CHATHAM ISLANDS PROBLEMS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28261, 26 April 1957, Page 15

CHATHAM ISLANDS PROBLEMS

Minister’s Letter To Farmers

Steps to encourage further agricultural development in the Chatham Islands and to improve the shipping services to the islands were mentioned in a reply sent by the Minister of Island Territories (Mr T. L Macdonald) to the general secretary of New Zealand Federated Farmers (Mr A. P. O’Shea) after a deputation from the federation had urged action to improve social and economic conditions on the Chatham Islands. The letter was received at a meeting of the North Canterbury provincial executive of the federation on Wednesday. “Admittedly the Chatham Islands have their own problems and ones that for which there is no ready solution available, but I do not tbink the picture is as dark as some commentators have painted it,” said the Minister. It was true that for all practical purposes there was a shipping monopoly and he felt that some complaints about the service might be justified, but it should be greatly improved when the shipping company replaced the old Port Waikato with a new vessel now being built for the Chatham Islands service. “As I understand it, the new vessel, which will have the sajne cargo capacity as the old ship, and will be considerably faster, should be ready for service by late 1957 or early 1958.” Mr D. W. Gray moved that a copy of the Minister’s letter be sent to the Chatham Islands branch and remarked that it was probable that the cost of building a house there would be known by some other Government department. The high costs were something that would have to be faced. The motion was adopted.