PROPOSED CLOSING OF NELSON LINE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27368, 5 June 1954, Page 8

PROPOSED CLOSING OF NELSON LINE

PROTEST DEMONSTRATION PLANNED “The Press" Special Service NELSON. June 4. A protect demonstration is to be held in the streets of Nelson tomorrow morning. A special train on the line which the Government announced would close on Saturday, June 12, is bringing people from the country. Other extra transport has been arranged as well. Three bands will be in attendance. The main proposal to be put to the people by representatives of the Railway Action Committee of the Nelson Progress League is that the line should be kept open for traffic after June 12 and that a local advisory committee be appointed to help attract more business to it. Combined with this is the request for a meeting with the Prime Minister (Mr Holland), as soon as possible, to discuss with him his offer about exploring ways of giving trunk railway connection. More than 3000 persons have so far signed the petition against the closing of the line. The association has advised the Government that it feels the request to keep the line operating at least until the question of a trunk line can be properly examined is reasonable

LOCAL BODIES SUPPORT RETENTION

A telegram supporting agitation in Nelson for the retention of the railway service has been sent to the Minister of Railways (Mr W. S. Goosman) and the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) by the South Island Local Bodies’ Association. Demands of Nelson people to keep the existing line operating were reasonable, said the association,' which affirmed its full support. Only in these conditions could a proper approach be made to the wider objective of extending the line to form part of the main trunk railway system in the South Island. ■