THE DEATH TRAPS

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13272, 30 August 1916, Page 4

THE DEATH TRAPS

OUR DANGEROUS CROSSINGS.

DEPUTATION TO THE .MINISTER.

MR HERRIES TO ENQUIRE.

When the Hon." YV. H. Herri's, Minister of Railways, was in Hamilton yesterday he wa,s met by .deputations noni tiie Borough Council and *he Qiamber of Commerce in resptet to railway crossing dangers at River Road and \ ictoria street. Mr J. A. Young, M.P., introduced the speakers to the -Minister.

Subway fcr River Road.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. R

Vow) and Councillors J. McKinnon, H. H. nowden and \\. F. Mason represented the Council in bringing the oftrevived question of doing something to alleviate ine dangers existing at the River Road crossing before Mr Hemes' notice.

Mr Fow said that this matter had been under consideration for a consideration tor a considerable tirrufwhen different schemes were mentionffl, but up to the present nothing definite had been done. Fii;st of all, the Council had asked for a UGft subway. The rise at the point to the railway was not a natural one, but had been built up in the old days over the road, and the crosing was one oi the most dangerous in the district. The population of Claudelands was a large one and was growing very rapidly, while the children used the crossing in large numbers in coming across the river to school. The estimate for the 66ft subway was £3500, of which sum the Government would bear one-fourth, and the remainder was to falPto the borough, which burden the latter looked upon as too big, and it R*ad asked what would be the probable cost of a 40ft sub-way, which estimate was given at £2500. The Department had then asked if the widening of the road would meet the case, and there was no doubt that the danger would be considerably alleviated by that. However, in view of the fact that the sections of adjoining owners would be buried by such a proceeding the Council did not go further. Now they thought that the matter should be re-opened with the object of getting a 40ft subway. They had the assurance of two of the leading residents on the Claudelands side of the crossing that a considerable sum could be raised by them as a contribution towards the work. He thought that if the work was brought within practicable cost, the borough, the residents and the Government could .share, and an ever-growing danger would be terminated. Cr. McKinnon said that the cattle stops had been put back to give 66ft, but that there was a real danger was very evident to users of the crossing. He had repeatedly seen children held back from oncoming trains, while the running of car into buggies on the other side was not uncommon. They required the work to be done before an accident happened. Cr. Howden held that widening out only would not make the crossing safe enough. He had nearly been run down by a train while using the crossing on a rainy night. Seeing, too, that the department had put the filling there he thought that they should give every assistance to effect a remedy. The Minister's Reply. Mr Herries, in reply, said that the matter had been before the Department for a good, long time, and he was certainly under the impression that it had been' settled by Mr Hiley. In view of the new facts, however, he would see what could be done. He was perfectly aware, he said, of the enormous strides that Claudelands and Hamilton had made, and this progress was by no means at an end. He had to warn them, however, that during the war

period it was necessary to look to every penny of revenue in his department, and, as far as this year was concerned, there was no hope of any large expenditure. When he leached Wellington lie would he glad to look up his papers and confer with .Mr Hiley, if nothing had hcen arranged. The Council could write and point out that the arrangements with -Mr Hiley were not sufficient, but till after the end of tho financial year, there was no hope of any expenditure on the work. Victoria Street Crossing. The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr H. J. Wernham, placed the matter of urgently needed improvements in the matter of observance at the Victoria street crossing before the Minister. The speaker said that it had come before Mr Herries and his deparment several times without result. The position was that after the crossing keeper left at 5 o'clock large l numliors of people using the crossing to go to Whitiora and Krankton and vice versa were placed in considerable danger by the approach of shunting engines, ballast and ordinary train traffic from

Cambridge at 7.30 and Paeroa at 8.30. The danger had become more acute since the department had leased tin; land abutting the line. The Chamber's request to the department was for an extension of the crossing-keeper's hours to 7.30, or for the putting in of an electric bell. A small item of the rent they were getting from the corner section would provide for the improved accommodation sought at the crossing. Mr Hiley, however, would not grant either of the requests, but the Chamber had the question brought so frequently to their notice that they thought a renewal of the application was necessary. It was purely a matter of luck that no fatal accident had occurred at the crossing. The speaker did not know what it would cost to put in electric bells, but the provision was much more easier of solution now that electricity was installed. The Manager's View. Mr Gruar pointed out that in a letter Mr Hiley had characterised the crossing as not being a dangerous one, and that the Chamber's request was not warranted. The speaker would like to know what was meant by a safe crossing, as this one was certainly highly dangerous. The buddings obscured the view, and, with steam cut off the engine, it was hard to hear the trains approaching the crossing. The Minister: They whistle, don't they? A member: Yes, but not a continuous whistle. Mr Gruar said that the signal l>ox was on the wrong ,side, and should lie shifted across opposite. The local railway staff, who were in a subordinate position to Mr Hiley, subscribed to this view. The Minister said that he knew the crossing very well, and the gieatesi dangers would be constituted I»v engines and ballast traius, whose approach the public were not aware of as "at the case of the trains running to time-table daily. He would see if anything could be done to extend the hours of duty on which a crossing-keeper would be on hand. The trouble the department had to contend with in respect to electric 'bells was that a lot of the implements wanted for their working could not be got owing to the war, and the erection of them had been delayed in a great many places for this reason. Perhaps a suitable one for local requirements could be worked from the signal box, and not the patent operated by the engines as they parsed through. . The removal of the signal box had been

brought (o his notice by the Beautifying Society, and there was no doubt something m what they contended. -Mr Young said that it was recognised that some difficulty might arise in constructing a bell to connect with the trains.. He believed that it would be possible, to otherwise construct a bell to trains were approaching 11^where ?,e real aid k«rs of the of Bc&> 1 I t I 1 1 I I I > H i 1 > I