ALL THIN AIR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2362, 19 January 1915, Page 6

ALL THIN AIR

y. THE RIMUTAKA DEVIATION. Mr. C. E. Daniel, of Masterton, who attended the meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce, was invited by the chairman (Mr. C. M: Luke) to gay something about the deviation of "he railway line between Wellington and the Wairarapa. He said that there was unmistakably a sense of disappointment in the Wairarapa at realising that there had been no result from the representations of the Chambers of Commerce conference of six months ago. It was evident that Mr. Hiley was prepared to go on spending money in the South of Auckland instead of doing something to develop our own territory. What we feel is that the Wellington people pay more attention to the competition with Auckland than they do over opening up their own country. Was there a man present who, if going to Napier, would go through the Wairarapa? It takes' three times as long to get stuff to the meat works and three times as many trucks to do .the job with. The Government was losing money with every truck that comes over 'the Rimutaka Incline. Politicians had been approached, but they were not commercial men. Wellington would do well to imitate Auckland, where they were all out for the development of the country all the time, being aware that the growth of the city was largely dependent on the prosperity of the adjacent country. _ He would like Wellington borrow a little of that spirit. But what had been done in the past six months—all thin air, thin air. •

The chairman said that he must object to the application of thin air'to what' they had done. They had agitated, at every meeting they had held. What they did feel was that the Government had attached 60 little importance to the resolutions of the conference, but they were quite determined not to lie 'quiet. They would hold another conference and would knock very hard at the door of Parliament. He believed that the matter had effected one election in the Wairarapa. Mr. Edwards said he had no faith in politicians. Would it not be better to arrange a -petition with names secured by the AVellington and other Chambers of Commerce for presentation to Parlie ment Asking that the development work be"'carried out? Perhaps when members saw the names of their supporters on the list it might affect them.