THE CATLINS RAILWAY

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 23

THE CATLINS RAILWAY

MEETING AT TAHAKOPA. When the Catlins extension section of the railway was opened in 1915, a very poor service was instituted. The settlers and sawmillers naturally resented this. Representation was made to the Railway Department at the time, and a promise was given that as soon as the traffic on the new section improved a daily train service would be run between Balclutha and Tahakopa. During the last few months the goods traffic has been increasing every week, and special goods trains have been run to meet the increasing traffic, principally timber. The settlers and sawmillers nave been waiting patiently for some time to see if the Railway Department would fulfil the promise given when the section was opened, but so far nothing has been done to give the whole Catlins district a daily train service.

Mr A. S. Malcolm, M.P. for Clutha, was approached on the subject, and he promised to meet the residents of Tahakopa Valley concerning the grievance. A meeting was held at Tahakopa on Wednesday last, and Mr Malcolm was present. Mr D. A. Fea was appointed chairman, and, in the course of his opening remarks, referred to the present train service, twice weekly, as "simply rotten." Farmers could not make any use of the railway if they desired to attend Owaka or Balclutha stock sales, as it would take three or four days to attend them. The same applied to forwarding live stock to those stock sales, as stock would have to be trucked 24 and 48 hours previous to sale days. It was considered that the Government should now redeem the original promise and run a daily service. Mr Malcolm explained that his own idea had always been that the terminus buildings should have been erected at Tahakopa instead of Maciennan. Had this been done the farmers would have had the advantage of one extra daily train and one return to Balclutha on Friday to attend the stook sales. These two trains terminate at Maclennan at present. Some time ago he heaid that special goods trains were being run to meet the increasing and heavy goods traffic. Ho then placed the whole position before the Minister of Railways and Mr M'Villy, the new manager elect, and asked them to consider the removal of the terminus buildings from Maclennan to Tahakopa, and also to introduce a daily service. The matter was under consideration at present, and he hoped to receive an early reply. Tokonui occupied an unsatisfactory position while the turntable and running staff were stationed at Waimahaka, but as soon as these buildings were removed to Tokonui a daily service was run there. During the war all New Zealand had to suffer a curtailment of trains, owing to depleted staff, but hostilities had ceased, and peace was on the eve of being signed. He considered that tho Gatlins extension railway should bjp amongst the first lines to be given a better service. Mr M. W. M'Donald (chairman of the local Vigilance Committee) spoke strorigly against the original mistake of erecting the terniinus buildings at Maclennan," six. miles from the end of the line. This blunder was costing the department something like £6OO per year to run four " dummy" trains per week between Maclennan and Tahakopa—two trains each way. He took his figures from the Railway Department's charges during the recent epidemic. If the turn-table and running staff were removed, to Tahakopa the cost of removal would soon be saved by cutting out the useless trains between Maclennan and Tahakopa. From personal business experience he considered that tho local sawmillers had a grievance against the department, and mentioned one complaint from Oamaru regarding a consignment taking 10 days to arrive there after having Tahakopa—a distance of about 170 miles. Delays like tins had a tendency to divert trade into some other district, such as Southland, where tho sawmilling districts had a daily service. It was also hard to get experienced sawmill workers to come into the district, owing to the poor travelling facilities, but he was pleased to say that at present a good many soldiers were returning, and some were coming Gatlins wav. He expressed the opinion that in a very short time the millers would be producing from 50 to 100 per cent, more than their present output. Mr Neil and Mr Murphy also complained of the poor service, from the farmer's standpoint, and hoped Mr Malcolm would push matters ahead. Mr Duniop advocated that a petition should be sent round tho whole district, and meetings held everywhere between Tahakopa, and Owaka, to demand a daily service between Balclutha and Tahakopa. Mr Dunlop mentioned that as "am early settler he had some reason to complain. Twenty years - ago if a settler wanted to go to Owaka ho could harness two horses in a sledge, leave one day and arrive back home the next day. After battling for years to get a railway they were successful, but if he wanted to go to Owaka sab nowadays, and used the present-day system of railway travelling, it took four days to get there and back. Mr Malcolm, in replying, thanked Mr M'Donald for the _ information concerning the " dummy" trains, and said he would place the whole matter before Mr Herries and Mr M'Villy at the earliest opportunity. Ho would also see Mr Bowles, district traffic manager. Mi- Malcolm also wanted to know what prospects the department would have for more land to enlarge Tahakopa railway yards, if the Government decided to remove some of the terminus buildings from Maclennan. Mr M'Donald replied that Mr William M'Lachlan, who owned the land in proximity to the station, had assured him that he would allow the department to have all the land it would require at a reasonable price. He moved —"That Mr Malcolm place before the Minister of Railways the hardship that settlers and sawmillers of tho Catlins district suffer through the poor railway service; and also ask the Minister to give the district a suitable service as soon as possible." Tho resolution was carried unanimously. Mr M'Donald then referred to the necessity of having a justice of tho peace appointed in tho district, and pointed out that tho nearest J.P. resided six miles away.— —Mr Malcolm promised to place the request before the Minister of Justice. Mr M'Donald also brought before Mr Malcolm the hardship Dr Stenhouse (of Owaka) suffered during the winter months in attending to the medical requirements of the largo district outlying from Owaka. Motors were of no use on the Catlins roads during the whiter, and if the doctor's services were required he had cither to travel

by horse or hand-propelled railway trolly. He asked Mr Malcolm to try to obtain permission for Dr Stenhouse to use a motor trolly. Mr Malcolm replied that he had brought this question also before Mr M'Villy, but had besn refused on account of the danger of meeting trains. Personally he considered the refusal unreasonable, because if Dr Stenhouse could get permission to travel on a hand-propelled trolly without any risk, surely a motor trolly would be as safe _so long as he had a railway servant with him. He would bring the matter up again. Mr Wallace moved a hearty Vote of thanks to Mr Malcolm, which Mr Dunlop seconded, and it was carried.