The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, July 14, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1271, 14 July 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, July 14, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

It is somewhat amusing to notice our Palmerston contemporaries’ grave concern tor Feilding’s welfare when the linklng-up ot the Main Trunk Line between Levin and Martou is under review. At other times Feiiding is rarely referred to. According to the Feiiding Star, Feiiding does not appear to express any concern as to whether the Main Trunk is linked up or not. In Saturday’s issue, the Star humorously jibes Palmerston as follows :—“Putting Up Palmerston's Pulse. —It is a shame the way these Deviators are worrying Palmerston. Marten’s mournings, Foxtou's frenzy, Levin’s lashings, have all had their effect ; the delegates representing the local bodies of Wellington province who held a conference in Wellington this week declared in favour of the deviation of the main line, so as to sidetrack Palmerston. And —most serious aspect of all —when the delegates brought this proposition before the Prime Minister, Mr Massey actually took serious notice of it. The Premier said the Levin-Clreatford deviation was a proposal he had heard discussed on several occasions. Pie could understand the advantage of saving 15 or 17 miles between Wellington and Auckland, and he ‘bad no doubt that in time the scheme would be carried out!’ What a blessing the Government is hard up for money. Why, if Mr Massey had the money that poured in during the Vogel regime—well, he might actually side-track Palmerston !”

: Ouk Palmerston morning contemporary, commenting on the endorsement by the local bodies conference of the necessity for linkingup the Main Trunk line between Marton and Levin, says there is ; no necessity for it so far as the district is concerned; “Marton and Greatford are on the Main Trunk line, and residents have easy access to the centres in either direction, Levin has the railway : line available, and all the district up to within about eight miles of Marton is served by the Manawatu County tram line, giving access to the railway systems and to the port of Foxton.” It is absurd to say that this district has easy access by fail direct north or

south. To get to Wellington we have to coach twelve miles either to Shannon or Levin or make a detour by rail via Palmerston. Looking at it trom a local point of view, the people in ibis district are heavily handicapped. The stoppage of the tramway at Sand on instead of connecting at Marion or Greatford is also a serious drawback to settlers in the haulage of goods and produce, and there is urgent necessity for junctioning the tramway with the main line as suggested, and which meets with the approval of the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce. Anyhow, the thin end of the wedge is in, and it only remains for the settlers in the district to continue driving it home.

Tiik Opposition Party has nothing to gain, but much to lose, by entering into an unholy alliance with the Red Feds, lor the purpose ot ousting the Government at the general election. The ideals of Gray and Ballauce, who laid the foundations of true Liberalism in this country, which enabled Seddou and McKenzie to raise the superstructure, Taylor to guard the administration, and Ward to obliterate some of the defects, are as far removed from the revolutionary bolderdash of the Reds, as are tae poles asunder. Any such alliance will sully the lustre of/ Liberalism and bring it into disrepute. The suggestion of such an alliance is enough to make the dead Liberal statesmen rise up in protest from their graves. Our Feilding contemporary, referring to this subject, says; “What has Liberalism come to, when it has to associate with the Red Feds ? Ot course, it is an ancient legend that politics makes for strange bedfellows, but we cannot imagine a happy marriage between Liberalism and Red Fedism. It is more like hree Love Politics, and we are of opinion that the old-time, genuine Liberals will show decidedly during the coming general election campaign that they will have none of it. Even with the very doubtful chance of turning the Government out of office, we do not think the Liberal Party should identity itself with the men who make no bones about their Red Feddism. We would not have the people forget that wanton and wasteful strike that was engineered by the Red Feds, in November last along the Dominion’s water-front. The June issue of the Reform Party’s Journal, Light and Liberty, is a special issue bearing the appropriate and timely title, ‘Under Which Flag ?' The one flag is our Union Jack, the sign and token of freedom and liberty of the subject; the other flag is that of Revolutionary Socialism, under which as has already been demonstrated in New Zealand, as well as elsewhere, anarchy and absolute lack of discipline prevail. There is trouble brewing in the Amen Corner for the Liberal Party if it is cajoled into marching to the polls in December next under the Red Fed- flag."