 26

Word Count
1,201

SIR J. G. WARD AT MOSGIEL. Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 26

SIR J. G. WARD AT MOSGIEL. Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 26

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