LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2812, 18 November 1924, Page 3

LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY.

NO SURVEY IN EXISTENCE. Ever since its present activities began, the Levin-Marton Railway League has been asking for a trial survey by the Public Works engineers as a first essential in the discussion of the project. The deputation which recently waited upon Ministers came away with the impression that this much desired survey would be undertaken and that they had Mr Massey’s promise to that effect. The League was therefore greatly surprised to receive a telegram from Mr W. H. Field, M.P. a few days ago, says the Chronicle, stating that he and Mr Linklater had interviewed the Minister of Railways 'but. “the Minister refused a further survey of the line and says the route has already been explored and that the facts and figures will be placed before the Commission.” The League was very doubtful of the existence of such data as both the 1916 and 1921 Commission reports failed to reveal the information. Further correspondence therefore took place and as a result a letter has now been received from the Minister for Railways stating that search has failed to reveal any Levin-Marton survey data, and that without such information it is impossible to give a proper estimate. The secretary of the League, (Mr A. C. Holms) has now written to the Prime Minister and Minister for Railways as follows on the subject: “At a meeting of the Executive held on Friday in Levin, the question of authoritative survey data received special consideration and it was agreed that the opinion formed by the Levin Chamber of Commerce, Foxton Chamber of Commerce, Foxton Conference of the Levin-Marton Railway League constituent bodies as to the importance of a modern survey and report be again emphasised. The deputation to Wellington that waited on you on the 16th ult. came away with the firm impression that the value of a survey was recognised on vour part and that such would be provided in due course. Recently advice from Mesers W. H. Field and ,T. Linklater, M.’sP., led the League to understand that survey data was in the hands of the Railway Department, but the favour of to-day’s mail shows that a detailed survey is still absent from Departmental records. As quoted in the letter just to hand ‘Without such a survey it is impossible to give a proper estimate’ and with this point of view we are entirely in agreement; 'hence our desire for the most reliaJble data possible, on which score we still feel that no survey and report other than departmental —such as were provided re the Rimutaka deviation proposals dating back to 1899 — will meet the ease. The importance of the Levin-Foxton-Marton link is such, we believe, that it would be very unfortunate and unsatisfactory were the Commissioners to omit travelling over the present line from Levin via Palmerston N. to Marton and afterwards by road back to Levin —using the first train this can be accomplished' in one day. Early advice as to the date and place for submitting our case to the Commissioners will be appreciated.”