PALMERSTON NORTH RAILWAY DEVIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3929, 11 April 1929, Page 2

PALMERSTON NORTH RAILWAY DEVIATION.

WILL THE WORK BE SUSPENDED? CABINET TO DECIDE. There have been rumours afloat for some time that work on the Palmerston N. railway deviation was to be e'alled off by the Government. The Prime Minister (R’t. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), accompanied by the Hons. G. W. Forbes, T. M. Wilford, 11. A'tmore, W. A. Veitch, W. B. Taverner, J. B. Donald, P. A- do la Perrelle, J. G. Cobbe, and A. J. Stalllwoithy, arrived in Palmerston N. yesterday by the Napier express to rn'ake an inspection of the railway deviation works. 'The Ministerial party were met by the Mayor and Councillors, Mr A. Nash, M.P., Mr W- L. Bell (engineer for the Public Works Department), representatives of the Labour Party, and supporters of the United Party. Mr H. H. Sterling (General Manager of Railways) arrived last night from New Plymouth. Three cheers were given for Sir Joseph Ward on his arrival on the call of Mr E. W. Mills, -chairman of the local branch of the United Party.

-Sir Joseph Ward declined to receive any deputations. He said that they had an important duty to do. After making- their inspection they would discuss the matter fully .in iC-aibinet, but until then he had nothing to say.

The Ministerial party then proceeded by ear to various points on the deviation. The inspection completed, the party left for Longburn.

The deviation, which is seven miles long, is being constructed round the outskirts of Palmerston N. in order that future railway traffic mUy be deviated from its present course through the town, w hich is considered a very undesirable civic feature; particularly in v-iehv of the rapid growth of this centre. Substantial progress has been made since the work was first put iij hand, and any decision arrived at by Cabinet will be of a momentous nature.

Interviewed after his visit to the ■deviation, Sir Joseph Ward stated that Cabinet had completed its knowledge of the project, a meeting of Cabinet would be .held to-day and he wbuld issue a statement in the course of a few days.