MR. HERRIES IN THE SOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1728, 19 April 1913, Page 4

MR. HERRIES IN THE SOUTH.

' , o . FLOOD DAMAGE INSPECTED. (By Toleeraipu.-Presß "Association.) Gore, April 18. The Hon. W. H. Merries, Minister for ' Railways in • continuing his lour- .over- the ..Southland railways, arrived in Gore to-day, and after visiting tho Tapanui branch line, met deputations from Waipahi, Tapanui,and Edeuvale- At Moa I'lat an extension of the line 'vas asked for, and Mr. .Herries said ho would put the matter befo-ro tho Minister for- Public Works, who knew the country from end to end. Tho Minister informed a Tapanui deputation, who asked that the tariff rales for goods should be revised, that he intended to go into the matter of/ariff rates shortly. At Gore, Mr. Herries was welcomed by the Mayor \Mr. D. L. l'oppellwoll). In thanking the citizens, (he Minister said ho had como ou an ollicial visit connected with tho liailway Department, lie proposed during his term of office, short or long as it might Ik, lo travel over all tho railways of tho Dominion once a year, in company with railway officials, in order to 530 'first hand, aiid investigate many problems which faced the Department at nil times, Mr. llerries also expressed hia admiration at the noblo way Goro had met Hie difficulties following on the floods. At tho samo time, if they wanted outside assistance, they would bo supported as far as the Government was concerned, and, they could be sure, by the people of tho Dominion also. Mr. Hemes added that tho Railways Department was also hoartilv to bo congratulated on the splendid wo'rk done since the disastrous floods. Ho already had issued instructions to 'thank the officers of tho Department for tho measures taken to restore traffic on the railways. ! i Mr. Hemes visited Eiversdale, Switzots, and Lumsdon in the afternoon. Mr. Rouayno and his staff ' inspected tho ; lUversdale-Switzcrs branch line, where tho , damage by tho flood is very considerable. ■ At Switze'rs, where the railway employees homes were ruined by the flood, Hie Minister promised to shift them to higher ground, and also to give compensation. Mr. llerries said he liad thought tho : damage as stated in tho newspapers \vas exaggerated at the time l , but he doubted ; now whether it was much exaggerated. Tho Minister visited Lumsdon and afterwards returned to Goro about C.30 p.m. He leaves for the Mataura, Wyndham, and AVnimahako. branch to-morrow, and spends the night at Invercargill.