OUR RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 7, 17 September 1878, Page 2

OUR RAIL WAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. Sir, — The Hail way Mandja^^f^^i our line is, in his own littl^^^HHj an autocrat, and I am disapp^^^^H to iiud that oven the Comoii^^^H^H of North Island Railways see^^^^H be the same. On the first day of July most influential public meetin^^^^fl held at the Foxton Public U^^^^H consider, amongst other quesMH^^J the necessity of obtaining inorJ^^^H rolling stock, " and attention" ofl^^H railway between Feildingr aQ d^|^^| ton. Matters had arrived afyi^^^^H stite of neglect that the ra^^^J^^J tiyes from all parts °^^^^^^^^^| joined unanimously in the action of the presen^^^^^^^^H and a committee was appofl^^^^^H interview Mr Lawson when l^^^^^P rived in the District, relative same. However, Mr. Lawst^^^^^H not yet thought fit to do as requested to do, and personJ^^^^^H amine into the complaints^^^^^H Our manager did not att^^^^^^J

, meeting 1 , but sent a note stating he kn*w oi" no complaints. Before the meetiug was held, an tt able article appeared in the ManaTimes, referring f.o tho promeeting, and also it was theroin plainly stated for Mr Potheram's information, that " on the question of increased rolling stock and attention to the section between Feilding and Foxton, much could be said, and much should be said upon the matter. We feel convinced that the settlers and exporters from the Manawatu will never be dealt with fairly or impartially, until the Foxton section is again, as heretofore, placed under the charge of a manager resident at that end, thoroughly convert sant with the wants of the district, and prepared to do it justice in spite of the pressure brought to bear at] Wanganui. If (we seek for a reason it will be found in two causes. First, a scarcity of rolling stock on the ! whole line ; and secondly, to meet \ the emergency, Foxton has been > sacrificed to Wanganui, inasmuch as I trucks and waggons virtually ' belonging to the former section, have been transferred to the other end, to relieve the want, and consequently its traffic was allowed to be at a positive standstill." Yet Mr Rotherham knew of no complaints. MrLawson, howover,knew of them, for in his report to the Minister of Public Works, he says — " Bitter complaints are continually made by the public, and serious loss arises through our inability to carry the traffic with proper despatch. Some relief will shortly be afforded, and I trust we shall be able to cope satisfactorily with the largely increased and increasing traffic." Yet in spite of these "bitter complaints" he rests content with his subordinate's expla. nation, and will not personally enquire into them. Had he done so, he -would have understood the wretched attempts now being made by the new time table to damage the commercial interests of the country, for the benefit of Wanganui, by ignoring the existence of a port, and of any rade being done on the Foxton section — and not only this, but that to reach Foxton it shall take one hour longer than to reach Wanganui, and that visitors shall only have three hours to stay in Foxton, against five hours in Wanganui. The engine power used has been equal to one engine for each traiu, and therefore to run the midday train right on, would only require two more engines, and no more than what will now accnally bo used, and returns show six engines on thfi besides the two small engines, and one more since' landed. Why, then, should there be a lack of engine power. delay in this matter is simply throwing the advantage of trade in favor of Wanganui, to the detriment of the whole County, and I trust to see others taking up the matter, and • instances of neglect and inattention in the past brought forwai'd to prove tho opposition of the Manager to accord any assistance in the past to forward the trade, and to do all he can to make good tho prophecy he uttered on one </ his first visit?, that { " No trade wouiu ue done atFoxtou.' r I have writt :o our member to obtain hig-^i Uu .: , . aSSS&jntf 1 - in. th is . ™rsfct!?r; and I I vrith your per* niibsion, and ;■•< ■■>■ • s some dooided atrp to remove the evils we now complain of, is taken, bring under the notice of the public the numerous instances in which we have singly and collectively suffered by the petty tyranny of the Railway Manager. In this matter I feel I am sups ported by all parties, and therefore 1 shall have no hesitation, if other steps are of no avail, to call upon them by public meeting to endorse any action I may take. I am, &c, Ebnest S. Thynne. Foxton, Sept. 16th.