The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21. LEVIN TO GREATFORD DEVIATION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 January 1914, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21. LEVIN TO GREATFORD DEVIATION.

If tlie settlers of these parts persistently advocate' deviation of tin Main Trunk iiailway Line frou. Levin to Foxton, the carrying oil I of that most desirable work will be hastened considerably. Palmerston North has been resoluti in its opposition to this move ment, and some of its citizens have gone so far as to instigate condemnatory resolutions again s the proposed deviation that wen passed by the o]der Chamber o Commerce existing at Welling ton. Nevertheless, the passing of condemnatory resolutions b,\ I bodies which know little about tlu merits of the case for a deviatioi 'will hamper the movement bin little. ' The natural track for th: main trunk line is. along the easy, grade via Foxton and Sandon which, possesses the exEra meri of being shorter in mileage thai tire present route via Palmerstoi is. How the Manawatu Company's line was procured U run Via Koputaroa and furthe: inland would make an interesting article for the curious to read : bu as that aspect of the case is no germane to the present movemen we shall let it lie. For the sent case the great, need is tin the settlers along Li 1 o route of tin pioposed deviation should persis in their movement to get the lm; deviated. The centralisation o present efforts is upon the move ment to carry througn the Foxtoi to Sandon railway extension; ii fact to be blunt about tin matter we must say that Levin' rights have been jettisoned by tin ManaAvaj;u County settlers am th{'ir northern neighbours. How ever, the • Sandon-Foxton sectioi of rails will prove to be a vain able link in the chain fina events, and if "that" work js sue cessfnlly arranged for Levin wil be pleased. The settlers of ihi district know that they have bbei "thrown overboard.'' m a vsr mild sea, and merely Recalls Palmerston Xorth opposition \ directed chiefly against the Levin to-Foxton section of tlie deviation Some day. there will .be a linking up of these parts with the nion northern deviation line; am when this "is" accomplished Pal meslnn North will be surprised t( find that the deviation will causi no real detriment to their town which is so well dowereiTwith fer tile districts 011 all sides that tin infinitesimal stimulus of Ih.i Main Trunk Railway trains wil not be missed. But m the pres ent time Palmerston's oppositioi is real and deep, and it would Avell for the residents of _ thes< parts to keep the outside district! ' warned against any misrepresentation'that may be set in circulation: Apropos of this subje.'" we u<»t with interest some remark in a recent issue of the Manawtv ' Herald (Foxton), ami have pleasure ,in reprinting them : • "Tin new General Manager of Hailways is considering the (]uestioi of speeding up the Main Tru til> trains between Wellington anr Auckland.' The time is opportune, therefore, to bring nndei his notice the necessity for linking up the line between Marton 01 (Ireatford and Levin. If this were done, the saving in time sought to be effected could be accomplished without causing* any serious alterations to the present time-talile. Tlie link presents nn engineering difficulties, and the •cost of construction would be comparatively small. From a national and economic point of view the linking-up is a necessity, and steps should be taken to bring the matter under the notice of Mr ILi ley. The subject is not being lost sight of by the Levin Chamber of Commerce. According to the Chronicle, the matter was revived at Tuesday" 11 i;glifs meeting, when .Mir (i. P. Hrown moved, and Mr 13. S. Lancaster seconded, a motion which was unanimously agreed to, as follows : "That t!rs meeting wishes to place before the new Oencral Manager of I lie advi.sableness of having the North Island Main Trunk railway line deviated at Levin. -At present it runs from Levin to Palmerston along a hilly track. Piy deviating it, from Levin to Foxton, a level run through good country would be gamed, and the journey to Auckland would be shortened by several miles m length and a.lso in point of time. Further, the level track would result in a great saving of wear and tear to the rolling stock."