Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1920. THAT DEVIATION AGAIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1860, 9 July 1920, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1920. THAT DEVIATION AGAIN.

The advocates of tho Marton-Levin deviation in opposition to the Railway Department’s proposals for relieving the congested railway traffic at Palmerston North, seemingly scored in their interview with Ministers in Wellington yesterday. While admitting that “the matter of relieving tho congestion at ’Palmerston North was urgent,” and that the alternative proposal placed before him would involve the construction of an additional 40 miles of railway, Mr Massey practically promised that nothing would he done in the matter until after tho session, when he would go over tho ground with the Minister of Public Works. As an Authorisation Act is necessary before the Longburn-Palmerston North deviation can be proceeded with, this involves a delay of at least twelve months in commencing an admittedly “urgent” work. Possibly that aspect of the matter may not have occurred to Mr Massey, but it is one that it is necessary to stress, because the longer the improvement is delayed the greater will be tho congestion and confusion engendered locally. The facts which require to be emphasised in connection with . the Railway Department’s proposals are:

(1) That the Longburn-Palmerston deviation originated with the Department, and must he carried out, quite apart from any possible deviation that may be undertaken to relieve the traffic ' on the Main Trunk line between Levin and Marton. (2) That Palmerston North must remain the junction for the railway traffic between the East and West Coasts, and between Auckland and Napier and the Wairarapa, as also between Taranaki, Wanganui and Napier and the Wairarapa, for all time to come. (3) That no good purpose can be. served by delaying a work which is at once “urgent”’ and indispensable. The public, on the other hand, must continue to be gravely inconvenienced, if the works projected by the Railway Department are unnecessarily delayed. (4) The Marton-Levin deviation, side-tracking, as it would, such important towns as Palmerston North and Feilding. would cause more inconvenience and trouble to the larger number of the travelling public than would be compensated for by the possible gam arising from the shortened route between Marton and Levin on the Main Trunk railway. Travellers between Auckland and Napier, or the Wairarapa, and between New Plymouth, Taranaki and Wanganui stations, etc., to stations on the Hawke’s Ray or Wairarapa lines, would have to change tiains twice—at Marton and Palmerston North, instead of the latter station only, as at present, and would bo subjected to much inconvenience and unnecessary delay in consequence. (5) If the idea is merely to shorten the distance between Auckland and Wellington, a considerably greater saving in mileage could be accomplished by carrying the railway out from I'eildig along the Kimbolton road, by way of Kimbolton, Pemberton, Rangiwahia and Ruahine, to somewhere m the vicinity of Mangaweka. in support of the latter idea it may b> pointed out that over the greater portion of that route easy grades arc obtainable, and but few engineering difficulties present themselves. It was, wo believe, the route originally planned for the line, and would probably have been adopted had it not been for’the fact that the Hon. John Bryce (“Honest John,” as he was truly called) possessed an estate in the vicinity which would have benclited considerably by the construction of the line, and intolerant of “jobbery,” or of anything that seemed to even remotely approach it, he gave his vote against it. But a very strong case can and possibly will ,be made out for deviating the line between the points mentioned, as such a de viation would permit of the construction of a branch line from Kimbolton to Apiti, which would give improved acres > to a very considerable area of good country. The route over which the suggested Marton to Levin deviation would pass, is already served between Sandon and Foxton by a good steam tram service) yandi n the . .Main rh.L —,t? rS si .;»wO Jnnru^qqstj

Trunk railway is more easily accessible for the settlers located along the proposed line, and in its vicinity, than it is to the settlors along the Feikling, Kimbolton, Pemberton, Rangiwahia and Ruahine route, which would effect a greater saving in distance than the Marton-Levin deviation, besides opening up wholly new country. Another point which should be also stressed is that the Palmerston deviation has been selected by the Railway Department, which is acting on its own judgment upon the matter. It has been known for over 20 years that the officers of the Department have recognised that it was only a matter of time when tho deviation must be made, and, that being the case, the Authorisation Bill should go through with the least possible delay. We do not believe there is any likelihood of the public generally endorsing the scheme advocated at Sanson on Saturday, and, so far as the Foxton people are concerned, it seems to us they would be much better employed in developing the port of Foxton, and in improving its shipping accommodation, than indulging in day dreams of a double line of rails carrying the Main Trunk trains through their township to Auckland. Concentration upon harbour improvements is likely to serve Foxton far better than a Main Trunk service could possibly do, and it is but beating the air to argue otherwise, and more foolishness to advocate the unattainable.