THE SANDON TRAM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2177, 16 September 1920, Page 2

THE SANDON TRAM.

A VISITOR’S IMKRESSIOX. A visit was paid lasi week In Sandon for the purpose of inspecting the tramline hy Mr Will Lawson, who is organising the progress movement in Marlborough towards building light railway lines as a. means of opening up the hack country of the province. Mr Lawson slated that the route of their proposed light railway was along the Wair.au Valley, and eventually they hoped to push the line through past Tophouse and Lake Roloiti to join the Xelson-Mnrchison line. “My visit to Hie Foxlon-Sanson line has confirmed my-opinion that a similar line, only much longer, could he built in Ihe Wairan with profit to (he district,” said Mr Lawman in an interview. ‘‘There seems little doubt that (he Sanson line has made (he district it traverses as

prosperous as it now is. Costly road haulage would have crippled (he settlers otherwise, as it is crippling the sell levs in (lie Mairau Vaiicy to-day. Every opportunity to see how the line operated was given me by Mr A. K. Drew, county clerk, and manager of the line. The syslem of working in co-operation with the Department was a surprise to me. The only rolling stock owned by (lie Maimwalu Council, which also owns the line, consists of two locomotives, two carriages, six ballast waggons, and a roadside van. The remainder of the rolling-stock used belongs to the.Kailway Department. which charges Is a day for each tarpaulin while being used by the county. In addition, Ihe council has running rights under railway department regulations from Himitangi, where the line joins, to Eoxton. For this privilege, lolls of ,1s (id per ton on most goods is paid, 5s per truck for chaff and other bulk goods, and 3d each way for passengers. Such an arrangement wmdd solve a good deal of! the difficulties encountered in starting a. new line, while the benefit of the W’airau line as a feeder to the Bietoii line would he considerable. 1 1m Marlborough line would run through country somewhat similar lo that between Eoxton and Bulls, Another point of resemblance is (bat both lines eventually must become through direct routes between important points.” —Standard.