CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, 28 January 1879, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

I ■ ♦ j [We are not responsible for the opinions I of our correspondents.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE MASAWATTJ HERALD. Sib,— l shall f "el obliged if you will insert tha following reply to the editor of Manawutu Times— the Goliath that I propose to slay with a little trutli ; that champion for tho grossest piece of injustice ever sought to be perpetrated on any County in the Colony, viz., the selfishness of striving to raalce the travelling public, and tho internal commerce of our County, travel many miles just for the sake of the name of the traffic passiu*; through I'almerston nnd Feildi ng to the exclusion of tho natural port of the district. Ido not propose to alter the figures that he brings to prove my motion in the Council a wrong one. I may, however, say they should be received with caution, as coining from the pen of one that can coolly write, " That there are hundreds of thousands of acres of splendid land in Fitzherbert block ready to afford a prospei-ous home for thousands and thousands of settlers." I simply say of such statements, they are false, and every one, from the Ministry downwards, knows it,. Bui allowing he has told a portion of the truth for once, I will nsk him to add the whole population of Bull* to our side of the numbers : then tho whole travelling public (except that inconsiderable portion who may have business in. North Manawatu) ; and then those whom it suits himself and his confreres to forget— that population that will shortly settle within some miles of the point of divergence, at present fixed as 8 miles from Foxton, and 23 miles from Palmerston. They must, forsooth, be made to pay the extra carriage to ship their produce, either Umber or otherwise, in one of three ways, namely, 23 miles on one side of the river to Palmerston, then back again 24 on the other side of the river to Foxton, or about 70 to "Wellington, or 80 to Wanganui. I am happy to say, Sir, this attempt his provoked a united action from Otaki to Greatford, which with riyht, truth, and justice on its side, is bound to prevail ; and I am glad to see the Patea press leading the van in proclaiming such attempts as that of Norlh Manawatu as dastardly and destructive to the prosperity of any Coleny. I hold, sir, that both Palraerston and Feilding should advocate the prosperity of the port. If their prosperity increases, as I believe aud hope it will, they will, ere long, both need and appreciate the good of a fair shipping place, such as Foxton. Why, then, bo so selfish and shortsighted as to shut that eplendidly-timbored country in the Ho»o---whenua riding from its nearest outlet ? and I may ask why should not Carnarvon, Sandon, Bulls, and Greatford be helped to construct their line, as they undoubtedly would be by the Wellington line coding to Foxton ? Tho North of Manawatu has had v line of railway given to them by the conntry, and why should not help be given us by tho Government by bringing tho line into Foxlon. It would give confidence to capitalists, and we should prosper as well as themselves. I trust the editorial champion will excuse my treating his comments thus briefly, but to quote nearly his own words, if he will only be present at Foxton meeting on 6th of l-'eb. next, " I promiso to do him and what ho has said, past and present, tho fullest justice in my power." 1 am, &c, Johx W. Gower. Sandon, January 24.