SOME RAILWAY HISTORY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3511, 18 April 1905, Page 3

SOME RAILWAY HISTORY.

TO THE ehtfCp OF fill! IiANAWAT 0 HERAI.D" Sir,—l took your gentle criticism in Saturday’s issue on my; action at Friday rtighl’s meeting;, with good grace, but I think His Worship the Mayor WkS entitled to a share for introducing foreign matter into his Speech, However, I am pleased as it gives me an bpporlunity to place before your readers the reason why the Welling-ton-Manawatu line did nbt go via Foxtort to Palmerston. On, the defeat bf Sir George Grev’s Ministry in 1879 Sir, John Hall was returned to power with a great cry for retrenchment arid a Cessation ot public works. The Wellington-Foxton line (as it was then called) fell under the lash as not being an urgent work and not likely to pay. 'the Wellington people, headed by the late Mt John Plimmer, rose i* arms and demanded, tile line. The outcome was that the Government offered large concessions to a* company which wis formed. The company also bought all the lands from Kerernto the FiUherbert, and as hardheaded business men they took the line through their own lands, which were then in a state of nature. lam sure subsequent events proved the wisdom of theif action. It is all nonsense to blame the then Foxton people for the deviation of the line. Put it on the right shoulders—those of the Hall Government.— l am, etc,, P. Hk.nnessv.