RAILWAY STATION SITE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160737, 25 August 1920, Page 5

RAILWAY STATION SITE.

To the Editor. Sir, —Mr Bignell, the chairman of the Harbour Board, has requested the public to suggest a* railway site better than the Racecourse, I, as one of the public, say, for the future of Wanganui no worse site could possibly be suggested than the Racecourse, and any site than that would be better. In abler terms than I can use_ it has already been said that the Racecourse in the future should be reserved, and must be reserved, for the people of Gonville and Wanganui as a pleasure ground for the people, in a broad-minded way. If under the present deed it is to be held as a racecourse, then have it as a racecourse, not run by one or two hundred people as a Jockey Club, but run as a municipal racecourse; not only that, but a place for all sorts of recreation, with room for all, and no one denied the right of access—for football, cricket, bowls, tennis_ croquet, polo and all games required for the relaxation and convenience of the people. All these amusements could now be indulged in in the centre of that Racecourse. Neither the Mayor, Mr McVilly nor Mr Massey have a right to take away the birthright of the people of this town. I am, even in the present state of affairs, absolutely opposed to the centre of that course being practically kept a desert for a few cows for eleven months out of twelve in the year, to suit a little monopoly that calls itself the “Wanganui Jockey Club.” I am not a racing man, yet if people choose to spend their money on racecourses I am not one who desires to deprive them of their pleasure! Every dog to its own vomit, and let everyone do that which pleases him, so long as he does not injure his neighbour. However, the Wanganui Jockey Club have agreed to efface themselves. With reference to the Harbour Board, Mr Bignell runs the show, with a lot of dummies behind him. It is only the other day that Mr Meulli enunciated a scheme, which it is suggested might cost £2O 000, and is far more likely, looking at past experiences, to cost £40,000 for a new-fangled quay at Castlecliff. This scheme has been relegated to a committee (of the Harbour Board) to report upon. What the members of that committee may say, or what they may not say, is not going to be given publicity. But of all the ridiculous proposals I have heard, this beats most of them. When I was a boy, I remember reading in a cookery book, “How to make hare soup,” and it started, “First catch your hare.” I say, “first make your harbour.” Can Mr McVilly be blamed when he says, “I shall retain all the rights the Department possesses and more if possible, than is now possessed,”’ when he looks at the up to the present successes of the local authorities. A conference of local bodies and the surrounding districts was held, and what was the result? Nothing, Yet, even of more importance is it that the farming and stock interests and the interests of all the neighbouring municipalities, of which Wanganui is the port, should be first considered. I am indebted to a friend for taking this important question into consideration. It goes without question that the railway authorities must, wherever a station may bo, have absolute conveniences to the river front from the town bridge, and later on to the Imlay Freezing Works and probably to Castlecliff. The present little private railway should he at once resumed, all the land beyond the present gas works wharf should be reclaimed, and the spoil that is now sunk in the Tasman Sea should be utilised for that purpose. If any station is to be constructed it should, as has been suggested by others, be I between the top ol Wanganui i Avenue and Mosstown. In the mean- ) time, marshalling yards tor the conl vetiience of farmers and stock should be constructed at Wanganui East; and lastly, a tram line should be laid, on the railway guage, from For dell up to the top of Wanganui Avenue, connecting there with the Government railway. Eighty per cent, of the people coming into this town come from the south. Instead ! of taking an hour it will take them [ 20 minutes to get into the heart of the place. In brief, I say, firstly, it doesn’t matter to the people whether the Railway Department run the wharves or the Harbour Board, so long as they are run properly. The people of Wanganui and the surrounding districts want their seaborne goods in the quickest and most economical way; secondly, a station near Mosstown with a deviation to Kai Iwi; thirdly, in the interim, a marshalling varcl at Wanganui Bast; fourthly, a tram from Fordell for the convenience of passenger traffic. I trust that others may improve upon the suggestions which are not altogether my own; hut which I am in favour of. It is not what one would like to have; we have to cut our coat according to our cloth. Still, if these prepositions are not better than those proposed by the chairman of the "Harbor” Board. I, with others, of course, must be mistaken. Naturally, I am taking into consideration hydro-electric power.—-I am, etc., J. M. SPEED.