ROLL UP, NELSON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 August 1928, Page 2

ROLL UP, NELSON

(To the Editor)

Sir, —Your correspondent Mr Strachan in to-night’s “Mail” puts the matter in a, nut shell by stressing the necessity for the greatest deputation Nelson has ever sent to go to Wellington to demand the filling of the gap and' place Nelson on the railway map of the South Island, by connecting the province with the rest of the system, and thus complete the iron road from Nelson to the Bluff.

Your correspondent gives two concrete cases of successful issues following large and impressive deputations that resulted in a great speeding-up and probably years’ earlier completion of the Otira tunnel, and now the commencement of and anticipated early completion of the electrifying of the Lyttelton tunnel and railway between the port and Christchurch. The latter for the seven or eight miles improvement and the remodelling and building of the Christchurch station will cost as much as we need to fill our gap, a work that far transcends theirs in. importance. There is no form of propaganda and no force so impressive on statesmen and governments as that of forceful and representative deputations showing as they do the earnestness and zeal for the cause they arc pleading for. In addition to the above two practical and successful examples in our own Island a score of similar results have been achieved in the North Island. Recent events, including the completion of several large 'works, make the present time the most opportune time for pressing our claims that has presented itself for many years.

We may have pessimists among us, and others whoso private interests impel them to oven he opposed to the linking up of the railway, but if such there are we must either shame them into patriotism for the welfare of • the city and province or tell them to stand aside while we do our duty to ourselves and to the whole country in this matter. Bo roll up and do your part next Thursday ia the great fight for the of Nelson from its elavory of isolation filial? has for so long' been imposed upon us.—Yours, etc., NELSONIAN. P.S.—The present opportunity ~ will prove a very significant test of the zeal of our tradesmen, business firms, farmers and fruitgrowers, for their own vaneement, and the great benefits linking up the railway will prove to them and to huijflreds of thousands of people of the present and future generations, to both of whom ( we owe a duty greater than- wo can ever do for them. But this thing we can do if we have the will to Jo it, and wo owe it to do all we can to encourage and hearten the Nelson Progress League for taking up thi? matter so vigorously help then to bring their effort to fruition.—N.