LINKING UP THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 450, 18 February 1909, Page 2

LINKING UP THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

At a meeting of tbe Palmerston Chamber of Commerce on Monday evening last, the Chairman (Mr J. M. Johnston) brought up the question of the GreatfordKevin railway deviation proposals. It was staled that the Manawatu County Council was pressing the matter of getting the Sanson tram across the Bulls bridge, and one of the M.P.’s interested had assured him that no stone would be left unturned to secure a survey. He urged instead of this that a light tram or railway should be advocated between Palmerston and Rongotea as being of much more practical good, or a direct road being made between Glen Oroua and Palmerston, via Awahuri, thus giving access to the directions which most urged this deviation. Members were of opinion that it would be folly to make the Kevin Greatford deviation, and thought that the agitation of the KevinGreatford scheme should be carefully watched. —The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce are to be commended for their efforts to centralise everything in the way of railways, roads, and comm.erce round their town. The Chamber consists of enterprising business men, and if the surrounding towns of Kevin, Foxton, Sandon, Rongotea and Marton are prepared to allow this energetic body to “crawl all over them,” for Palmerston’s sole benefit, then the towns mentioned deserve to be looked upon as Palmerston’s suburbs. It’s about time the townships above - named were dynamited out of their lethargy, and by their united action, backed up by the support of every place outside Palmerston, urged upon the Government the necessity and importance of

prompt action in linking up the Main Tmnk Line between Levin and Marton via Foxton. To allow Palmerston to dominate the position is preposterous.