The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1884. The Bunnythorpe Junction

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 62, 4 November 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1884. The Bunnythorpe Junction

The settlers of Bunnythorpe appear determined to have their claims with regard to the railway line from Napier ventilated in the House, even if their efforts should from the beginning promise to be but futile. The Ministor for Public Works stands virtually pledged to make the junction at Palmerston, and as he is supported in this by the member for the district, Mr Macarthur, he has to a great extent right on his side. Be thia as it may, any section of the electorate has a perfect right to differ from the views of both the Minister and the Member when thoy feel that a wrong is about to be done to them to the aggrandisement of an adjacent township, and to call in the assistance of members of surrounding electorates to, at least, have their grievances thoroughly ventilated. Such has been the line of action adopted in this instauce, and a petition against the proposed diversion has been forwarded to J. G. Wilson, Esq., the member for Foxton. The assistance of Mr Bruce, the member for Rangitikei, and Mr Ballance, for Wanganui, has been solicited, and as a number of constituents of the two first mentioned gentlemen are deeply interested, wo expect to see these members tako tho subject up with some degree of cordiality. The arguments used by the petitioners appear to be sound and to deserve fair consideration at the hands of the " powers that be." The distance saved by the junction being made at Bunnythorpe would be five miles. The land necessary for the railway line is already surveyed and the bush felled on the reserve from Ashurst to Bunnythorpe, while the whole of the land which would be required from Ashurst to Palmerston would not only have to be re-surveyed but repurchased from the settlers on each side of the line. The fact of the land at Bunnythorpe having been sold with the distinct promise of the vendors that the junction should be made there should have weight with the Government if proper evidence of such promise having been made is produced, but we fear there will be some difficulty on this point. A good deal has been made in the discussion of this question on the position of Mr Macarthur, many of his supporters in Feilding being of opinion that he is neglecting this portion of the electorate to the advantage of Palmerston, and Palmerston only. We heg to remind those who have this opinion that before his election he clearly and distinctly explained his intention to support this route for the railway, and that he is now acting in perfect good faith in carrying out his pledges to his Palmerston constituents. We are also firmly persuaded that he will continue to act in all other matters affecting the interests of those whom he has tlie honor to represent with unflinching persistency, and that no promise of his will be forgotten or neglected. But at the same time we hope that he wiU see his way to have full justice done to the claims of the Bunnythorpe settlers, on whom a manifest wrong is likely to be inflicted.