RAILWAY DEVIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 216, 20 September 1901, Page 2

RAILWAY DEVIATION.

Messes Newton King and Newman, two of the members of the deputation appointed to wait on the Minister of Railways relative to the need for deviating the railway line, returned to town by the mail train on Thursday night. There appear to have been' two stumbling blocks in the Minister's way which prevented a definite answer being given to the urgent request for the deviat'on. The primary, and doubtless the main difficulty, was with regard to finding the money for the work, while the other was of a depurtntental nature, and related to the necessity of having all available data in relation to both the proposed routes.! With regard to the mute along the cliff, the MimVer admitted that when he was last in New Plymouth he was averse to taking the line tint way, but in face of the arguments adduoed by the deputation he was prepared to look at the matter in another light, and [would therefore require all possible j_c *j„„ \i (,jj 6 ggjue time hj» | llUVllu«»vut —.

pointed out that the principal difficulty with respeat to that route would He found in obtaining the stone required for a sea wall. In relation to the question of cos*, the deputation pointed out the large value of the sites at present taken up by the railway through the town, and this the Minister will take into consideration. Without committing the Gov<>roin»ot to undertake the work forthwith, Sir Joseph Ward led tho deputation to infer that if, after giving the question i of cpst it should be found that after al-1 lowing for the capital value of the land ( now occupied by the present rou*e the cost would be reduced »o a moilerat" sum, it was probable that no time would be lost in carrying out the deviation. It would seem, tbereforo, that although the deputation obtained no direct promise, thoy have done good work, which it is hoped will lead to the accomplishment of the aim which was the subject of their mission, acd we are sure that their efforts will be greatly appreciated by the citizens.