NOT A PARTY MATTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 21 January 1931, Page 6

NOT A PARTY MATTER

(To the Editor; Sir. —Your correspondent “Midland” in his reply to “Justice” makes sonic Very pertinent comments on what lie describes as the “astonishing silence” of Mr Atmore regarding the monstrous injustice imposed on his constituency by the stoppage of construction on the Midland railway. 1 Jut as ‘‘Midland’' points out this silence and lukewarmness has been an outstanding feature of Mr Atinore’s Parliamentary representation of Nelson, so far as his attitude towards the completion of this most vital of all issues affecting Nelson s future welfare and progress, i.e., the Midland railway. With rare exceptions you could count on the fingers of one hand, the most notable exception being during his 1928 election campaign, brought about by his then chief, the late Sir Joseph Ward's adoption of iiis great and popular policy of completing all main trunk railways, that of the Midland line being specially mentioned and promised completion of within “three or four years,” and another brief spasm of support near the close of last session, when he briefly advocated the Midland’s completion at the dose of a lengthy address, which was mainly a tirade against -Mr Coates s railway policy. . , . . , Mr Atmore then quickly got back into his shell of silence which not even the monstrous action of his Cabinet colleagues has so far roused him to come out, and make any public protest oil behalf of his own constituents. Indeed, out of sheer deference to Mr Atmore as Nelson’s political hero and statesmen, the citv has foregone the only possible effective method of expressing public indignation against the stoppage o. work on our line, in the form ot a public meeting, lest it should embarrass our member with his Cabinet colleagues., It is really a matter for wonder that the Progress League have not, been forbidden to organise a deputation to Wellington, lest it should annoy our member or his ministerial colleagues, t asting our recollections back for four ot five years we shall remember that the League at his bidding, meekly reversed its decision to send a deputation on the Midland railway matters to interview Mr Coates and other ministers, lest it should annoy these. • Now we arc expected to believe tna> the Cabinet decided to impose .its betrayal and injustice on Nelson at a meeting that Mr Atmore could not be present at, and by inference that tm did not know this betrayal was to be enacted. If he did know, nothing should have kept him from attending that fateful meeting, to defend Nelson against such a gross breach of policy, and promises publicly and repeatedly made and sanctioned hv the present Parliament, and which Air Atmore himself has declared “nothing had occurred to warrant any change of the docisions come to.” Whether or no, Atmore had an excuse for his absence, he has since apparently let this betrayal go by default, with the result that it was imposed on us without warning. Nelson may someday wake up and realise that so far as bridging the gap to give it railway communication with other parts of the South Island is concerned, it will need to demand and elect a Parliamentary representative who will fight in season' and out for the speedy completion of this line. The latest irony and humiliating result of Nelson’s betrayal by the Government is the announcement that 75 men are being transferred to the filling of the gap between Wharanui and Parnassus. If Nelson’s coming deputation do not expose and protest- with all thenmight against the glaring political aspect of that line proceeding, and the Midland being stopped, then they will signally fail in their duty to Nelson and Murchison. —I am, etc., ANOTHER MIDLANDITE. Nelson, 20th January.