RAILWAY MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16895, 21 November 1922, Page 8

RAILWAY MATTERS.

CANTERBURY COMMITTEE MEETS. I Tli© Oonterbury District Railway j Committee met vesterday ; present—- ; Messrs hi. J. Marriner (in the chair) j \v . >'l.ringlemail, H. Holland, YV. i.l ; Nicholson and i\ H. Glimie (.secretary L There were a iso present AJessr.- " -i. (J. Mitchell, F. A. Gram: and J ! jY'hsou. of the Railway Department, i .Mr .Marrirer welcomed Mi Aiitciie.il '• uho has taken Mr Siringlemiui's pla.e. i as districi irafiic manager in Christi tiinnh, a--.urii.to- him that the commit ; toe would endeavour ;U all times u i work imii/d ami “jlovc with the Depart Air Mitchell, replying, -aid that aJ i suggestions would be iistened to syin [:a< hoii-eallv. ami tltui the help of fh< ! committee ,u ventilating grievance--'"1“ '■ . i.I >>-• tov!.< ! . Diiscuftsing the .uconvenienco .-ousm hv ' hr. despatch or the Add-..-won t- di : iron, the south side of the Ghristchurcl i staticn. M•• Mite hell said the trains were only despatched from the :-onr ! side when circumstances made ii mwo> f,arv. If an improvement could b< made it would he done. However, whe* i 1 here -were too inr.ny trains to he ch- ; sf’atclied from the main platform so in# j had. to leave from other plai forms. G . was hoped to make a rearrangemcnl ! C.’npta.in R- M'lntosh Ellis, director o 1 the. ,Slate Forestry Service, v, mt-p siati in" that it would i->e best io refer iln question' oi the railway freight on imported timbers in t-ho .Minister. Th t matter of rates and protection regarded foreign timber was a question ot high political policy, and he did noi t arc to express an opinion on it. The point came up at a previous meeting, when a deputation representing Ihe builders asked that the rate arid a. half freight on imported timber sh ould be red 11 cod. Mr D. Reese, speaking tor the sawmilling industry. Raid he believed the present system should bo maintained. j-.s it meant preference to local iudustric.-. ir sbonld not be lightly thrown toddo. jj seemed only fair to him that iwopie who wished to use imported timber should have to pav extra. Tire iinilx i r industry of New Zealand was in ;> bad position at present, and it needed all the help ir. could get. Air Holland said the eh urges worked against timbers that could not he sup plied by New Zealand, but were -necessary for certain works. Mr Reese said t here was a against New Zealand timber. A birch on the West C oast ivas quite as good as Tasmanian hardwood. The question of iron baric for back country bridge.'; was not so important as it was twentv years ago. Most county councils now preferred concrete culverts Tt was decided to reply to (be Build, ers' Association that. having heard both sides of the question, the committee had no recommendation to make. Air Chime presented a report on the suggestions made bv residents of Met liven for the improvement of the branch train services from Raknia. Residents of Rakaia wanted a new loading hank and a safer crossing. Mr Mitchell said that a report had gone forward to th© Chief Manager, and he could say nothing on the subject at present. The re were difficulties and it was a question how thev should ho rectified. Mr 03 in lie said the Methvon static i yard was too cramped and the residents contended that a new lay-out was necessary. Mr Mitchell said he would ask the stationmaster at Rakaia to report on the question of delaying the departure of the branch train to Methven until after the arrival of the southern exAir Grant reported that recently M. Mason and himself had investigated, certain matters in various districts, fn some cases improvements had been effected. and in others reports had been sour, to the head office. So far their relations with members of the business community had Keen very cordial and he hoped they would continue to be so Mr Mason said that, with the corn mittec working in such a broad-mind cd manner, much good must result. They would find, generally speaking, that, as m the ease of timber freights, there were two sides to every quesOti the motion of Mr Holland, it was decided to express appreciation of the improvements that had been effected in the railway service since the appointment of Air Grant and Mr .Mason.