"A COLOSSAL BLUNDER."

Shannon News, 17 October 1924, Page 3

"A COLOSSAL BLUNDER."

OPPOSING RAILWAY WASTE ATPALMERSTON. ' - COUNTY COUNCIL JOINS IN PROTEST. . The determination to do- everything in their power, to prevent what was { characterised as an absolute waste, oi • the country's money in the prqposeu Palmerston North deviation was ireely expressed at Saturday's meeting of • the Horqwhenua Gounty Council, us the result oi a communication irom the Foxton Chamber of Commerce ini viting the Council to participate in a \ deputation to the Minister urging uie ) claims of the Levin-Marton railway I scheme.

The secretary of the Foxton Chamber wrote as. iqllows;— "I have pleasure in advising you that Messrs Linklater and Fieia, M. ; sP., have been successful in obtaining the consent of the Minister of Railways to allow tiij question of our proposed deviation being submitted to the newly-appoint-ed Railway commissioners. They have also arranged for the . Premier and the Minister of Railways to. receive a deputation on the morning of Thursday next, the 16th inst., at 11. o'clock, and the Minister has asked that the deputation lay before him as many ecqnomic arguments in favour of our line, as possible. As this Commission will -be an absolutely independent I one, and constituted differently to those in the past We feel that we have now a good chance of getting our proposal carried into; effect. We trust that, you will be able to send a delegate." ' . The chairman (Cr, G. A. Monk) stated that the Hon. Mr Coates' determination to allow the claims of the Levin-Marton deviation to come before the proposed English Commission.was undoubtedly going to be a great neip to the exponents of the scheme. 'lhe Levin-Marton deviation must he considered in advance of the Palmerston North scheme, by any fair-minded body of independent men. Looked at from the broad viewpoint of a national railway policy, the proposed expenditure, at Palmerston North unjustified. : With the Hawkes Bay traffic following its natural course through the Wa.irarapa to Wellington, via the suggested Rimutaka deviation, the necessity of the expenditure oi lialf a million pounds, for which the Hawkes Bay traffic was the only excuse, would'be gone. The. question was, should the Council support the deputation. He thought they should. Cr. Harkness said that he was of opinion that the Council should certainly support the deputation. With.; out question there were many ancii weighty economic arguments in i'av-j our oi the Levin-Marton deviation.! The saving of 16 miles of railway u.nd' an annual expenditure of £13,000 in upkeep and running expenses was an item worthy of serious consideration. Rather than see £500,000 spent at Pai-i necessary, the whole of the surrounding organisations should combine and do everything in their power to help tjhe Levin-Marton deviation scheme. They must do (everything in their power to prevent the Government perpetrating what would be nothing less 'than a colossal blunder. i

Cr Ryder agreed with the previous speakers. Not only would the Palmerson North deviation be an economic blunder, as far as the country was concerned, bub it would do more harm than good to Palmerston North as a town. The owners of property along the street to the station would be very heavy losers, as would those in the Square, whilst the Square and the town as a whole would lose its best advertisement in the fact thit railway travellers were no longer taken right through the best part of the town.. • • The chairman: I agree with Cr. Ryder The proposal if carried out will be bad for Palmerston North and disastrous to the district. Cr Catley asked if it were not. a fact that two Commissions had already reported against the Levm-Marton de-

viation. This being so, he did not feel that" he could join in advocating it. There were many other parts of the New Zealand railway system more deserving of immediate attention.

The Chairman: I think Cr Catley is under a misapprehension as to : the ol the Council. Our great objective is to prevent the waste of money at Palmerston North. Cr Catley: I can certainly support you in that. It was decided that Cirs Harkness and Ryder represent the Gounty Coun- . cil o.n the proposed deputation, they being instructed to oppose the Palmerston expenditure at all costs.