3

D.—B

that their reasons should be more fully explained, and they now have the honour to submit them. The chief objection to a second goods-station, located between Taranaki Street and Clyde Quay is that such an establishment would, by dividing both the outward and inward Wellington traffic, cause great additional expense in working throughout every department of the WellingtonWoodville line, without bringing any new business. The proportion of paying load to nonpaying load hauled would be decreased the locomotive and rolling-stock maintenance and traffic expenses of the whole line would be increased, resulting in a diminution of the net earnings of the line. The w T orking of the divided traffic would be very inconvenient in a variety of ways. It is unjustifiable to incur a capital outlay (which will diminish the net earnings of the railway and embarrass the management) to provide a second goods-station for a town the size of Wellington, which has already been provided, at the expense of the colony, with very complete and efficient arrangements. The present station has, from first to last, cost not under £50,000 , its location was decided upon after a most mature consideration and discussion with the various Governments by whom it was carried out. It is arranged for extension, northwards, gradually on a large scale, if needed. As at present designed it is capable of dealing with the whole Government goods-traffic, and that of the Manawatu Company, should that company's business come into the Government station. There is not proper room to approach, extend, or work an efficient goods-station at the site of the passenger-station at Te Aro, and if a goods-station is established, there, its eventual abandonment can only be a matter of time. The public dissatisfaction is certain to be considerable when the results become apparent. The 31st section of "The Government Railways Act, 1887," makes the Commissioners the authority to decide on and approve the position, character, and suitableness of all station works, so as to prevent extravagance in working, as well as excessive outlay in construction. The Commissioners think that both these objections apply to the proposed goods-station and that both on technical and colonial grounds they should not approve of such a work. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. J P Maxwell, Commissioner

No. 5. The Hon. the Minister for Public Woeks to the Bail way Commissioners. (Memorandum.) Public Works Department, Wellington, 28th March, 1892. Wellington-Woodville Railway. —Ec proposed Goods-station at Te Aro. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your two memoranda on the above subject, dated the 14th and 16th instant respectively and in reply thereto to state that as the former of these memoranda gave no indication that the Commissioners intended to offer any further explanation of their views on the subject, but stated that they did not see their way to advise in any way regarding provision for a goods-station. I took that memorandum to be a final reply, and acted upon it accordingly ' . | As the memorandum referred to gave no reasons whatever for the Commissioners' objection to a goods-station at Te Aro, but simply stated (as already mentioned) that they declined to advise in any way regarding provision for such a station, I, as the authority intrusted by Parliament to give effect to its wishes with respect to the construction of the railway, took the only course then left open to me, and directed the Acting Engineer-in-Chief to prepare a plan providing the requisite accommodation for a suitable goods-station at Te Aro. The Commissioners then—on further reflection presumably —determined to state their objections to the proposal fully which they have done in the latter of the two memoranda above referred to. The Commissioners' objection to a goods-station at Te Ar.o seem to be based, however mainly on considerations of economy and railway convenience, but the Government considers that the public convenience is the first and principal matter for consideration, and there can be no question, I think, that a goods-station at Te Aro will be a very great convenience indeed to a very large proportion of the public of Wellington. The Commissioners assert that the chief objection to the proposal is the increase in the expenses consequent upon dividing the Wellington traffic between Thorndon and Te Aro, and that such a division would cause great additional expense in working throughout every department of the Wellingtou-Woodville line. What this great additional expense throughout the whole line may be they have not stated, neither have they submitted any details whatever in support of their statement. Now the marking of a truck for Thorndon or Te Aro, as the ease may be, and the necessary entries therefor, will not entail any extra expense, as the same number of employes will be required in either case. Or if the work at the Thorndon-station should slacken owing to any considerable proportion of the goods-traffic of the line being consigned to Te Aro, it will simply mean transferring some of the men at present employed at Thorndon to Te Aro. For the passenger-traffic there must be a Stationmaster and porters, pointsmen, shunters, &c, who could attend to both the goods- and passenger-traffic. Even admitting that there might be some slight additional expense, it would doubtless be covered by the additional railage-charges from Thorndon to Te Aro, for I do not presume for a moment that the Commissioners will charge the same rates for delivering goods at Te Aro as now charged for delivery at Thorndon. If such, however, is their intention, they have not indicated the same, and should they so decide, I can only say that those receiving their goods at Te Aro will doubtless greatly appreciate such liberality. The Commissioners are also, I think, clearly in error in stating that no new business will be brought by having a goods-station at Tβ Aro, as the Government is informed, and there seems to be