RIMUTAKA-WAIRARAPA RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 295, 7 September 1920, Page 5

RIMUTAKA-WAIRARAPA RAILWAY

Sir,—Previous to the interview on. this matter with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works, representatives from various districts decided to avoid asking for a definite route, but that responsible expert men should bo appointed by the Government to advise what would bo best for the whole district. The request was definite, but it was noted then that Mr. Masscy did not reply further than to say that surveyors would decide. On the date of the interview, and since, a few men have been busy trying to block the request of (ho people being given effect to. Mr. Coleman Phillips, has written coupling my name with ridiculous staterosnrs which are childish, if tho reader knew either Mr. Phillips or myself, but lo Wellington people who knew little of tho affair, it may bo different. I simply now writo to warn your readers, autl especially members of Parliament, that a blunder of tho same character, but on a smaller scale,- is being engineered by Mr. Coleman Phillips and a feiv others in tho railway, Fentherston to Martinborongh, already authorised, but wisely delayed by successive Governments; Lest I be misunderstood I repeat that for business reasons and development purposes, Martinborough should liavo been served by rail many years since. And the engineer evidently chose, with full knowledge and v/'ITi some vision, the point of junction vTrji tho main line at Woodsido, when tho branch pointing direct for Martinhorough was made to Greytown and Siew stopped—an expensive, bronoji that

if continued to the Martinborough centre, would' have been a profitable business investment. Featherston and Woodside are equidistant! from Btafcinborough, 12 miles, Of the one route three miles is made, hut the Featherston as*, tators have induced Parliament actually to authorise another branch which, after travelling about seven miles toward Martinborough, comes on flat country within about throe miles of the end of the already made Greytown branch. These and otber like statements can be supported from official data, which is the real reason why the df-putation asked that experts, not local political wire-pul-lers, ahould decide the line of public expenditure in this case. Personally I recognise that some in- 1 forests in Featherston may suffer if the right thing is done in the proper location of the Rimntaka deviation and tho Martmborough connection with tho mam line. Wc'also remember that it was n Featherston resident who was responsibln for the location of the Fell incline and all its waste and inefficiency during the last dO years, while if their present tactics are allowed to dominate it will result in a perpetuation of tho Fell svstem for generations, such is the importance of the point of junction m its relation W tfce doviation problem.™! ""' et ° CHAS. E. DANIELL.