DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2198, 10 July 1914, Page 5

DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER

fA'FAVOURABLE'REPLY.

• At the conclusion of the conference tbe delep;ates waited upon' the Prime Minister (tho.Kt. Hon. W. F. Massey), and placed before him a list of remits carried at the conference. The mem-bers-were introduced by Sir Walter Buchanan, the imember for Wairarapa, and other ' provincial- members present were: Messrs.: ; D. H. Guthrie (Oroua), G. K. Sykes (Jlasterton), J. H. Escott (Pahiatua), and T. M. Wilfqrd (Hutt). ; Sir Walter Buchanan said that the deputation was • representative praoti-. cally of the-whole of the"Wellington province., v;fOne>of the matters .ihat they/would 'urge : would be a- deviation of 'the.llimutaka. 'line.- They were unanimous on. th"e need for that. The need would , be , readily : apparent when he said'that it-had been broughtunder his notice th.at.recehtly it took a;week to bring-, ai consignment of cheese from the Wairarapa to Wellington.:'- .. '■' The speakers for the deputation were Messrs. C. M. Luke, J. M. Coradine, A. 1). -M'Leod,; ;J.'vM'lntyre, ' and B. R. Gardner. ■".'■'. •; \ . . '

~ In reply,.. Mr. Massey■ said- tfeao he .was- pleased-.to; hear, the views of such, a; "representative and influential, depute tion.' ■ Some 'of .the matters■ he happened to be -personally acquainted with, lie did not, intend to speak on all the remits which had been placed before, him, but ■would refer to some of the more important.: The Rimutaka deviation was a matter about which the Government hnd practically made up their mind—bo did, not mean that they had actually: decided .'oh'.what' they were going to do, but they had decided that some improvement had to. be made. Ho could say, personally, that ho was surprised that the Wairarapa people had been patient so long with regard to the matter! The Government had decided that some improvement had to be madc,' ! and,' if necessary, a commission of exports would be appointed to "0 into, the whole question, and recommend what should be done. That was all they .could.do, in the meantime. As to-the opening .up of the East Coast lands, he did not happen tn lie personally acquainted with the district, hut the Minister\ of Public Works had, visited the' district some little lime ago. and: was very favourably impressed with, what he had seen. In view'of the outlook, and the markets opening up for New Zealand products in. different parts of the world, particularly'jn the United States and Canada, aiidj'n South-America, the CJovenimer.t had decided that the time had. arrived when, if the ret/tlere- were to :do the

best .by- .their .land, better moans of ■ access and -communication had to be provided. Parliament would be asked for an additional sum of money during the present session, to provido for better access. As to Pongaroa lie could easily understand that settlers were not able to remain in occupation of their lands when they forty miles away from thn nearest railway station. The question was a big one. Speaking generally, the Government would do its best to improve conditions for those -' settlers -ana .others'in many parts of New Zealand. The matter of a'-railway station for Wellington -had''■ been mentioned. Anyone knowing the present conditions would know how exceedingly, awkwardthe arrangement was to have one station comparatively in the centre of the business part of the city, and the other some considerable distance away, and both thoroughly inadequate. The Government had made lip its mind that, out of the loan which would be asked for, for improving the railways, Parliament should be asked for a sufficient sum to provide a proper station for Wellington. (Hear. Tiear.) ' His attention bail already-been called to the necessity for bringing the irains up to y Lambton Station, and lie could say that if it.was possible to do so it would he done. The General Manager for Bailways was preparing a very elaborate report upon tHe railways of the country, and what' should be done to impr'ovo matters, and he hoped that it would include the suggestion which had been put forward by the; deputation.' The Levin-Greatford proposal was practically new to him, although it was not a new suggestion. ■ He was not able to express a definite opinion; but he could understand the advantage of saving fifteen miles, and lie had .hot the slightest doubt hut that, in time, it would he done. He was not going further into other matters then, but would take , the opportunity later of looking over 'the remits-passed by the conference.. He could assure the deputation that' the Government intended to-do every justice .to the Wellington Proviuce, without doing injustice to-other parts of Now Zealand; . . ■', *