RAILWAY DEVIATION

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 160, 1 April 1922, Page 8

RAILWAY DEVIATION

Sir. —The above question keeps looming up in the distance and occasionally get a little nearer and off it goes again. ' ■ , That Featherston demonstration recently gave a little impetus to the affair, and was the means of a number of prominent citizens of ■Wellington getting ia little country outing; new sights, fresh air, etc. But, Sir, if a deviation is io be made I presume it will be by way of an easier grade on the line and a shorter route. No sane man would try to get from Wellington to Masterton, and so ■ on to Napier or Auckland, by constituting a through line by a longer route than was absolutely necessary. It has been demonstrated that a railway “main lino” should run direct and he fed by subsidiary lines, or, more likely by motor carriage as being more economical than the former. The north- . ern portion of the Wairnrapa is steadily resting on its oars, waiting for the engineers’ reports on the several lines advocated. It is to be hoped ther will be no more “Rocheforts” employed on the survey, as a straight out business deal is required. As a ,busi-

ness man of the Wairarapa I trust tho matter will be allowed to stand till the engineers’ reports' have been considered by the Department and published for general informatiofi. I noticed in a local paper just recently that Air. J. T. Bicknell claims to be the friend of the people and says “Coleman Phillips had nothing at all .to do with it.” This is a bit of “Codlin and Shortt” business that I trust will avail them not when the numbers go up.—l am, etc.

SHORT CUT.