OUR RAILWAY HANDICAP

Wairarapa Age, 29 May 1936, Page 5

OUR RAILWAY HANDICAP

Improvement of Rimutaka 1 line. DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS IN WELLINGTON. EMPHASIS LAID ON NEED OF EARLY ACTION. SATISFACTORY ASSURANCES GIVEN. (By Telegraph—“ The Age” Special.) WELLINGTON, May 28. A representative Wairarapa and Wellington deputation interviewed Ministers of the Crown in Wellington to-day on the subject of the improvement of the Rimutaka railway. The need for improvement was recognised freely, the three Ministers who spoke all expressing their astonishment that the line had ever been placed where it now runs. References were made to the introduction of rail cars and other detail improvements, but an assurance was given that the problem of improving the line itself would be examined and reported upon without loss of time. The Wairarapa representatives were: Messrs A. B. Wood, president of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce; E. M. Hodder, G. L. Thomas and H. M. Boddington, Masterton Chamber of Commerce; T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton; P. R. Welch, Masterton County Council; W. B. Martin, Mayor of Martinborough; J. Came Bidwill, Featherston County Council; J. W. Card, Mayor of Featherston; A. W. Horton, Mayor of Grey town; W. Fisher, Mayor of Carterton; J. Udy, Carterton; Duncan McGregor, chairman of the Wairarapa South County Council; L. T. Daniell and J. Brophy, Wairarapa Farmers ’ Union; J. B. Carruthers, chairman of the Eketahuna County Council; J. D. Wilson, Mayor of Pahiatua; E. W. Cheetham, Mauriceville County Council. An apology for absence was received from Mr. W. Simpson, Mayor of Eketahuna. At Wellington, the deputation was joined by Messrs M. G. McCaul, A. J. Curtis and H. S. Fairchild, Wellington Chamber of Commerce and T. C. A. Hislop, Mayor of Wellington. The deputation was introduced by Mr. J. Robertson, member for Masterton, to the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash), the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) and the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple). Mr. B. Roberts M.P. and the General Manager of Railways (Mr. G. H. Maekley) were present. Introducing the deputation, Mr. Robertson referred to its representative character. Mr. A. B. Wood, president of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce, said that no district had been handicapped so much in respect to railway facilities as the Wairarapa. If the* district had had an efficient train service, road services would have been negligible. The various deviation schemes were in the hands of the Government. Development in the Wairarapa would only take place when there was an efficient railway service.

DEVELOPMENT RETARDED. The Mayor of Masterton said the question of the deviation had been discussed for 30 years. So far as £ s. d. was concerned it had been shown that the cost and the saving involved would counter each other. Representations had been made to the last Government, and the matter had been considered. It was not merely a matter of money; the developmental aspect had to be taken into account. The Wairarapa had not progressed as it should in the last twenty years, and was not holding its own in population. The lack of railway facilities was a factor. If the East Coast railway was completed there should be an East Coast line, and Palmerston North should not be taxed further. The Wairarapa had been sidetracked. If the railway were put on a better plane it would be able to compete more favourably with road services.

Mr. J. B. Carruthers, chairman of the Eketahuna County Council, said he represented the district further north than the previous speaker. He criticised the slowness of the passenger service and the diversion of heavy traffic through Palmerston North. The district was not developing as it should do and one of the reasons was the poor railway service. They were concerned with the effect of heavy traffic on the roads of the country. If the traffic was not transferred to the railway, as it should be, there would be a considerable increase in road maintenance. They felt they were entitled to a better service.

Mr. D. McGregor said the farmers of the district felt that the present railway had handicapped them very much. It was a mystery why the railway had followed the present route. The deviation proposed would mean eight miles less freight and less damage to stock. The farmers were anxious to have the best possible service, with due regard to the economic position. CITY SUPPORT. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C A. Hislop) said that it was felt in Wellington that everything possible should be done to bring about the best possible transport communications between the Wairarapa and the port of Wellington. It was felt that there was an unanswerable case for an investigation to be made without delay. He asked the Prime Minister to give the matter the most favourable consideration.

Mr. M. G. C. McCaul (Wellington Chamber of Commerce) said he represented the business people, who were not interested in any battle of routes, but in the shortening of the route between the city and the fertile Wairarapa. Better communication with the Wairarapa, from the point of view of settlement, was vital to Wellington. Saving in haulage costs and the increased trade between Wellington and the Wairarapa would more than compensate for the interest charges on the capital expenditure. It would also enable a larger population to be settled in <the Wtrirarapa.

MINISTERS SYMPATHETIC. MR. SULLIVAN ON RAIL CARS. The Minister of Railways said he had listened with sympathy to the speakers, and anybody who had travelled the line w’ould listen with equal sympathy. It was amazing that the request of the deputation had not been achieved in the years gone by. The need, for it appeared to be so obvious. At the same time he felt it was unfortunate that the deputation had come forward at the present stage when the Government was considering putting on rail-cars. Mr. Jordan: “That does not solve the problem.”

Mr. Sullivan said that the time between Masterton and Wellington would be cut down by an hour and a half when rail-cars were running. He did not say that the case made out by the deputation was not justified, but he thought they might give the Government a chance of trying out the railcars. He agreed that in the past the district had been paralysed, but before an expenditure of £1,000,000 was decided upon attention should be paid to the possibilities of modern needs of transport. The first run of the railcars would take place on Sunday next. A voice: <# Over the Wairarapa?”

Mr. Sullivan: “I think I had better not tell you.” The Minister said that the rail-ears would bring about a big improvement in means of transport. It.was intended to run an additional 261,000 miles a year and the time between Masterton and Wellington would be cut down by one and a half hours. The Department’s engineers were designing a geared engine to replace the present Fell engines on the Rimutaka Incline, enabling 100 tons to be taken up the grade at ten miles an hour instead of the present limit per engine of 60 tons at five miles an hour. It was hoped also to dispense with the necessity for using the central rail except for braking when going downhill. While the Minister agreed with his colleagues that the Wairarapa railways communication was extremely out-of-date and inadequate, he suggested that the Department ought to be given a chance to see the effect of the new developments and the extent to which they would remove disabilities, at any rate on the passenger transport side. It was reasonable that the Government should ask that the new developments in transport should have a chance to prove themselves. If the results were not satisfactory, the deputation would have an unanswerable case to come back and ask for better railway facilities.

Mr. Jordan asked if the new developments would reduce the freight bill. On coal the freight was more than half the price of the coal.

Mr. Sullivan said that he could not give any guarantee that the freight on coal would be reduced. The Minister of Public Works said that he sympathised with the deputation. He often wondered what state of mind the engineer who designed the line must have been in when the work was done.

Mr. Jordan: “Politically minded; it’s a scenic railway.” Mr. Semple said it was a thing of the past to climb mountains with trains.

“MYSTERY OF THE RIMUTAKAS.” The Prime Minister said that this was one of the problems they had inherited—the solution of the mystery of the Rimutakas. To give a definite reply to a big problem like this was a bit of a strain. He assured them he was going to give more than the promises they had received in the past. The railways had to produce results or die. They might live for a year or two by legislation, but that was not enough. “We have to have the best in transport,” he said, “and we can produce the best here. I think the railways are still the best, and with a modern Department, staffed with fully-trained men, we can produce the best.” Mr. Savage said it was early days yet and schemes had to be devised.

Mr. Jordan: “I hope we will be on the list.”

Mr. Savage: “You will be on the list. We won’t let you die of despair.” He suggested that the Public Works Department should go into the question of boring a hole through the hill and see what the saving would be. They might be able to go over the hill, but that did not alter the fact that they should go downstairs if they could do it. They had the men to do the job. He promised that they would go into the matter and if they could not do it they would give the reason. The deputation was going to get a fair deal, and he prophesised that they would not be dissatisfied when they knew the result.