Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1899 The Beach Railway.

Manawatu Herald, 4 July 1899, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1899 The Beach Railway.

The first shot, opening the agitation for a line of railway to the Ocean Beach, was fired on Saturday morning by His Worship the Mayor of Foxton, assisted by our Member, Mr John Stevens. The person aimed at was the Hon., the Minister for Railways, and the attack was warded off in the usual Ministerial way. What is meant by the report in the N.Z. Times that the Minister would " look into the matter and see if effect could be given to the petition " is hard to understand except as a form of words by which the answer could be delayed. We object to the heading of the article in the Times, as though the petition originated in Foxton, yet the necessity of the railway is asserted by more persons living away from Foxton than by Foxton residents. The application for a small expenditure of £4000 is desired not for the advantage of the few, but by a great portion of the inhabitants along the government railway. The Department is happy if an interest of three per cent is earned on the railway lines, and though the charge for haulage would have to be deducted on all trains running over these four miles, yet the traffic would be bound to return a very handsome profit. ' The government railway only touches the coast at Foxton, Wanganui, Patea, New Plymouth and Napier, and a look at the map will show at once where the densest population lies, and therefore what a boon this line would be to thousands residing inland. The Mayor, we trust, will seek to learn the Minister's opinion within a short time, so that any legislation may be given effect to this Session if necessary. We do not want quite such a long story as we had about the Wirokino bridge.