D.—Ba

1892. NEW ZEALAND.

THE TE ARO GOODS-SHED (FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO).

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated 18th August, 1892. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House any additional correspondence or reports relating to the Te Aro ■Goods-shed subsequent to the 21st July last."—(Mr. Weight.)

No. 1. Mr C. Napieb Bell, M.lnst.O.E., to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Wellington, 25th July, 1892. g IB _ 2'c Aro Station.—Beport on Accommodation for Goods-station. Acting on your instructions to report to you on the feasibility of placing a, goode-station on the reclaimed land at Te Aro, I proceeded to read all the correspondence on thisi since 1886 to the present time, and, finding that there was much discussion on the question of extending the railway to Newtown, and even to Island Bay, I went over the ground with a plan marked P W.D. 15,002, on which was shown the several proposed lines. Taking this extension first into consideration for the reason that it might possibly affect he position of the station at Te Aro, I examined the several lines shown on the plan as fa .bb the summit of the hill at Newtown, and, under the existing circumstances of land _budt over, aod sections occupied, I came to the conclusion that a line indicated by the Under-Secretary Mr Blow which I have shown on a map of the town submitted with this report, was the best both as to the physical features of the ground and the amount of properties which would be disturbed V y I could only judge of the features of the ground by a number of levels written on the plan, and, judging by them, the line recommended would have no gradients steeper than 1 in 66 or 70 from Te Arc>toNewtown Station. Beyond Newtown Station the line in red on pan marked _P W.D 15,002 would be followed as far as Island Bay , but without a survey I could ™t give an^^r on the suitability of the line from Newtown Station to Island Bay , but I presume it has been marked out with a knowledge of the ground it passes over , . , • The line which I consider most suitable would leave the passenger-line at Iβ Aro and curving round by the corner of the Corporation yard, would enter Kent Terrace It would Terrace on the boundary-line between the Avenue and the west side of the terrace until it comes to Section 286. Here it would curve, and follow the east side of Basm Reserve Passing through Section 678, it would take a line of street which bounds the east side of Sections to 745 but rf it were not advisable to take the street-line, it might_ pass through Sections 17 to 14 and again curving it would pass through Sections 759 to 768, and in these sections the Newtown Station would be placed, havingaccess from Riddiford and Mem Streets. This line appears ground to be the best that could be chosen, and if the disappropriation of the land it.passes; through tere taken in hand at once the amount of compensation to be paid would be very moderate but if it is left over for some years this may cease to be the case, as no one can say when sections now vacant will be built over, and inferior houses be replaced by valuable ones. In taking the line up Kent Terrace, and at the side ot the Basin Reserve, I assume that the railway will be a suburban-passenger line, and will travel at the speed of a horse-tram, and that it Will central for a station for Newtown Ido not think there is a better It is in the lowest part of the valley , an extensive district o^^-^ 6 . 8 , 8 ?™^ x * levels than the station, and when the whole is built over the station will be m the centre of a POPU As U to d the nlture of the passenger traffic lam not in a position to give a correct opi™n but I do not think this extension of the railway would have much effect on the traffic by cabs, omnibuses,