MATTER FOR CABINET

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 131, 1 December 1930, Page 7

MATTER FOR CABINET

RIMUTAKA DEVIATION

RECENT CORRESPONDENCE

(By Telegraph.) ;- (Special to "The Evening Post") 'MASTEBTON, 30th November. ' ■ Some references to the Bimutak*' deviation we're made ' at a meeting at the Wairarapa Progress League o* Friday. A letter,'from the Kailways Depart* menfc to the Upper Hutt Borough Coua«cil was interesting as showing thaVia, the. view of the Department, the Bimu^ taka incline constitutes such a seribuj obstacle that the experiment made last season in running Sunday trains b«« tween the Wairarapa and Wellington is not likely to be continued. •: The Acting-Prime Minister stated isl a letter that former : cbrrespondene* from the league had not been over« looked, but was held'over pending con* sideration of the matter; by : Cabinet, ''Unfortunately,'' Mr..Bansom added, "owing to heavy pressure of Parlia-i meritary business, it was not found possible to bring the papers forward. Hal the delay been foreseen, a formal acknowledgment would have gone forward.' It:is to be regretted'that the Royal Commission did not deal with, the question, as promised by the Prime Minister, but it reported without1 doing co. Cabinet must now consider what action will be taken. I have noted the. opinion of your league that the Com> mission should be reconstituted,*an& its representations in ' this connection; will have the consideration of the Government at an early date." .'.. : "CANNOT GET SATISFACTION."' "The Government is talking one way; to •us on one side of: the hill,^ ' and' another way to other people on th« other side of the hill," «aid the president (Mr. W. L. Free). "We cannot; get any satisfaction here as^to the improvement of the railway, but they ar» only, too keen to1 use .the Biinutak* obstruction as an excuse for curtailing their services on the other side of tha hill. They.have rather condemned themselves out of their owri mouths b* this occasion.J' It almost looked, Mr. Free added, as if the league: had bee* stalled'off until the end of the sossioa. with the idea of gaining.time until'th« House re-opened. How they were to get the reasonable hearing they were entitled to he ,did. not know.' They; only, wanted the improvement of the Bimutaka railway -to be judged on its merits. If it were- disclared to Lb» uneconomical,. they were not going ta press for it. •Mr. G. B. Sykes, M.P., said-he hal had repeated interviews .with Ministers on. the'question, and he was Batisfiei that it was not the dcrire of the 'Government to burke it. It was;now proposed.to bring the matter before. a'Parliamentary Committee that ■ was '■ set iip before the House adjourned. On the motion of Mr. Jackson, it Wa agreed. that • Mr. Sykes ' and Mr., Freiß should again interview the ActingPrime. Minister on tho subject of the deviation. '. . ." . . . ' .