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SOMERTON RAILWAY, j
Rail Motor Service Opened, il
CEREMONY AT CAMPBELLFIELD. 1
At llie invitation of the president 06 j
Die xliiie. of Braadincnilowa (Cc. TTetho-i
wan) n Ini-gc mnnbrr ol people nsacniblo&|
at C'ninpbcllffcld yesterday lo take paiffj
in the official oiicnlng of tin: section of thai
local railway line between T-nivkner andt
boineiton for motor vail fevvicc. tvcpie1
sentntives of Jtroadincndows. Ksscndons-
tlolnivg mid other councils-, and memhers ofij
I'ailininent, were present. Tlin stopping
place i» close to the liroml meadows iniliJ'
tarj- camp. if
Tlic picsulflnt cjitcrtained the visitors 1 )Y_
a marquee. The approach at Byilncy-road-i
and on to the station had been dceorutedi|
with bunting for the occasion bv the local
railway league ami ' the progress sssoeia'
lion.
The Minister oi Bujlwnys formally de
claring tho extension open for traffic, sairf
tlio line was constructed in I83U nnd closed
id lOOt) owing to Insufficient support. After!:
a while part of the line trom t-obuig ston
lion to i-'awkner was reopened for traffic-,1
The department set down the cost of tho
disused portion at .G.VJ.2I7. with iiitctesfl
eliafges alnoiiiiliug lo a Iiirtlier £2794
The estimated cost of reconditioning tlio
liiic for rail motor service was £4000, of
which j),'4200 was chargeable to. working
expenses and £800 to capital. An addi
tional charge of £,'!,>.!0 against capital
would be incurred in the provision oF tlia
rail motor. "While the total increase ini
the animal charges amounted to £2418, ill-
eluding operating costs £19.10 and track;
maintenance £250. the esliniuecd r evening
was £150; thus an annual Joss ot £2209
i was contemplated. But; thut was noti
1 much when they remembered that otiieq
I lines were up lo £20,000. Bnek of it wus
j confidence in the ritiirc. Be bshcve(|
l (lint, u flip, line lic.il tie.„\ <>\iw"h! '"w rssjs
' wc-ulq v.j- ttt.tr rmrn- (ft yetM
atxnvwi. poi'log yrvuu ri(4
| no reason to doubt thnt in the next de»
| cade there would tic a closely-settled awl
contained area, where now were to be
seen a bruud o.-ipuiicc ol fields. (Appluiisc.)i
The history oi the movement was one off
the romances _(>! the State. For nineteen,
years the residents, through their Fnrha
inentar.v representatives, had been agitate
:ng for the reopening, nml they had backed
up their expressions ot faith m it by,
guaranteeing the department against losrf
ioi -five years. Ho thought it had a future
almost tinpariillefcd.
At this stage a ear .came up fromi
l-'awkncr sLition, and the children of thd
district, who had hern looking on fronq
the vantage of a tlirue-raihloiiec, w-cro in
vited to take thflir, scnts1, for a run to
tioinci i oii ami hack. / , The '.Minister re
marked that where, about i7-. persons had
travelled by. the rail .itioloiy'-.lCW 'liad coma
liy road ill their iliotiirH. lle< hoped they,
1 would rovt-rse that and support the line.-
. u\pp!am;e.) t
! Cr. It ayes (mayor of Cnbut-e and eouneil-t
lor of Broadmeailows) said the action off
tlic . Gbvermnenr. had greatly -pleased thd
people ot thfl district, who had lung suffered
train being, -cut- off l'loni the -city through
lack ,of '.convenient, means of transport,
After, the Premier and members off Parlia
ment had inspected the area, they wcro
pooh convinced as to the merits of tho
e.'ainiH that hail been so persistently made.
Mr. TtiiineclilFc might take credit for n
record iTi departmental despatch. He
hoped the people would support the lhia
mid prevent the department from any pos
sible thought of closing it again.
.Mr, Beckett, Minister ot Health, said,
fourteen years ago. when. lie entered- Par
Iminviit, lie had urged that , the line bo
opened, and repeated efforts- had been
made siricc. ft stood tu tho everlasting
credit of the present Ministry that it. was
an accomplished fact. (Hear, hear.) It
luul even licen suggested that it the Got
comments nf tlio past would not consent,
a syndicate or trust could he formed to put;
a motor on the line. Thousands of pouiids
had hcon lost in revenue and interest
through its long closure.
.Mr, Pollard, M.U.A., said- there wct-M
other movements for the ndvnnccmont of
t he district that could be followed up. It
was a Hesirablo place to Tiro m. Thcy|
should aim ni; the requisite population to
so support the line thut its stntniR must bo
raised. ;
Mr. F. Keanc. DLL. A., said it spoko
volumes for the department when it dnredii
to open a line at a time when circum-!
stances were so adverse. Pcrlxnps ju-ivata
eiitei-prise would put on buses m oppose?
lion when the (lovcniiuetif, made a paj'-
ing in oposition of it; but 'the people should
lie loynl lo the departnieut nnd refuse to ,
; ride in the buses. (Ileal, hour.) It
i might not he long before the extension
! of electricity right up In Sninerton would
i be justified. ' '
i Mr. Drakeford, M.1,.A.. said lie hod
| often wondered why the line was left so
I long idle. They wcro going to get an im
i provement ' int the N serviuc to -Broad
I meadows. ' " -I
j Mr, J, Jewell. M.L.A., said the first'
< speech hu niadc in tavin- of the lino in I
! PaiTiamenl was seventeen years ago. . Itj
! would he one nf the finest acquisitions for .
I the district, ami would bring all the north J
evn suburbs into closer touch. Where |
they now surveyed ti mass of paddocks,-:
thev would see many dwelling houses. _ I
Mr. . Kiel-nan, M.L.C.. said the diatrictt!
was destined to be marked by factory dp
volnpment and an enormous inerensc in
pu pulut ion .
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