THE LINKWATER.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 239, 8 October 1920, Page 5

THE LINKWATER.

V [SITED BY PROGRESS

ORGANISE!?.

"A PUBLIC SPIRITED COM-

MUNITY?'

A visit to the Lmfcw.-iter district was made by Mr Witt Mwson on "Wednesday and Thursday. On arrival at the Grove, the organiser vas met by Mr E. Coulter, d.airman of the Linkwater branch of the Farmers' Union, and the day was sj;ent in a tour of the district and in metting the settlers.

The first call was at tho Linkwater Cheese Factory where an up-to-date' plant for manufacturing whey butter has been installed. Mr Adams, the manager, demonstrated how the cream is extracted from the. whey which is released when the cheese is nia-dt\ By installing this plant the factory will utilise £500 wosth of cream which has hitherto been thrown out with, the whey. Mn.hakip«awfi Valley was looking" glorious as the. party mc-ored towards the township and throughout tho day, when visits were, paid to the rifle range, were selection tests were being carried out, to the old diggings out to the hill road and elsewhere, the same ideal conditions prevailed. In the evening Mr Lawson attended the monthly meeting of the local branch of the. ■Farmers'" Union, . •when about 20 members wtTo present. After the. usual business had been transacted, Mr Lawson spoke on progress matters.

The organiser said that while the Progress Committee was a live body and anxious to push Marlborough forward, it could accomplish very .little, unless it had the whole of Marlbcrough behind it. He'was pleased to find such a broad-minded, publicspirited community at Linkwater and was sure that his committee, and the Einkwater people would work together in umsori, . ,

A fact which had struck him about Marlboiough was that owing to lack oi communication it was itself a byway or dead-end, full .of lesser byways. Nothing led anywhere. The railway to the South fizzled out somewhere far short of Ka.ikoura, the, road through the Wairau to the .West Coast, did likewise, beyond Birch Bill, and the Nelson-Picton road, which should be a, busy highway gave up the ghost a few miles past the Grove, where a road that was built at. great expense had fallen into utter disrepair through slieer neglect. ' .

The Prpgi-ess Committee's first aim was to improve communication. by sea,, rail, and road—and, perhaps, in the future, by air. Already it had persuaded the Union Company to place m boat on the service to run between Picton and Wellington only-; it had been instrumental in getting a. daily, mail service to Ka.ikoura, teleplione communication with Nelson and the continuous telephone service, in Blenheim, . which was a boon; to, the country as well as the town, since by'opening a bureau anywhere, farmers oould ring up Bleiiheim any time. . " •

To- come to Mahakipawa's own domestic needs, Mr Lawsonv said, it was as important in its way. to make tnei r road ?' highway, as it was to male the little lailway in the province a. part of the South Island railway system. What he had seen that day had confirmed his. opinion that the reopening of the road to licton was the key to the system ot communication throughout the bounds. It would bring both Sounds together and provide a round drive ior visitors, and residents which would not .be rivalled anywhere; On the following morning he and Messrs (xoulter and Button would ride over the road from the Grove to Picton, to see personally in what: state it was. Ajfter that he would suggest a conference of those interested to sec what steps could be taken to have, the road restored and maintained. Numerous questions, regarding progress matters were answered by the oigamser. Among these was the light railway question and those present expressed approval of a 3ft 6in line to the West Cea>t via the Wair;ui. The fact thai Linkwater si<med the' hydro-electric petition almbiu to .a. man wr.s referred ""to by Mr •Lawson and he ex-pressed' the '■ hop® that the same' reception " would be given to. the railway petition. . Its adoption would mean the increased' prosperity of Maryborough. . And if Marlboiough prospered, the Linkwater, as part of Marlborough', Smust prosper top.. -The meeting concluded with a hearty vote of> thanks to. Mr Ltiwson.- ;