TRADE GROWTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1920, Page 5

TRADE GROWTH.

BETTER TRAINS WANTED*

SPEEDING UP THE MAIL TRAIN. DIRECT SHIPPING SERVICE. A) deputation representing the. Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs. E. P. Webster (president), P. E. Stainton and T. C. List, yesterday afternoon and evening met the Councils of the Stratford, Eltliam and Hawera Chambers of Commerce, and discussed with them the questions of the improvement of the railway service and the inauguration of a regular shipping service between England and Taranaki.

The deputation explained that for years dissatisfaction had been felt and expressed in Taranaki with the railway services, and particularly with the slowness of the mail train between New Plymouth and Wellington. The services were inconvenient and inadequate, and the time was opportune, now that the Department was considering alterations in the timetable, to have effect given to the wishes of the people of the province for improved travelling facilities. Tho General Manager of Railways had made it clear to the Taranaki deputation which waited upon him in Wellington recently that the only way the mail train could be speeded up was by reducing the number of stopping. places., which the Department would, acraally like to See done, but the difficulty in the past was to obtain unanimity in the matter, for each district, however small, wanted to retain its stopping place. ; „ PROVIDING FOR THE WHOLE OP TARANAKI. ' The Taranaki Chamber had set up a 1 committee which had carefully gone into the matter of rearranging the .timetable, with the result that it recommended alterations which was felt would bring about the desired end whilst providing for the whole of Taranaki. At present the mail train leit New Plymouth at 7.20, and another slow train left at 7.43. The committee thought this was an entirely wrong arrangement. It was of opinion that the slow train should precede the mail train and gather the passengers for the mail train. It therefore suggested that the 7.43 should leave New Plymouth at 7 a.m., call at each station, snd arrive at Hawera at 10.25. The mail train could then leave New Plymouth at 9 sum., reaching Hawera at 10.35, and if the same policy of cutting out the small stopping places Wfis carried out in respect of the other sections the train would save such time as would enable it to reach Wellington at its present hour, viz., 7.8 p.m. Thus 'the time of the journey would be reduced by over an ;hour and a half, and ia Taranaki itself Iby fully half-an-hour. The committee suggested that the time, of starting from Wellington for New Plymouth could be delayed by i half-an-hour, and with the speeding up proposed would reach flawera at 5.8, Eltham at 5.35, Stratford 5.59, Inglewood 6.20, Lepperton 6.4Q and New Plymouth 7. It would be necessary to provide for the small stations, as in the down service, and this, the committee submitted, could be done by delaying the- present 4 p.m. train from Hawera to New ; Plymouth until 5.20 Passengers by the mail for the small places would thus be \ able ta get off at the nearest main station, and cateh this train and reach their homes almost as quickly as at pres'ent.

THE STEAMER CONNECTIONS. Th<e delay in. despatching the mail train from New Plymouth would ensure the regular connection with the Onehunga steamer service, and the delay in starting from Wellington would also result in the ferry steamer and mail connection being regularly made, whilst its earlier arrival in New Plymouth would' enable the 3ltip. for Qnehunga to be despatched an hour earlier, ensuring connection with the Waikato mail train. It would thus be an all-round improvement on the present service, which often missed the various steamer connections.

The deputation mentioned that representations had been made to Mr. McVilly regarding the necessity for improving the mail train carriages and installing a heating system, in winter. He had undertaken to do what was possible in the former matter, and' promised to. instal steam heaters in; the carriages by next, whiter. THE PROVINCIAL SERVICES. The deputation suggested what they considered was another improvement ill the provincial train service. 'lt was to put forward the present 7.25 a.m. train from Hawera to lea/ve at 7 o'clock, reaching Stratford at 8.10 and New Plymouth at 10.23. At present the train did not reach New Plymouth until 10.48, which gave ,the public no time- to transact their business and go back by the next return train leaving New Plymouth at 11.50. The latter train ivas not a convenient train for anyone, and the deputation recommended that it should bp timed to leave New Plymouth at 12.50, as formerly was the case, reaching Stratford at 3.8 and Hawera at 4.15. Under this re-arrange-ment it would 'be possible for anyone down the line to arrive in New Plymouth at 10.23, transact Ilia business, Jiave his luncheon-, and' Teturn by a train that would land him home at an early hour, instead of perhaps wasting a whole day. Reference was made to the promise of the General Manager to at once extend the sorting sheds at New Plymouth and improve the facilities, the inadequacy of which in the past had causfed loss and inconvenience to middle and southern parts of the province, as well as . to the north. Gratification was expressed by various members of the Chambers at the prospect of an improvement in the despatch of tlwir goods. The depiction stated that the General Manager of Railways had promised to visit New Plymouth this week-end if at all possible, and that it was desirable for the other Chambers of Commerce to appoint delegates to visit New Plymouth, then all meet together and discuss the whole of the services affecting Taranaki, with a view to settling upon a timetable satisfactory to all parts of Taranaki, and ensuring par' ticularly the speeding up and improvement of the mail train, and: a united front presented to the General Manager. The whole question was fully discussed by the members of the various Chambers, and in each- instance the decision arrived at to go carefully into, the* sugg«ated and tia appoint dels*

in in ■■ ■ i-r-ini—| A I , gates to visit New Plymouth on the cilsion of Mr. McVilly'a visit -. DIRECT STEAMER f The question of assisting 'fat dM - auguratiiig a regular steamer £kHB between England and Taranaki UM , , considered. ' , 1; , The New Plymouth dtlagatioa rtlerift < the importance of tlie various GhaVMNI . obtaining as quickly ai. ppsaiblei pMftj ticulark from their own ltojMrten Jw ' the goods that would be available sta such a service, so that they Mou |» / as a united Taranaki to the thiibrplttg companies and ask them to inifniiji* the 'service- Some months ago* t&* l'aranaki Chamber Of Commerce hSd been able to obtain 600 tons of spade fyc Taranaki importers on the Mljtoatf, r 1 which was coming to Kdw with 1000 tons of basic slag,-and ttooA ■? the time given to importers tfltt'tMy short, the whole space was at oaci plied for, and the goods Wfiuld be.jhejft - [n about a fortnight's time. ' % -j; This was the beginning of whatf wH - liuped would be a regular serried #*7 '' tween the Old Country and THwJi' The deputation felt it was necessary to point out the advaSmlil' ' accruing from a direct oerrifl#} tufa - were so manifest. The difficulties fronting importers in guafuttttnf ■ t '' particular quantity of cargo at presWtf, - when things were so dislocated and normal, were recognised, but before* 10% orders would no doubt be filled ag thw were before the war, and the gSCm would be forthcoming regularly. Affwdb at Home could be notified that SoiyKl''= were leaving England for Taranaki It stated intervals, and they.. cotild fat directed to give the service prefer audit Once the service was started theft could be no doubt as to its success, fa Taranaki waß a rapidly devwlping pl9< ; ; > vince, the spending power of Its was considerable, and trade, wwifi ~ftf • « paaid enormously in tho near future. Jlf *. any case the present trade of, the prWy - f vince was quite sufficient to' justify ft# ■, \ institution of the service, and it was oV viously in the interests of <; porters to lose no futtfar time in ' augurating it. No difficulty in getting the ships was anticipated. The shfyb " would come if the cargo offered* THE PROPOSAL DISODSSE&. ■•' The Stratford Chamber, which warffify supported the proposal, suggest*! that a circular pointing out the advantages ■ s of shipping by direct steamers fro*' '' England to Taranaki should lie dfMfl; up, printed, and distributed aaiygati Taranaki importers,, many of whun, fy' J was stated, were still insensible of. the * great advantages accruing to t&en and'* < the district by the establishing of * { direct service. ' ■ >,

The New Plymouth delegates promise! • that careful consideration would \ given to the suggestion.

The Eltham Chamber stated a general meeting was to be held to-night (Wednesday) to consider the question, audit was hoped representatives of the various 'i dairy factories would be present. TW ' local importers were very iesbvcß} of' assisting in the movement to start £tw service, for they recognised the iailßens* advantages of getting goods wftfcotft the transhipment charges and delayi, t and the aoastal freights. Some oi the Eawera member* parted ' out the difficulties in defining what <■ amount o£ cargo conld be sent, by 1 aa»jr ' ship, as there was considerable delay tt ' executing orders, and the goods wer» sent out as. they were available by the first means offering. At the same time, agents at Home could be instructed to ■ give preference to ships /Coming direct', ; to New Plymouth, and as the eervice s| became established and the boats were Jn despatched; to suit seasonal reqnlra' ments, and manufacturing became nor' M nial, the service would be inettauMjj* availed of. Members promise# toanufr'i the Taranaki Chamber ini e*«ry Kay they could in their efforts to tWWHto a service which was recognised wtfold be for the benefit of the whole of Tara- V naJci. vJj At each centra the deputation Wi , thanked for its action in placing the " masters before the Cliambers, and' ex* plaining them so thoroughly.