LEVIN-MARTON DEVIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2205, 20 November 1920, Page 3

LEVIN-MARTON DEVIATION.

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING AT SAN DON.

PREPARATIONS FOR .MINISTERIAL INSPECTION.

NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF WORK RE-AFFIRMED.

A meeting of the Levin-Marton Railway League was held at Sandon yesterday afternoon, to lake further step-- in urging upon the Government, the necessity for linking up the Main Trunk line between Levin and Marlon, a.- against (lie Palmerston deviation. Represenialives were present from (he llorowlienua. Maim wain and Rangbikei Counties, Levin, Foxlou, and .Marlon boroughs, Rongolea and Bulls Town Boards. Messrs W. H. Field and Ed. Newman, M’-.P., were.also in attendance, and addressed the meeting. Sir dames Wilson presided. The Foxlun representatives were the Mayor (Mr John Chrystajl), and Cr. Coley (Borough Council), and Messrs Barr and Hornblow (Chamber of Commerce). The meeting indicated its intention to put up a strenuous light for the construction of the line, as against the Palmerston deviation, it appeared (hat while the League, had been lulled into inactivity on the strength of the Premier's statement that nothing would Ik: done in connection with the Palmerston deviation until lie and the .Minister for Public Works had made an inspection of the Levin-Marton route, that the Authorisation POM had been sprung upon the House, ■which included the Palmerston deviation. This bad aroused, surprise and indignation. Mr Field, in a capital lighting speech, gave an indication of the secret methods of the .Railway Department, and informed the meeiing that they were up against an autocrat in Mr McVillcy, the General Manager of Railwavs. The speakers found no fault with Mr Hi ley’s recommendations re improvements to Palmerston railway facilities, but condemned the authorisation of a deviation. It was pointed out also that Mr Hiley s report had mysteriously disappeared. Mr Nash’s gross misrepresentation made in the House re the Sandon tram were emphatically denied by the Chairman. Arrangements were made to collate all the lauds lot

propaganda purposes, fSir James Wilson presided, mid ivjive an eni)ilmtie contradiction to the statement made in the House by Mr J. A. Nash that the Mmniwatu

('mintv Council was trying to gel rid of its tramway to the Government. He said the whale comity was dependent on the tramway tot itgravel supply, ami, far from being a white elephant, it was an extremely valuable asset, and he fell (suite certain the Council could not entertain a Government oiler, even il ii were made. The representative gathering present showed that I heir hem Iwere in the matter of the deviation. He reiterated lha.t it was not desired to stop improvements in Palmerston, only to show the Government aJieUer way of reaching the same end.

MV K. Newman. M.l’., -aid both 31,»r> Massey and Coates bad printed delinileiy that notliinu would |, t . done ;it Palmer-1 on North ui>! i! lhi‘\' hail been over Hie Levin-Mar-

lon route. Owing to the way legi--hition was brought down in tin House I hi- -e—lon it was impos--ilile to tell when any measure would he discussed. and the speaker was not present when the Palmerston Anlhorisa.liou Bill wa- discu-sed. inti Mr Field had made an omphalic protest. The report of the Commit - lee had been favourable lo the deviation, but the opponents of .the work' had talked (lie report out. i v blent I y because they were afraid j ( , go-lo a division. All that was asked wa- Pm! searching empiiry should be made inlo Hie merit- of the Levin-Marlon deviation before a large Mini of public* money wa--pent in Palmerston. Mr Newman referred to .Mr Ililey’s m-ommeiida-iiun thal it was only necessary to -pend -ome i'40,000 on the Palmerston railway facilities.

Sir -Janies Wil-on; Was Mr Hilev's report ho Core the Committee ?

Mr Newman : No, it was not. Sir James Wilson: It seems to

have boon a secret report

Mr Newman: ft "'its ;i Depaiimental report. It was absurd to think that a large .sum of public money .should he spent in Palmerston without any enquiry us to the merits of other means of relief. He was eonvitmed that if was on the Proud nalhmul a>peel that this ligki would lie won. Hr Newman said he had been approaehed hy it munher of Palmerston people before the ]>ill eame np> in the House, and askmi to oppose it. They said there was a strong public feeling in Halmerstou against the deviation there, and that if was a waste of public money. These men were actuated, he thought, hy creditable motives Umy did not want to see the public resources wasted unnecessarily. Mr Xewtnan suggested that after the Ministerial visit of inspection a Commission of exports would probably he set up to enquire (wo proposals, and advise the Government. Mr VC H. Field, M.F., said the Authorisation Bill merely authorised the Palmerston work. If the ’Ministers could he convinced that the Levin-Marlon deviation was preferable. the Palmerston deviation would not he undertaken, hut it would mean a stiff light. They had jrot to fight the member for Palmerston N. Sir James Wilson :‘A good man ar buttonholing. Mr Field said .Mr Nash was a very astute mm, who must be given

eredii for the light he was pul (ins r.p for Ids town. The speaker hud eoino tts (he eonclusion lin'd the Government had made up I heir minds, and that unless it could bo shown (hal a >’Toss blunder was being made (Jte cause they \vore lighting for was lost. They had to fight (he Minister for Lands, whose home cvas at Redding, which was strongly against the deviation. They bad to fight ■he railway management in New Zealand, which was entirely rotten, and (his Palmerston proposal was only one of the act--, of rottenness llujl had been perpetrated, flh-ar, hear.) Nothing had been done to show that Ibe proposal wa> in the interests of the. country in any way. In 19.1-1, Mr Hiley, an expert of world-wide experience, reported that the Palmerston station could be improved to meet all requirements at a cost of £-19,000. That provided for the whole Main Trunk li’aHic to go through Palmerston. Surely, then, it was not now necessary to spend a huge sum of money in diverting the line out of the town, when Mr Hiley had estimated in .1.914 that only an expenditure of £40,000 was necessary. Two months ago the speaker wrote asking the Railway Department whether lie could see Mr Ililey’s plans and details. In reply he was informed ihat there were no such plans or records, and never had been any in existence. He thereupon made further enquiries, and found it to he a fad Ilia! in .19.1.-! .full plans and details of Mr Hiley’s recommendation had been submitted to the Palmerston Borough ('ouncil, and bad been discussed, but were held up owing (o a difference of opinion over I lie proposed closing of Cook Street. Mr Field declared the information lie wanted was being intentionally withheld. The proper course for the Government undoubtedly was to carry out Mr Hiley’s [dans for the improvement of the Palmers!on station, and then if these were insulUcienl, to proceed with tim LevinMnrtoii deviation. According to Mr McVilly’s own figures, the Government woidd get back in economics. Tfleeted in’haulage in one year the whole cost of the Levin-Mamm deviation if (bis were carried out. Mr Field urged (he importance of a campaign to impress on the public, press and Government Ihe importance and value of the Levin-Marton deviation. As to the argument that the route was subject to flood, photographs haul been shown of the new

ite at Palmerston under .water, so honours were even. Alt' .Massey was perfectly honest in the altitude lie lias taken up in regard to these railway proposals, its tor the Genera! Manager, he was a ])erf'eel autocrat —a railway Czar, ff he wauled a l [jiiiLr done, it was done, and for the l-ast 'JO veal's there had nol been a Minister of Railways strong enough to stand tti> against him. He was ‘(he main form 1 they had to light, .■uni his dominating personality would he present at any Commission that might be set up. Mr Walker (Hulls 1, <me of the delegates who visited the .Main Trunk mid Taranaki district- in Ihe interests of the deviation, said Mr f ield was right In saying' limy needed a campaign to impress I'm people, lie laid found an astonishing amount of miscoitception about Ine

pi'upus;i 1. Mv -I. Cbry.-lall. Mayor oi.' I'ox--1 f >n. said limy all appreciated (be i niphatic protest made by Mi’ Web! in llu* House. (Applause'.) II lluautocratic methods mentioned existed. i.l was lime sm-li a stale oi’ i kings was ended. He deprecated ,-lrotigly the seecrt methods I hat had been applied (o the whole -abject, ft, h;ul lieeu alleged tltal Hit* Pallaerstoii deviation was in the interests oi' a few land owners, bill on tin* other hand,it seemed Urn I a few were prepared lo sell the eomnmivi■il iuPwesl - of I heir town for private .■■■a in. The whole thing, so lar a- €■ , [ > ;ilnK*i‘>t<»h \v;i> <*o!UM i nu;(l. \v»i> tirely cmilrary to the Hrsl prinei- |,!(•-, oi' railway cmislruetion —timl the railways should he taken to the people, and not away iniai them. He had received a very interesting letter from the Secret ary <>! the Palmerston North Vigilance Commitlee, stating that S(H) residents anil land owners were opposed to the deviation then*. Mr Chryslall moved ”Tlml this meet'my re-allirms it- decision by emphatically protesting to the Hovernment against the wasteful expenditure of public money suggested by the proposed eon-truc-tion of the Palmerston railway deviation.'’ This was carried.

ti transpired that as a result of Messrs Walker and McManaway's tmir a large number of supporting resolutions had been passed by northern local bodies, Imi ihese had not. been circulated amongst delegates, or sent to Ministers.

Mr Hortihlow urged strongly that ihe Committee should make the utmost use of all the information at its disposal. He mentioned the adverse references of the Palmerston Times, but pointed out that some years ago the writer of the adverse criticism, when editor of the Yew Zealand Times, had been a strong advocate of the Lovin-Mariou deviation. Something must have happened in the meantime to change his views. The Levin-Marton deviation would traverse some, of the finest and most valuable land in the Dominion, and it wa* absurd to say that the deviation was being asked solely to benefit that laud. In fuel, if the Government took over the tramway it would he detrimental to sealers’ A mistake had been made in not making public the supporting resolutions received prior to the Authorisation Bill. He nuned “That M’essr Walker and MeManaway be thanked for their work, and (hat the letters ami resolutions from local bodies favouring the devia-

tion be eolla(ed and published for the information of Ministers.” Mr Newman agreed (lint (he re- -.. i i.; ‘ • should. have been benight under llie notice of (lie Government.

Mr MogridgeM Marlon) seconded the motion, which Aims carried. Mr Matheson (Levin) asked why the Executive set up at the previous meeting had not been called together. II was important that statements made by the opposition should ho combatted, and the interests of the deviation pushed continually.

Mr Chrysial! said they had relied on Mr Massey’s assurance that nothing would be done till he went over the route.

Sir das, Wilson said perhaps he was to blame, lie could see now the importance,of the resolutions passed by outside bodies, which should have been collated and circulajed. Mr Kensington moved, and it was carried: “That, in order to place before Uie ’Ministers reliable information, the Prime Minister be respectfully asked, after he has personally visited the proposed route, to cause a trial and flying survey to be made as early as possible to lix approximately 1 he position of the proposed railway, and the limit of deviation, with approximate grade." • Air Darragh (Rongolea) slated that lie had made arrangements for the locomotion of the Ministerial parly, and Rongotea would he pleased to entertain the party at luncheon.

A represent a live executive committee was set up, and speakers appointed .to urge the claims of the linking up of the Alain 4rank line before the .Ministers. It was decided that this lake place at Marlon on (he completion of the inspection of flie route.

Messrs Field, Glenn. Smith and Newman M’s.P., and Messrs E. Purnell and Kensington (M.arton), .Hornblow and ChryMall t.Foxton), W. .Matheson (Levin), and Hu* representatives oi the Palmerston North Vigilance Committee were appointed speakers for the Prime Minister's visit.

Other details were discussed by the exeeulivo. and (he'conference closed.