LITTLE RIVER RAILWAY.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12461, 26 March 1906, Page 5

LITTLE RIVER RAILWAY.

TO TIIK yiMTOR OF "THK TRESS." i yj r< —I om indeed pleased to see that ml last one of the Tetidents of Banks' .Peninsula Iras taken up the cudgels on his own behalf in reference to the rail- , way traffic management. As it is at present meted out to the Banks' Peni7iMila people, when you come to think of #, it seems simply ridiculous. Here lies, without doubt, one of the finest blocks of land in the colony, wfth a railway communication of so limited a j nature that there is only one day a week when you can go to Little River by the j morning train, and return in the evening. Surely this line •would warrant a train down every morning and back every evening. Suppose it doesn't pay, there is an enormous population living in the district who contribute towards the upkeep and help to pay the national debt of the country. They have only to be eduoaied up to travelling in the train, and arrangements made that will induce them to do co, and I maintain that the railway will prove one of the most lemunerativo in Canterbury. Jn little out-of-the-way places, like Oxford, Coalgato, etc., the trains run systematic cally and regularly, and yet here, pnac-v tiealby the only outlet for one of the finest blocks of land in the country, the communication is simply ridiculous. The tourist tnaffio alone, should be sufficient inducement to cauwj the Government to take active, steps and make arrangements for a train to go down every morning and hack every night. The very early hour at which tho coach has to leave Akaroa, -which is absolutely unnecessary, does eway with a great deal of tho charms of spending a holiday in Akaroa, and makes it out of the question for anyone who ie delicate. Again, the custom of still running a coach into Pigeon Bay, which route can only benefit tome one or two settlors, is absurd. I know lots of people whose business takes them to Banks' Peninsula., who would walk rathoV than he put to the indignities that are forced upon them, by having to tako tho route via Pigeon Bay, in tho shape of Fea-sicknces, etc. The Governraelifc have now got Kinloch estate audjMorice settlement, the,setters in this district will increase, amf' it is the Government's own property. Surely it is time to let us make a move, each and every ono of us who are connected with Bamks' Peninsula. I say to you settlere of Banks' Peninsula, bestir yourselves.: insist upon proper recognition from the Government. Wo had to wait until every other outlying part of New Zealand was. connected with the telephone, and we. have practically done tho same in connection with tho railway. But now to every man. woman and child on Banks , Peninsula a proper train wrvico is a thing that is indispensable. Our children could go to town to school, and have the benefit of city education. Our land "brought in elcse touch with the city will feel the benefit of the unr-' earned increment, the advantages th.at we will have by coming in touch with the markets, to eny nothing of the many benefits in hundreds of ways cause mc to ask you to bestir yourselves, and not to be apathetic, but.to follow up this movement of a letter signed by Sidney Harris by letters of similar nature, expressing what, yon feel, later on by petitions, then by personal deputations to the Government. But let us never test until we have the railway taking j the train down in the morning and back j at night every day.—Yours, etc., THE ORIGINATOR OF THE TUESDAY STOCK TRAIN.