LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 57, 1 December 1920, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY DEVIATION

Sir,—ln your issue of November 25 last a, meeting at l'aliuerslon JS'orth re the railway, deviation is reported, and 1 wish, here to lake exception to anno oi the roniiU'ks reported to havo been wade by Mr. J. M. Johnstone.. I'irstly, photographs were produced bhowiug miles ot the ypropUfcd route undQiwater. It was alsu staled that at Wirikino it would be necessary to erect a bridge four miles Ion;;, so as to havo the line free from floods. Havling travelled over the FoxtonLevin Koad for many years under all conditions, it is difficult to imagine the. many miles of water reported. ljowevcr, I notice that Mr. Jolmsioiie "did not produce photographs c|>' the iproi>o6«d site of the new railway station, Pnlmerston North, under water. The comparison would bei interesting. Mr. M Kerrow, in his report of IBM, says that the Moutoa swamp can be avoided by a detour which would reduce the saving on tho-through distance to 131 miles. Therefore, tho bridge four miles in length that Mr. Jphnstone says would be required at ATirikino,.must be put down to a stretch of imagination. It is stated that a. bridge three-quar-ters of a mile in length would be required over the Rnngitikei River, the present traffic bridge over that river is not quite one-third of a mile long, and it is difficult to imagine where Mr. Johnstone procured hi 6 information with resnect to the three-quarters .of a mile. The Levin-Marton Railway League are convinced that the proposed deviation is in the interests of the/ wiiolo Dominion, and not for the advantage of a few individuals, as stated by Mr. Johnstone, and in bringing the matter under the notice of the authorities havo; honestly endeavoured to place facts and not romances before them.—T am, etc., J. E. WALKER. Bulls.