SIDE-TRACKING PALMERSTON NORTH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1553, 20 May 1916, Page 3

SIDE-TRACKING PALMERSTON NORTH.

(To the Editor.)

Sir. —Judging by the newspaper reports, the Palmerston people are going lo object to the proposed railway line from Levin to .Marlon. AVby Because some of the leading lights consider Palmerston will lie side-tracked. Having lived in Palmerston North, and still having many interests there, 1 am of opinion that the altitude taken up is entirely wrong ; I go still further iu stating “that it would be the very filing to help Palmerston go ahead.” Aly reasons are as follow : In the lirst place, Palmerston cannot be side-tracked, for the simple reason “that the Wairar-apa and Hawke's Bay must have connection with the main line to .Auckland, and this can only be done through Palmerston.” In the second place, AVhat is it that makes a town go ahead ? Increasing trade every time. Compare, then, Palmerston and Wanganui. Wanganui during the last few years has badly left Palmerston, and the reason is that owing to having secured (letter shipping facilities, she has captured more trade. Where has she got this extra trade from ? If we look at the map we Ibid that about 30 miles to the north of Wanganui there is (he port of Pa tea : we know (hat boats trading lo Paten, lake away large quantities of dairy produce and carry general cargo back from Wellington. AVe can, therefore, safely assume that Wanganui’s trade meets tlie Patca trade somewhere about half-way between the two places. Wanganui certainly has a certain amount of trade up the Wanganui river, but this does not account for a very great deal. Therefore, the hulk of the Wanganui trade must come south lo Marlon and up the Alain Trunk line. Now, the distance between Eoxton and Alarlon is some 1 eight or ten miles shorter than from AVanganni to Alarton. Jt only, remains, then, for the Palmerston merchants to erect bond stores, wholesale houses, etc., at Foxton, and they could cut Wanganui right out of the trade up the Alain Trunk line. .More especially as the ground rent, rales, etc., would be a mere baga(elle to what it is in Wanganui. In fact, on these accounts they could even compete successfully with the Wellington merchants in the Levin and Oiaki districts, for wc know that the ground rents and other charge's in Wellington arc now something enormous. The Palmerston people l must wain l up to this fact, eir the*y will he' left, tor the line will ge> through. The. Railway Department is epiite aware eit the fact that the cost of the haulage l of geiods over the 1 hills between Wanganui auel Alartem wemlel he very ttme-h greater than between Foxton and Alarlon mi a lewd line, and the Department in its own intere>s( will see 1 that this line 1 goes through. 1 have seen reports of many mendings of Gounedls interested iu this lime, hotli for and against, hut so far 1 have not seen any notice (hat Wanganui is mewing in (he matter —-simply because (he Wanganui people know that the sheirl-sighted, Palmerston peeiplc will light their battles for them. If the sheirtening ed' the* line 1 between Alarton and Wellington benelils anyone for through passengers, it wemhl bemefit Wanganui. But, no, they elem’t care a jot about (his. AH they want is to hang on lo their trade ; and the travelling public will follow. But Palmerstem wants to see the people (in trains) travelling threuigh their Sejuare —hang the trade ! “Veritas,” in his able letters, has traversed all these eptestions very thoroughly, Palmerstem people accept wiiat suits them, and proclaim him it jolly good fellow. But when he (ells them “that Paimerstem will not ho side-tracked” they take tm notice of him, artel calmly assume he doesn't know what he is talking about. —I am., etc., R. AIcMURRAY.