MEMBER FOR TIMARU.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15446, 8 September 1914, Page 9

MEMBER FOR TIMARU.

A BRIEF CHAT. TDLVEt"S NEW STATION. Asked his opinion concerning tho report of tlie General Manager lor Railways, Mr Craigie, M.l'.. said lie considered that it contained a lot of valuable suggestions. Mr Hiley, it was satisfactory to note, gave credit to those who had been responsible for running the railways in tho past: butho found now that the old conditions were unsuited to tho ever-expanding traffic on our lines. Ho appeared to have gone very thoroughly into the matter, and the only point for regret was that tlio money market was unfavourable nist now for raising the money necessai"y for putting the suggestions in tlio report into effect-. This would probably cause some delay, but it was unavoidable. He thought the Government would bo wise to get authority now, however, to raise the money as soon as the time was opportune. " Are you satisfied with what is proposed for Timaru "Quite," Mr Craigie replied. He ridded that it was what lie had been asking for a long time, and when the £40.000 allocated to Timaru was spent there would be a very much better station and station yard here—a station more in keeping with the place. " Can you say what the main features of the improvements will be ?" Mr Craigie replied that one of the features would be a readjustment of the lines in tho shunting yard so as to minimise the blocking of the Strathallan Street crossing. This in itself would be a great convenience. He understood that to attain this end the railway approach to the wharves would he made ori lhe_ sea side of tho Harbour Hoard's office. Another important improvement was the putting in of a dock at tho southern end of the station so that- the slow trains from the south could draw up against the station platform, where the passengers could :ili<r,lit in safety instead of having to risk their lives in crossing over several 6eis of rails while trains were shunting, or frosli trains coming in. The site of the station platform would remain as at present, but he believed that extra shunting lines, and new and more commodious goods' sheds would be built further south, in the vicinitv of the Bolford Ifll,, on land which the Government had acquired from the Harbour Board a year or two ago. And wi>h a view to reducing the traffic over Stratliallan Street, an overhead bridsre would be built at the sea end of North Street.

THE ELECTIONS

Asked his -opinion concerning the proposal to postpone the 'general election. Mr Craigie said the present was no time For party warfare. and he 'thought the life of the present Government .should he extended for twelve months, by whic-h time lie hoped the country would be out ol" the throes of war. Opinions differed widely as to the probable duration of tile war. and 110 one could tell' how long it was going to last. His own opinion was that it would last for some considerable time, and that as tliey could do comparatively little in the House while it lasted, tho Premier would be well .advised if lie would put through necessary legislation for carrying on financially, and then Parliament. Members could :1() more good''in their respective con-, stituencies than in Wellington at the present time. Mr Craigie added that lie thought tho Ministry would do well to associate Sir Joseph \Vard with them when they were discussing matters relative to the war.

"It might be asked." Mr Craigie said. why wo should adjourn tilu elections in Xew Zealand, seeing tli.it they did not do so in Australia. The answer to that was fchat the case? were not parallel: the Federal Parliament had been dissolved, and fresh elections ha-.! to take place. It appeared, however. from the papers that comparatively little interest was taken in tliem.

NEW ZEALAND'S POSI'IIOX

In reply to a further o.asstion, Mr ( raigio expressed the opinion tliat New Zealand would probably come better out 'if the war than any other part of the Empire. "W 0 were far removed from the scat of war. and if our production and other business were carried on as usual, and the Navy kept tho seas clear so that we could shin our produce away, New Zealand would come out a'l right in the end. He was pleased at the patriotism which had been shown in Tiniaru, especially that which had led people to contribute so liberally to different funds. He doubted whether any other nlace in Xew Zealand had done as well as Timaru in proportion to its population. , r '\- C; i7!'- io -' efi Timnru on his return ■o \\ el.ington by tho first express vesterday. On arrival at Christohureh no v-.sited the Addni<rton canm with the °l"<H-r. of s;vving good-bye to the Timaru and bonth Cantcrburv '• bovs