FEATHERSTON TO MARTINBOROUGH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 August 1913, Page 4

FEATHERSTON TO MARTINBOROUGH

By some extraordinary circumstance, the Government placed tie Featherrailway on the list of authorised lines. It is now reported that surveyors are at work, and- that in all probability a vote will appear on the Public Work© Estimates this year for the construction of the line. "' From our knowledge of the country and the whole of the surrounding circumstances, we are persuaded that the Government will make a huge blunder if it proceeds with the, construction of this line. We recognise the necessity for giving the people of the Ma rtinborough district access to the.markets; but this must not be ' done at the expense of the railway system of the district. We .maintain that it is a first duty of the Government to diA'ert the Rimutaka railway. This diversion should be made in such a manner that it would be part of the general scheme for opening up Martinborough and the East Coast. If the authorised line between Martinborough and Featherston is proceeded with, we may say good-bye to the Rimutaka deviation. The matter is of such.grave importance at this juncture that the Chambers of Commerce and local bodies of the district should protest against a vote being placed on the Publio Works Estimates until the whole question of Wairarapa railways has been dealt with.