The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, June 13, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1258, 13 June 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, June 13, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Our Leviu contemporary makes a personal appeal to the Prime Minister to tackle the question of linking up the Main Trunk Line between Marton and Levin, via Foxton, This matter is of national importance and altogether outside the realm of party politics. The linking up means a saving of over an hour in the through journey, the importance of which from a postal and transit point of view cannot be overestimated, while the saving of haulage alone would pay interest on the cost of construction. The country through which the line would run presents no engineering difficulties, being practically level. A light line already exists from Foxton to the Rangitikei, river which is controlled by the Manawatu County Council. There are no obstacles in the way of taking this line over and the building up of the permanent way would not be a costly matter. Only a few miles of construction would be required to connect with Marton, apart from bridging the Rangitikei river. The gap between Foxton and Levin is about twelve miles. It has been suggested that the line between Wellington and Palmerston should be duplicated to relieve the present congested traffic, but the construction of the Marton-Levin link would obviate this and facilitate speeding up and result in a saving to the department. A trial survey of the route was promised years ago, but has not been fulfilled. The local borough council has forwarded a remit on the subject for discussion at a conference of local bodies to be held at Wellington shortly. Palmerston has persistently opposed the linking up question, purely on parochial grounds, but such opposition should not stand in the way of a work of national importance. Agitation should be renewed without loss of time by all the local bodies on this coast, backed by Wellington and Auckland,. but the initiative must come from this district and that without loss of time.

A meeting will be held on Monday night for the purpose of forming a local boxing association. We would suggest to the promoters that they widen the scope of the movement to include a gymnasium for the benefit of the youth of the town. There are one or two buildings admirably adapted tor such purposes which could be procured at a reasonable figure. The suggestion we pass on as worthy of consideration.