VITALISING THE SYSTEM

Stratford Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 348, 1 May 1935, Page 5

VITALISING THE SYSTEM

RAILWAY IMPROVEMENT

BOARD AT STRATFORD REQUESTS PUT FORWARD Some enlightening first-hand information on tha broad pollicy of the Government Railways Board was given at a gathering in Stratford last night when members of the Board heard representations from the Stratford Borough Council, County Council, Chamber of Commerce and eastern district settlers. The actingchairman of the Board, Sir James Gunson, made it clear in the course of his remarks that the chief aim of the Board was to vitalise the railway system i n New Zealand to a high pitch and to cultivate among the public a feeling of goodwill toward the railways. That goodwill, he said, was necessary to the success of tho railways which were owned by the people,* who, If they did not support an institution on which they Were paying taxes were merely cutting off their nose to spite their face.

The Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan) presided over an attendance of about 20 in the Borough Chambers. The members of the visiting party were: Sir James Gunson (act-jng-cbairman of the Board), Messrs. Edward Newman, D. Reese, G. W. Reid (members), G. H. Mackley (general manager), H. C. Couch (district traffic manager), j Howell (district engineer), and the secretary to the general manager (Miss M. Mnwh'inncy).

Extending a welcome to the Board and the Department’s officers, Mr. McMillan congratulated Sir James on his election to the position of chairman in Mr. Sterling's absence. He paid a tribute to the management of the railways and said that the service was universally appreciated. There was no doubt that the service was a Wetter one under the Board than under direct Government control

Mr. T. R, Anderson, chairman of the County Council, also extended a welcome to the members of the Board. He said the people of the district were greatly pleased with the service over the trunk line to Taumarunui and personally he considered it one of the best sections of Ime between Stratford and Auckland. Mr. Wm. Hoskin, president of the Chamber of Commerce, joined in ex-

tending a welcome to the Board and raid that it was desired to put forward suggestions winch ilt was hoped would prove helpful in the future.

Keeping In Touch

Sir James Gunron expressed thanks on behalf of his colleagues for the welcome extended to them and said that the Board made periodic vis.ts to various districts to keep ir touch in a personal way with the railway system in the Dominion. It was the second visit of the Board, as a corporate body to Stratford. The Board’s aim was to vitalise the system and with that object in view It was endeavouring to become familiar with every detail of it. Al-

though the Government really owned and operated the institution the Board was working on lines calculated to create goodwill toward the railways. It needed that goodwill to bring it more patronage and visits such as the Board was making on the present tour were ■ part of the programme for making the svstora so satisfactory and desirable that the public could not do without it. In regard to motor transport competition the Board took up the attitude that its way oaf was to provide a more vitalised iserylcc and a service more desirable to the public. On behalf of the Borough Council the Mayor made two submissions to the Board. He said that some lime ago the council had made application fo the Department to have an improvement brought about in the area of land at the triangle at Celia Street. It was unsightly at present and the cost of putting it in good order would not be gn at. The council was prepared to undertake tho filling work required.

The second and more important ‘ubmisftion made by the Mayor was that the Board should take some action in order to eliminate the inconvenience caused by shunting trains cr crossings in the heart of the town. A propo al had bom made some time ago that the .station and yards should be' shifted to a ‘■■ite near the Warwick Road but nothing had ever come of it. He aim asked tor the removal to another site of the railway stock yards on the corner of Fcpton and Juliet Streets- which he said were a nuisance msln'y because of their unhygienic state. County representations were made by the chairman (Mr. Anderson) and the engineer (Mr. J. W. Spence). They requested an improvement in the road on the Douglas Saddle which was narrowed at a dangerous point by the supports of an overhead

railway bridge. Mr, Spence submit

ted a plan calculated .to meet the situation, providing for a new cross-

The Board members 'agreed to visit Ihe site to-day and make an in-

spection,

Elimination of Crossing

The extension of the railway station verandah on the south side as far as the end of the platform was a suggestion put forward by Mr. noskin on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. He said such an extension Avould be of immense benefit to the travel ing public, particularly on wet days and in providing lighting at night. Mr. Hoskin also mentioned the desirability of speeding up the daily train from Whangamomona in order to connect with the “flyer” to New Plymouth at mid-day.

His third request was that on alternate days the Wellingion-Auck-land limited express should be diverted to the Marton-Taranaki line and proceed to Auckland via Stratford and Okahuhura. He pointed out that if this was done Taranaki residents would be provided with a nightly service to Auckland, the service on the other three nights being given by the present New Ply-mouth.-Auckland night express. The possibility of eliminating the Fenton street crossing by constructing a road behind the Empire Hotel and Newton King’s buildings, emerging in C’oton Road was mentioned by Mr. Hoskin, who also asked the Board to consider a proposal to make Stratford a sub-terminal.

Representing settlers in the To

Wera and other districts Mr. N. B. Fletcher made a request that the Department should keep clean the drains alongside .the railway line through the locality. He said that through neglect the drains had become blocked and flooded large surrounding areas of good farming land. The position was so serious for some saltiers that they may have to give up dairying owing to the encroachment on their land. A further nuisance was constituted by cut willows being left about. The Department’s neglect had aroused a certain amount of antagonism toward the railways. Replying, Sir James Gunsoa said the Board would be pleased to view the unsightly triangle mentioned by the Mayor. He would make (this qualifying statement, however—that unless the work was likely to improve the facilities of the railway and its patrons it was not within the scope cf the department. Level Crossing Dangers,

Touching on the aUprosentations matie in regard to level crossings, Sir Janies said that the problem was a national one and .the obligation was the Department’s in part only. The latest advices from home were that the road and other local authorities had a certain obligation in providing for safety at crossings. The Department recognised its responsibility to the extent of providing warning devices and was prepared without committing itself, to sympathetically consider the representations.

The Board was not in a position <o carry out co;.lly work, such as the removal of the stock-yards, said Sir

James in reply to the Mayor’s representation in this respect. He eiuphasisted that the Board’s main province was tram-port, and that it had the heavy responsibility of bridging the big gap in expenditure and income. Sir James indicated that the Board would visit it he crossing-bridge at

Douglas in connection with the conn ly representatives on the subject. A Request Not Granted.

“You have brought up several important proposals,” said Sir James in reply to Mr. Hoskin’s representations on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. The Board was prepared to meet representatives of the Chamber at the station to view the site of the proposed verandah extension. During the day, he continued, the Board had had before it the proposal to divert the Wollington-Auckland express to Taranaki on alternate days and it had given the proposal serious consideration. The answer was that at present the Board regretted that it could not accede to

that the proposal would be favourably entertained for several years. The Hoard would consider the proposal of speeding up the Whanganiomona- £ tratford morning train to connect with the “flyer.” He asked for i lore information on the proposal t° make Stratford a sub-terminal. “Wo are very pleased that you have been so frank with us,” said Sir James hi reply to Mr. Fletcher. The Hoard was perturbed to learn that there was an antagonistic feeling among some of the settlers toward the Department. He gave an assurance that if the trouble was occurring on railway land and if (he setters could convince the local officers that there had been neglect and that there were reasonable grounds for the request then the trouble would be remedied.

He thanked the speakers I’m' the submissions they had made and went cn to say that the Board was capable of giving sympathetic consideration to all requests. Members had nothing to gain by their service on .the Board —they had accepted the positions in an effort to assist even in an indirect way in placing the country’s largest concern on a sound the request and that it was unlikely basis.