D.—4a,

EXHIBIT No. 7. Petition of Business Men of Palmerston North. We, the undersigned business men of Palmerston North, desire to endorse the action of the Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce in supporting the plan of the New Zealand Railway Department to remove the present railway yards and station from the centre of the town to the site proposed by the Engineer, near Boundary Road, for the following reasons : — (I.) That the present accommodation for both passenger and goods traffic is hopelessly inadequate, and immediate relief must be found, otherwise the efficiency of the service must suffer : (2.) That, owing to the congested nature of the yards, great inconvenience is experienced by the commercial community in despatching and getting prompt delivery of goods : (3.) Under present conditions the Department is endangering the lives of their employees : (4.) The lines running through our streets are a menace to the general public : (5.) That the new site provides ample room for storage and efficient handling of goods and produce: (6.) The undertaking will bo productive, and is essential to the development of the North Island Main Trunk service. D. J. Lovelock, Land Agent (and 236 others).