WEST COAST RAILWAY. PUBLIC MEETING AT MARTON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 57, 18 March 1881, Page 3

WEST COAST RAILWAY. PUBLIC MEETING AT MARTON.

■ ♦ A large and influential meeting re the AVeat Coast railway scheme was held at Marton on Tuesday evening. Mr Milne occupied the chair, and the speakers were Sir Wm. Fox,^Messrs J. Stevens, Gorton. J. Ball, D. Fraser, Sanson, J. Whisker, C Tj. Mac Jean, and S. Coleman. From the Advocate, we learn the following resolution wus carried unanimously ,-r" That ihis meeting heartily concurs in the proposal to construct a line of railway lo connect Wellingtou with the main line from that place to Auckland by tlie West Coant ; but is of opinion that the line by which it has been proposed to leave out Foxton and join the present main linn at Palmerston, would be detrimental to the interests of all who might use the line for purposes of through travel or freights, involving considerable extra charges, increase of distance, ancl loss of time ; and that in proposing to carry the line through a country consisting solely of heavy swamp and forest with scarcely any inhabitants, and most of it yel unpurchased from the Natives, leaving on one side a very fine tract of grain growing conntry, containing three considerable to wn« of many years' growth, and a large tract of dry, open, and fertilo lnnd enclosed with fences, containing a large population, it would be equally unfair to the population of the latter, and unproductive of profit tc the company which proposes to construct the line." During the meeting Sir W. Fox read an extract from a letter which he had receiven that morning from the secretary of the company, in which that gentlemen slated that Mr Travers had not been authorized to declare in favour of Palmerston as the terminus, and that the ques tion wus ■pet wholly undecided.