LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY AND PAROCHIALISM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 458, 27 May 1909, Page 3

LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY AND PAROCHIALISM.

[to the; editor. J Sir,— Should you watch your Palmerston contemporaries of a near future date, I venture to predict that you will read something as follows; — The formal opening of the Gorge Bridge took place yesterday, the ceremony being performed by His Excellency the Governor. . . . The Mayor of Palmerston was present, and in a short speech, said that he was very pleased to be present on this memorable occasion, and he considered that this bridge, which was really the connecting link between the East and West Coasts, was the outcome of years of patient and persevering agitation and was a public work that for years past had been urgently needed. We (your Palmerston contemporary) heartily concur with his Worship the. Mayor’s remarks, and feel that a long felt want has been supplied. We are confident that this bridge will prove a boon to the whole southern portion of the North

Island, etc., etc. Well, Sir, you will remember that for years Palmerston tried its level best to persuade the people of Woodville, Feilding, and surrounding districts, that the shortest and quickest way from Woodville to Feilding was along the other side of the Manawatu river, around by Fitzherbert, and through “The Square.” You will find, sir, that to-day they are pursuing the same selfish policy, and are taking up precisely the same attitude in connection with the proposed Levin to Martou Railway, but in spite of their opposition the bridge came, and so will the line. The whole cause of the selfish and jealous policy pursued by Palmerston lies here:—A few years ago, if a man had some capital that he intended to invest in any of the towns adjacent to Palmerston North, he was advised to keep out of them, and to put his money into Palmerston, as she would “kill” all these little places. He kept out and put his money into Palmerston North, and now he cannot find it, and I am sorely afraid that he will never get it back again, so we are now forced to the conclusion that these same “little places” are killing “Palmerston.” Everybody there bought sections on the boom values, and now they are scared of their very lives that they cannot keep up the fallacy that Palmerston is the “hub of the Universe,” they will never see the colour of their money again. Your Palmerston evening contemporary, in a recent issue said that “everybody wanted all roads to lead to Palmerston,” or some such “bombastic piffle,” but I think they are now finding to their discomfiture and sorrow that there are equally as many roads leading “away” from Palmerston. Let Foxton, Levin, Marton and all the surrounding districts interested fire ahead, and the line will come. If I remember rightly, Sir Joseph Ward, some time back, said that when a railway was needed in any part of the country, the districts interested should guarantee the interest on the loan raised to lay the line. Surely, sir, there is enough wealth in the district interested in, and affected by this proposed line, to guarantee any deficiency of interest, as that district extends from Auckland to Wellington, and there also is no possibility that the line will not pay. No doubt, sir, it is better to be working in unison, and to be on pleasant relations > with your neighbouring towns, but when insane jealousy, or selfishness, prevents a town from seeing any farther than its own borders, it cannot very well be remedied. Palmerston’s approval of jiiSyslllßSiiilMi j , l< * ■ .. j

this proposed line is not essential to it* construction. You have some fairly intelligent and capable public men in your town (judging by the success in their own private business and by the success that has attended their public efforts), whom we can trust to push this work forward. A man who has been, and who is stiff successful in his private affairs, is usually well able to look after the interests of his town and country. —Yours etc.,

Himatangi,