LEVIN'S WANTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 2

LEVIN'S WANTS.

A RAILWAY DEVIATION TO BENEFIT MAIN TRUNK. His Worship the Mayor called a meeting of burgesses last night to discuss several matters of interest, namely: the question of the railway to Marton via Foxton, the nonstoppago of the "through" Auckland-Wel-lington express, the Foxt-on Harbour Board, and changing the name of Weraroa to something else. Several speakers pointed out the great advantage of the railway between here and Marton,—how much good country would be ppened up, and the fact that it would cut off 17 miles from the present trunk line. The Mayor put the following motion, which was seconded by Mr. F. G. Roe: . "That this meeting is of the opinion that the time has arrived when the' Government should seriously consider the advisability of constructing the proposed railway from Levin to Marton via Poxton, believing that such a work iyould.be of great benefit to the Main 'Trunk system of this Island, and would, further: open up' a block of country profit-, able to the. Railway Department. 'This meeting further urges the Borough ■ Council to impress upon the Government the necessity of at once taking the matter in hand, and seeking the co-operation of the local- bodies /nioro immediately concerned, viz., . Foxton and Marton Borough Councils, the Manar watu and Horowhenua County .Councils, and .the Rongotea and Bulls Town • Boards.' . With regard to. .the proposed Board a£.J?oxt-on,:at motion was carried; unanimously v .upholding , the Botoughh,Council in endeavouring, through'-'-the medium'* of ■'•the member .for the district, to get the Bill regarding the formation of the Board pushed through..the House... ; •>. • . . .In connection with, the non-stoppage of tbo' Auckland-Wellington <&tiress' train, it ,was pointed out that: the tram was going to stop at Palmerston North and Feilding, which were separated by only about 12 miles, whereas, on this line, the' train would not stop between Paekakariki and Palmerston, whioh meant that any of the population in the district—a population of about 10,000—. would have to travel either to Palmerston or Paekakariki, which to people in Levin meant a distance, of something like 30 miles' either way.

It was decided, after a great deal of discussion, tliafc Weraroa should have its name changed to South Levin. There was a motion to call it liorowhe'nua, and another to call it Levin Railway, both of which were lost; . Tho Marton-Feilding section of the present railway has some steep grades. By the avoidanco of these, and by the saving in distance, it is considered that a deviation over easy country from Levin to Greatford or Marton would save an hour in the Main Trunk express time. ' -