PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16987, 9 November 1920, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

. » A GISBORNE PROTEST. (press association telegram.) GISBORNE, November 8. The injustice under which the district suffered in regard to public works grants was ventilated, at a meeting or tho East Coast Railway and Development League-, called for the purpose of considering the Estimates. The Minister's proposals were criticised very vmfavourablv. Ono speaker stated tiia-t tho Minister had gone round tho country leading people to believe ho was going to do certain things, but instead, he had flooded the North Auckland district ■fritih road and railway grants, and, in addition, it must be remembered that North Auckland was indented with harbours. The Minister's action was pure camouflage. He was not concentrating on main roads, as promised. No ono would have complained if the Minister had distributed the money all over the Dominion, but ho lhad not done so, for he had concentrated on the North Auckland district. The following resolutions were passed: — (1) "That this meeting should protest against the small amount of money put on tlhe Estimates for tho NapierGisborno and East Coast road, and point out to the Minister that if he is not going to speedily complete tho Na-pier-Gisoorne railway, to put all his efforts on to the road, as promised." (2) "That this meeting strongly protests against all the amounts on the Estimates for the East Coast road, and asks the Minister to redeem his proI mise, made in June, that he would give j this district a metalled road from the I East Coast to Napier, and that work I on the railway should be gone on with as speedily as possible."