RAILWAY FACILITIES

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1688, 19 November 1925, Page 5

RAILWAY FACILITIES

CONGESTION AT LOCAL STATION.

MAISTER CARRIERS COMPLAIN

The need for representations to the ■railway authorities urging that the congestion ai the Te Awamutu railway station should be relieved was brought foefore the 'Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening, with a view to all the weight and influence possible being brought to bear on the authorities to secure for the customers of the Railway'Department at least treatment equal to that afforded at other important and growing centres. Mr A. Rowan, spokesman for the local master carriers, attended and stressed the need for better equipment at the local railway station. The volume of business had grown appreciably and steadily, and the equipment and staff were, in his opinion, quite inadequate. The present staff was doing its best, under difficult circumstances, but the work was getting beyond them. Carriers were unable to get clearances' 'for goods for distribution all over the countryside without long delay, thus entailing added expense to customers. He considered there was a clear case for asking the railway authorities to provide a larger staff, an additional loop line for shunting, and an extension of the goods shed accommodation. 'Speaking in support, Mr H. Andrew Teferred to the development of the district. Much new country had been brought in, and this entailed much extra railway work. There were now three dairy companies operating with Te Awamutu as headquarters. The Power Board was doing a big business at the railway station. Further, the station buildings were small and out of date. Further., there was no decent sanitary service and no electric light in the railway cottages. The sanitary arrangements were deplorable, for the present pan system was required to serve some thirty employees and their families in addition to the general public at the . station. The goods shed was far tco small for* the business done, and this caused congestion, resulting in much delay and confusion in the handling of goods. 'He believed the statiommaster was doing his lest to work his staff advantageously, but it seemed to him that a larger staff was urgently necessary. The trouble had become accentuated during the past twelve months. Representations had been made on 'behalf of the master carriers, hut so far without avail. Mr Laurie, replying, said that he, of course, was nelw to the district, and that, combined with the fact that a new time-table for extra trains had just been introduced, necessitated a reconstruction of the staff duties. He proposed to give the new staff alterations a week's trial, when probably he would need to make further alterations. He could not promise that this would be effective, but he could not give an assurance that the facilities would be improved adequately. He would do his best. As a matter of fact, be had forwarded certain recommendations to headquarters, and hoped that as a result some improvement would be possible. 'He knew the staff was doing the best possible under the circumstances, but it should be remembered that the new train time-tables entailed a good deal of extra .work and adjustment. Mr Rowan said the carriers did not want to impose a hardship on the station staff. The lafter had done wonders. 'To his own knowledge certain members bad worked many hours of overtime without pay in an attempt to serve the customers quickly. The carriers all knew this, but many of the general public, and probably the higher railway officials, did not. The congestion had been gradually increasing, due to the increasing use of the railways by the people of a district that was steadily developing. He felt confident that the volume of business done at the Te Awamutu railway station was a great deal higher than at other stations with the same-sized staff and with far better handling facilities.

To a question, Mr Warburton went back to happenings in 1919 when a plan of a new station was produced toy a high departmental official, who, answering a query by .Mr Armstrong, stated definitely that a new station was regarded as an urgent work. But nothing was done, though the money was provided on the estimates. Three years later the pretence was repeated, and the same lack "of result followed. A year ago the new general manage's schedule of works to be put in hand during the next eight years showed that the new station at Te Awamutu was grouped with grade easements between Frankton and Te Kuiti, and that work was classified for attention in the sixth or seventh year from date. IMr Warburton stated that during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Te Awamutu, Mr Sterling, of the •Railway Board, and Mr 'Welsh, the Board's commercial agent, had spent several hours in Te Awamutu, and douhtless they had investigated the whole matter, getting figures as to the amount of goods and the passenger traffic handled in Te Awamutu. He thought that the Chamber should call the Railway 'Board's attention to the need for improvement, suggesting the need for extra staff and additional yard accommodation. A suggestion was made that the proposed representations to the Board i he deferred for a month to enable the ' stationmaster to look more .fully into the matter, especially as at present an important officer of the local staff is away on holiday. Mr Downes mentioned that it was obvious that there was need for an extra loop-line, and this could well he the subject.of representations at once. Mr Rowan was assured by the president that the Chamber was keenly desirous of assisting to obtain better facilities at the local railway station. They realised that there was congestion there. Eventually the matter was deferred until next month.